Hive-entrance pollen transfer devices to increase the cross-pollination potential of honey bees. II. Examination of three materials and pollen viability

Citation
F. Hatjina et al., Hive-entrance pollen transfer devices to increase the cross-pollination potential of honey bees. II. Examination of three materials and pollen viability, J APICULT R, 38(1-2), 1999, pp. 3-9
Citations number
24
Categorie Soggetti
Entomology/Pest Control
Journal title
JOURNAL OF APICULTURAL RESEARCH
ISSN journal
00218839 → ACNP
Volume
38
Issue
1-2
Year of publication
1999
Pages
3 - 9
Database
ISI
SICI code
0021-8839(1999)38:1-2<3:HPTDTI>2.0.ZU;2-G
Abstract
The cross-pollination potential of honey bees (Apis mellifera) may be impro ved by increasing the foreign pollen on bees' bodies through an enhancement of bee-to-bee pollen transfer in the hive. To do so, we fitted a simple de vice, which we call a hive-entrance pollen transfer device, at the hive ent rance. The device was lined with three materials which were tested for thei r efficiency in increasing pollen grain numbers and pollen richness on the bodies of honey bees departing their colony in the summer of 1993. Of the t hree materials, woollen fabric and felt fabric increased significantly the total number of pollen grains on bees by an average of 84% and 131%, respec tively. The effect of fine nylon bristles on pollen grain numbers, though p ositive (14% increase), was only marginally significant relative to control colonies. Felt fabric performed better than woollen fabric and fine nylon bristles in increasing significantly pollen richness on departing bees (by 64%, 25% and 28%, respectively). Germination of pollen sampled from the bod ies of bees departing a colony with a hive-entrance pollen transfer device lined with fine bristles and a control colony was found to be similar, and not significantly different from pollen sampled from the bodies of pollen c ollectors entering the same colonies. Among bees' body areas, proboscidial fossae carried pollen with the highest germination rate. Corbicular pollen had almost twice as high a germination as that from proboscidial fossae. Po llen from woollen fabric, felt fabric and fine bristle materials lining a h ive-entrance pollen transfer device had an equally high germinability.