23 Kas 2024 Cumartesi
Effect of feeding various diet formulations to honey bee colonies during dearth period under Gwalior (India) conditions
Abstract :Six protein rich artificial diets were formulated keeping in mind the nutritional requirements of honeybees. Diets were prepared with the help of various protein rich ingredients viz. defatted soy flour, parched gram, brewer’s yeast, soy protein hydrolysate, spirulina, skimmed milk powder and natural pollen. These diets were fed to Apis mellifera colonies in the form of patties on top bars of hive during summer dearth periods, 2010. The results on the preference of bees for the formulated diets showed that diet 3 (defatted soy four, brewer’s yeast and soy protein hydrolysate powder) proved to be most effective with 723.4 cm2 sealed brood area, 5.8 total bee covered frames and 9138.6 bee population. The performance of all experimental colonies was found to be better as compared to control colonies
Apis mellifera, Gwalior, diet formulation, dearth period, brood, protein hydrolysate