Journal of Apicultural Research
ISSN: 0021-8839 (Print) 2078-6913 (Online) Journal homepage: http://www.tandfonline.com/loi/tjar20
Effect of Moving Honeybee Colonies on their Subsequent Production and Consumption of Honey Floyd E. Moeller To cite this article: Floyd E. Moeller (1975) Effect of Moving Honeybee Colonies on their Subsequent Production and Consumption of Honey, Journal of Apicultural Research, 14:3-4, 127-130, DOI: 10.1080/00218839.1975.11099815 To link to this article: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/00218839.1975.11099815
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Date: 21 November 2016, At: 10:33
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Journal of Apicultural Research 14(3/4) : 127-130 (1975)
EFFECT OF MOVING HONEYBEE COLONIES ON THEIR SUBSEQUENT PRODUCTION AND CONSUMPTION OF HONEY* FLOYD
E.
MOELLER
Agricultural Research Service, USDA, and Department of Entomology, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI 53706, USA Manuscript received for publication 3rd Apri/1975
Summary Honeybee colonies moved at night into new territory had smaller increases in weight than similar undisturbed colonies during the 7-day period following the move. Colonies moved out and back during the same night showed no such reduction in nectar storage. The difference was presumably the result of a need to reorientate to new pasture. Colonies moved in late autumn (November) showed a significantly greater winter consumption of stores than those not disturbed; those moved twice showed still greater consumption. Each move resulted in an additional consumption of 4-5 kg stores per colony between October and April.
Introduction Colonies of honeybees (Apis mellifera) are frequently moved, either between crops that are to be pollinated or into a good honey-producing locality. The purpose of moving the colonies is to obtain maximum pollination of a crop or improved production of honey. However, such moves apparently have some intrinsic effect on the gain or loss of weight (principally honey) of the colonies. A series of tests was therefore made at Madison, Wisconsin, USA, to measure the effects of such moves on experimental colonies. Researchers have investigated the effect on crop production of moving colonies into or out of the proximity of a target crop for pollination (see Free et al., 1960; Karmo & Vickery, 1954; Karmo, 1972; Levin & Bohart, 1957; Moeller, 1973), but no observations are known to have been made on the weight gain or loss of the colonies immediately after such a move. The closest approach to the question was Taber's (1963) study of the effect of manipulative disturbance on the social behaviour of the honeybee colony. Taber suggested that the disturbance did not interfere with foraging activities (the colonies were not moved), and that weight loss was probably the result of heat loss and the consequent consumption of more honey.
Materials and Methods In the first test, 8 colonies of similar genetic stock, and similar in size and condition as judged visually, were used during 4 summers. The colonies were moved in early July during a period of weight gain. Two colonies were kept in the original location two were moved out and back to the original position on the same evening; two were moved to a new location and left there; two were moved to two new locations on successive evenings. All locations used in a single year were about 8-13 km apart,
* Research
supported by the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences, University of Wisconsin, Madison 53706.
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and were in a similar agricultural area, with legumes as the main source of nectar. The weight gains of single colonies on scales at each location were approximately equal throughout the 7-day test period. The experimental colonies were weighed after sunset when foraging ceased, once at the start and once at the end of the test period, to determine average weight changes. In the second test 242 colonies (in 5 bee yards) of similar stock and managed under the same system, were moved in late November when no bee flight was in progress (temperatures below 0°C). Of these colonies 100 were moved once, 96 were moved twice with a 4-day interval between the moves, and 46 were not moved. Moving was by truck over normal country roads for distances of about 8-13 km. The clustered bees were jostled sufficiently to cause noticeable activity and breaking of the cluster. All colonies were weighed in October and again in April, to determine winter consumption of stores.
Results and Discussion Early summer moving of colonies The data in Table I show similar trends in the 4 years. The colony's weight gain was not significantly affected if the hive was moved back to the same location after dark (when the field force was intact). However, the 2 pairs of colonies moved into new territory showed lower weight gains than the 2 pairs of colonies remaining at the original location. The colonies moved twice showed a smaller weight gain than any of the other 3 groups over the 7-day period, but this reduction was not significantly different from the reduction in colonies moved once to a new location.
TABLE 1.
Colony no.
Effect of early summer moving of honeybee colonies on their weight gain during the next 7 days.
Average daily weight gain (kg) Year I II III IV
Not moved 1 1·42 2
1·08
2·32
4·37
4·85
3·59
4·96
5·31
Moved out and back the same evening 4·18 3 1·60 3-44 4
1·80
3·77
One move to a new location 5 0·72 2·02 6
0·35
1·36
Significance* 4-year average±SE (P
