Implementación de un protocolo de reproducción y cría de abejas reinas Apis Mellifera en tres tiempos diferentes

Abstract

This study evaluated the suitability of implementing a protocol for the rearing of Apis Mellifera queen bees in the Southern Highlands region of Ecuador. The research was carried out during the months of March, April and May 2024, and two parent and one breeder hives were selected for the experiment through three selection tests for tameness, hygiene and production. The Doolittle breeding method was then applied, generating two strips of queen cells: one containing 7 cells and the other containing 8 cells. Accepted cells were placed in nucs with brood sucklers and food, which allowed the emergence of queens. Fertilization was quantified by returning queens to the nucs and visual confirmation of lay. To evaluate colony development, weekly weighing was carried out for 60 days. Fifteen queen cells per month were used, each month being considered as a different treatment (March, April and May). A completely randomized design was used and the grafting and hatching percentages were compared. The results showed that there were no significant differences between the months evaluated (P > 0.05) in the percentages of acceptance to traslarve. However, a significant difference was observed in the birth of Queens grafted in May (P < 0.05). In conclusion, the time with the highest percentage of success for queen production was in April from the applied protocol.