Colony strength in the spring inspection and its impact on the amount of foraged pollen at the time of red clover pollination

G Jevtic,Z Lugic,N Nedic,B Andjelkovic,K Matovic

doi:10.2298/bah1301115j

Abstract

In this study, the impact of honey bee colony strength in the spring inspection on the colony strength at the time of pollination, the amount of foraged pollen and on the colony strength in autumn was observed. The honey bee colonies were, after the spring inspection, divided into two groups, based on the amount of bees. The weak colonies, in spring inspection, had an average up to 4 frames occupied by bees and the strong colonies, in the spring inspection, had more than 6 frames occupied by bees. In addition to the amount of bees, the amount of brood and food supplies were assessed in the inspections. It was determined that the stronger colonies had more pollen foragers in all three year of observation. The quantity of foraged pollen, in addition to strength in the spring inspection, was influenced by year. In two years (first and third) more pollen and larger quantity of red clover pollen was collected by the strong colonies, while in the second year, more pollen and a large quantity of red clover pollen was collected by weak colonies. In the fall inspections was found that the strong colonies still had more bees and brood, more pollen and, also, more honey in relation to the weak colonies.

Highlights

Unlike alfalfa, red clover is almost entirely cross-pollinated species (9798%), and selfsterility is caused by gamete incompatibility
In two years more pollen and larger quantity of red clover pollen was collected by the strong colonies, while in the second year, more pollen and a large quantity of red clover pollen was collected by weak colonies
After three-year observation, honey bee colonies in spring inspections had average of 5.2 frames with bees, 2.4 frames with brood, 3.5 frames with honey and 0.8 frames with pollen

Summary

Introduction

Unlike alfalfa, red clover is almost entirely cross-pollinated species (9798%), and selfsterility is caused by gamete incompatibility. Flower morphology of this crop allows entomophile pollination, and the most significant pollinators are honey bee (Apis mellifera L.), bumble bees (Bombus spp.) solitary bees and others, (Taylor and Smith, 1979). Rao and Stephen (2009) have found that in the isolation cages with bumble bees 661 kg ha-1 of red clover seed was obtained and 640 kg ha-1 in cages with honey bees of red. Carnica overwinter in much weaker colonies than other races of honey bees. It overwinters with significantly less bees than A. m. In conditions of our country, very little was done in the issue of red clover pollination, so there are no results on the impact of honey bees in the pollination of this crop, let alone the necessary condition of bee colonies in order to perform this operation more successfully

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