Studies on nectar secretion rhythms and colony performance of Apis mellifera L. in sesame

Abstract

The present study was conducted to determine the nectar secretion rhythms and colony performance of Apis mellifera L. in sesame. The results revealed that the average dry nectar present in a single sesame flower varied from 0.205 to 0.542 mg with the highest production rate at 1000 - 1200 h (0.522 mg) followed by 0800 - 1000 h, while the lowest sugar production was at 6 - 8 h (0.224 mg). There was a significant increase in the area covered under nectar, pollen, and brood in relation to the flowering week of the crop. The highest area under nectar, pollen, and brood were at the third week of flowering with mean values of 117.3, 60.5, 269.8 inches2/colony, respectively. In contrast, the lowest colony growth was at the first week, where there were 91.8, 33.0, and 139.2 square inches of nectar, pollen, and nectar, respectively. The present findings reflect the usefulness of sesame as the resource crop for beekeeping.