Effect of initial colony strength on productivity and pollination services of honey bee (Apis mellifera L.)

Abstract

Honey bees are one of the important pollinators of crops. That is why beekeeping is considered as one of the essential inputs in agriculture. Beekeeping also provides many hive products, including honey. Therefore, the main purpose of beekeeping is honey production and pollination of crops. But it is not known what the initial colony strength should be for starting a profitable beekeeping venture. To accomplish this objective, the present study was conducted. Three types of colonies were selected for this study. These included 5-Frame, 7-Frame and 9-Frame colonies. Seven colony parameters were studied at an interval of 21 days on five observation days. These include the number of nectar and pollen foragers, the amount of unsealed and sealed brood, the amount of pollen and honey stored, and the size of the colonies. The results reveal that during the study period, nectar foragers increased about 2.8 times in 5-frame colonies, 3 times in 7-frame colonies, and 3.2 times in 9-frame colonies. Likewise, pollen foragers increased about 2.8 times in 5-frame colonies, 3 times in 7-frame colonies, and 3.2 times in 9-frame colonies. But, the increase in unsealed as well as sealed broods of three colony types was marginal. The gain in honey storage was also similar in all the three types of colonies, but pollen storage was less in the larger colonies. However, the size of the colonies increased about 2.9 times in 5-Frame colonies, 3.1 times in 7-Frame colonies, and 3.3 times in 9-Frame colonies. Therefore, based on the net gains in colony parameters, a 9-Frame colony proved better than a 7-Frame and 5-Frame colony. It is recommended that a potential beekeeper starting a beekeeping venture should have at least 9-Frame colonies at the initial stage to make it a successful and profitable ventur