Laboratory Studies of Some Diets as Pollen Substitutes on Some Biological Activities and Morphological Measurements of Caged Worker Bees at Different Ages

Abstract

This work was carried out to study the effect of some diets as pollen substitutes on the biological activities and morphological measurements of caged worker bees at different ages. The obtained results indicated that the mean longest life length of caged bees (32 days) was recorded by the liquid yeast (diet A) (Candida tropicalis) at 25% conc. which represented 133.33% of the control (D) (24 days) fed on sugar syrup (1:1). On the other hand, the least life length (21.00 days) which represented 87.50% of the control (D) of caged bees was recorded by the diets; B (400 ml. liquid yeast + 200 gm. soya bean (lipid free) + 300 gm. bran + 100 gm. corn flour + 1000 gm. sugar ) and C (200 gm. dried brewer's yeast (Saccharomyces sp.) at 25% concentration + 400 gm. soya bean (lipid free) + 400 gm. barley (apical + roots) +1000 gm. sugar). Feeding caged bees on liquid yeast (diet A) at 25% conc. resulted in the longest LT 50% (day) (23 days) represented 143.75% in comparison with the control (D) (16 days) fed on sugar syrup (1:1) .While the diets B, C and the control (D) recorded the lowest LT 50% (day) (16 days for each).