The effect of different concentrations of carbon dioxide (CO2) in a mixture with air or nitrogen upon the survival of the honey bee (Apis mellifera).

Abstract

SummaryThe effect of different concentrations of carbon dioxide (CO2), mixed with air or nitrogen (N2), on the behaviour and lifespan of honey bee (Apis mellifera) workers was studied. It was found that the workers, after being treated for three minutes with the gases entered a state of deep anaesthesia only in an atmosphere of pure CO2 and its mixtures with N2. It was also observed that the higher the concentration of CO2 in N2, the quicker the bees entered a state of deep anaesthesia, and they also woke up sooner. The workers treated with mixtures of gases with high concentrations of CO2 (above 80%) survived for a significantly shorter time than those treated with lower concentrations of the gases.