Abstract
The results of studying the number of honey bees in colonies and the results determining and the evaluation the age-stage specific survival rates of bee colonies have been presented. The survival rate depends on the egg-laying of the queen bee, the period of the season, the level of development of bee colonies and reaches a minimum in all colonies in the period after the main honey collection S = 0.3-0.5. In the spring and autumn periods, there is a high negative correlation dependence (r=−0.7÷(−0.9), between the egg-laying of the queen bee (number of brood) and survival. The average survival rate in the spring and summer periods for strong families is 20-30% lower than in weak and medium families. The values of the survival rate in the spring and autumn periods for all types of bee colonies are more than one. This result is typical for bee colonies and is associated with the presence of wintering bees with a high life expectancy (up to 9 months) in colonies. A decrease in the survival rate in the period after the main honey flow to S<0.5-0.6 may be one of the factors in the colony collapse disorder (CCD) due to a violation of the gene expression mechanism in bees during the transition from hive activity to forager or to the autumn-winter period. A high survival rate determines the sustainability of the honey bee population, increasing the survival rate to one allows you to manage the vital activity of bee colonies, reduce the impact of various adverse factors on bees, reduce the risk of CCD, and manage the population of honey bees in ecosystems.
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