Regulation of Pollen Foraging Activity in <i>Apis mellifera</i> Africanized Honeybees Colonies

Abstract

Efficient honey production requires knowledge about the behavior of the workers and the parameters that influence the strength of the colony. In this study, the objective was to analyze the interaction between the foraging behavior of worker honeybees and pollen storage levels in Africanized honeybees colonies. Colonies with low pollen storage increased pollen intake rates, but this value was 15% lower than colonies with high pollen storage, demonstrating a direct relationship between the pollen storage levels and foraging activity. The difference in pollen intake rates varied according to the number of foraging honeybees and pollen load collected by each individual. Under both high and low pollen storage, colonies returned pollen storage to initial level within 16 days, suggesting that honeybees regulate pollen storage levels around a homeostatic set point. Relationship between pollen storage levels and colony brood production was also found, indicating how alterations in the behavior of each individual can affect the strength of the colony.

Food collection behavior ofApis melliferaandTetragonisca angustulabees inBrassica napusL. in response to different environmental covariates

“…In contrast, the supply of pollen can vary dramatically from one day to the next depending on the weather conditions and quantities of flowers, while the demand for pollen by the colony changes gradually as the number of offspring increases or decreases [22]. Therefore, the bees store what is necessary for the maintenance of the young, and, according to the colony’s need, the workers change their behavior to collect pollen, decreasing or increasing the number of foragers, size of the pollen load, and, consequently, the area of stored pollen [23].…”

Pollen trapping and sugar syrup feeding of honey bee (Hymenoptera: Apidae) enhance pollen collection of less preferred flowers

“…Unlike other flower-visiting solitary insects, honeybees collect large quantities of pollen and nectar [ 1 – 5 ]. Pollen foraging is a collective behavior that is precisely organized and carefully regulated depends on the pollen storage level in the hive, the available resources and the climatic conditions of the area [ 6 – 8 ]. Few studies have examined whether honeybee foraging decisions are sensitive to changes in colony conditions [ 9 – 11 ].…”

“…Different colony management techniques were tested to improve honeybee pollination of less attractive crops [ 24 – 27 ]. These techniques require knowledge about the behavior of honeybees and the factors that influence the colony to collect more pollen that enhances pollination [ 8 ]. When pollens were removed from colonies, there was an associated increase in the number of pollen foragers, pollen amount and pollen load size [ 28 – 30 ].…”