Influence of early spring feeding on the development of bee families in the natural lands of Polissya

Abstract

To ensure intensive early spring development of bee colonies in the natural lands of Polissya Zhytomyr region in the winter-spring period it is necessary to feed stimulating food. Therefore, the aim of the work is to study the influence of spring feeding with sugar-honey dough on the development and honey productivity of bee families of Ukrainian breed in conditions of clean and radioactively contaminated natural lands of Zhytomyr Polissya. The influence of feeding bee colonies with sugar-honey dough (powdered sugar, centrifuged honey, water) using pure and radioactively contaminated honey on the intensity of development and honey productivity was studied. To do this, two groups were created with experimental families of Ukrainian bee breeds, selected on the principle of analogs, one of which was in a radioactively clean area, and the other in radioactively contaminated soils 137 Cs within 15 Ki/km² and above. A comparative assessment of the early spring development of families was made: from March 16 to May 20, with an interval of 21 days, the number of open and sealed brood, egg production of queens during the honey harvest season was determined. Honey productivity at the honey harvest from natural lands was determined by the amount of honey obtained in spring and summer. Early spring feeding with sugar-honey dough promotes intensive development of families, and the content of radioactively contaminated honey does not have a negative impact on their development. After the end of the season of honey collection from natural lands, bee families of Ukrainian breed, both in the radioactively contaminated and clean zone, had a medium strength and could successfully overwinter.