Abstract
<i>Apis mellifera</i> (<i>A. mellifera</i>) colonies build nests of varying characteristics which differ between races and different ecologies. To gain insight into details of natural nest characteristics of local honeybees and its implications in movable frame hive designing, natural bee space, comb spacing and worker brood cell dimensions of <i>Apis mellifera bandasii</i> (<i>A. m. bandasii</i>) were assessed across different altitudinal ranges through measuring their dimensions from naturally constructed combs in traditional hives. Moreover, comb spacing and bee space in movable frame hives from different local workshops were also measured. In addition, optimum comb thickness and bee space requirement were assessed by keeping local honeybee colonies in Kenya Top Bar (KTB) hives with different top bar widths. Accordingly, the average natural bee space, comb spacing, inside width of worker brood cells and worker brood cell/dm<sup>2</sup> were 10.04 ± 2.23 mm, 33.70 ± 1.84 mm, 4.64 ± 0.13 mm and 1060.92 ± 14.24, respectively. The worker brood comb thickness, cell depth and bee space were significantly (<i>p</i> < 0.05) different across altitudinal ranges. Moreover, local honeybee colonies under natural conditions were found to build significantly narrower comb spacing in their brood nests than the frame spacing in movable frame box hives. The result from experimental colonies kept in KTB hives of varying top bar widths revealed that increasing comb spacing had no effect on comb thicknesses, while it significantly increased the bee space. This also confirmed that <i>A. m. bandasii</i> needs less comb spacing than the space in movable frame box hives currently used. The study implies the vital importance of considering natural nest comb spacing and cells dimensions in designing and constructing movable frame box hives and accessories that match with local honeybees’ biological requirement which may contribute to enhance the productivity of the race.
Highlights
One of the most striking features of honeybee biology is the variability found within and between races of A. mellifera
There was no significant differences between the natural bee space and bee space obtained from movable frame box hives constructed at different workshops t (353) = 1.08, p > 0.28)
The study underlined the presence of variations in natural bee space, comb thickness, and cell size within A. m. bandasii colonies of different altitude ranges
Summary
One of the most striking features of honeybee biology is the variability found within and between races of A. mellifera. Honeybees build their natural nest by constructing a group of parallel combs vertically downwards from the roof of nest cavity almost the same way as they did in wild nests [3], which is not the case in movable frame hives. The space they leave between the combs and comb spacing (midrib to midrib distances), and the variation in comb dimensions are inbuilt behavioral characteristics of the bees [3], which vary for subspecies based on their body sizes [4]. These variations are among the important factors affecting the performance and survival of A. mellifera honeybee races [2, 5], as the worker bees detect the spacing very precisely especially in brood combs, where nest temperature is crucial [6]
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