Monitoring of Bee Colonies’ Activity During the Major Gatherings in 2017

The assessment of the meteorological factors, in direct correlation with the nectar release and honey production, helps beekeepers with the organization of the technological activities within the apiary (determination of the pastoral schedule, supplementary feedings, reproduction of bee colonies, honey harvest, etc.). The study was carried out between 14th of April and 20th of July 2017, on 20 Apis mellifera carpatica bee colonies, maintained in multi-layer and Dadant beehives. The bee colonies were transported in field for rape, acacia and sunflower gathering and monitored with the help of the BeeWatch Professional device. The rape and acacia gatherings were negatively influenced by low temperatures and heavy rainfall, which impeded the capitalization of the melliferous potential. The bee colonies gathered only 5 kg rape honey and 3.9 kg acacia honey/bee colony/period. As regards the sunflower, the weather conditions were optimal for gathering, and the bee colonies gathered the supplies necessary for winter and also 5 kg honey extra. The honey production obtained by the bee colonies studied was not influenced by the beehive type; it was strongly influenced by the environmental factors, temperature and humidity

Snail survival as bioindicator of cadmium contaminated soils under semi-realistic field conditions

Juvenile brown garden snails (Helix aspersa Müller) were exposed to Cd-contaminated soils for 60 days under semi-realistic field conditions. The soils were contaminated with increasing concentrations of cadmium chloride (0–2900 mg kg-1 Cd2+/solution CdCl2). The snails were housed in terrariums and were fed exclusively with nettle leaves. The experiments were carried out in Timisoara on 1000 snails.The survival rates differed significantly for different Cd treatments. Only higher cadmium concentrations (> 1000 mg kg-1 Cd2+/solution CdCl2) had a significant influence on survival curves of snails exposed to Cd-contaminated soils. The maximal death rate reached 81.00±9.9% for snails exposed to soils contaminated with 2900 mg kg1 Cd /solution CdCl2. We found dose-dependent survival rates, whereas the half maximal effective concentration was 1365 mg kg-1 Cd2+/solution CdCl2. Our results suggested that longer-term studies are required for assessing the real potential of snail survival rate as bioindicator of Cd-contaminated soils in field conditions

Snail survival as bioindicator of cadmium contaminated soils under semi-realistic field conditions

Juvenile brown garden snails (Helix aspersa Müller) were exposed to Cd-contaminated soils for 60 days under semi-realistic field conditions. The soils were contaminated with increasing concentrations of cadmium chloride (0–2900 mg kg-1 Cd2+/solution CdCl2). The snails were housed in terrariums and were fed exclusively with nettle leaves. The experiments were carried out in Timisoara on 1000 snails.The survival rates differed significantly for different Cd treatments. Only higher cadmium concentrations (> 1000 mg kg-1 Cd2+/solution CdCl2) had a significant influence on survival curves of snails exposed to Cd-contaminated soils. The maximal death rate reached 81.00±9.9% for snails exposed to soils contaminated with 2900 mg kg1 Cd /solution CdCl2. We found dose-dependent survival rates, whereas the half maximal effective concentration was 1365 mg kg-1 Cd2+/solution CdCl2. Our results suggested that longer-term studies are required for assessing the real potential of snail survival rate as bioindicator of Cd-contaminated soils in field conditions

Economic benefits arising from the prebiotically enhanced supplementary feeding of honeybee colonies

Addition of prebiotic (acidifying) products to the supplementary feeds provided to honeybee colonies has a positive effect on colony health through favouring the development of a beneficial intestinal microflora. It also increases queen fecundity and oviposition leading to fast colony recruitment. We report the economic benefits of using acidifying substances (cider vinegar and lactic acid) in spring feeding supplements given to colonies. Trialling was conducted at Jebel, Romania between April 15 and May 4 2011 using 30 colonies which each received 1.4 l per week of supplemental feed sugar syrup with these substances added. Acacia honey production was assessed by weight at the end of May. Production was found to be significantly higher in the treatment group compared with the control (p<0.05) resulting, for the treatment group, in a predicted economic premium ranging between 9.38 and 22.06%

Researches on the influence exerted by beehive type on bee family hibernation

This work presents the results of hibernation of bee colonies maintained in multi-storied beehives endowed with anti-varroa ground, made of wood and polystyrene Dadant. The experiments were carried out Banat’s University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine „King Michael the Ist” from Timişoara, Romania, between the 1st of November 2016 and 1st of March 2017. The biological material was represented by 20 Apis mellifera carpatica bee colonies, divided in two experimental variants, 10 colonies/batch, with similar power and same-age queens.  During the experiment, we observed the bee amount at the start of hibernation; the bee amount at the end of hibernation; the evolution of feed intake and losses caused by mortality. At the end of the experiment, we determined a bigger bee amount in the polystyrene Dadant beehives, significantly lower losses caused by mortality from a statistical point of view (p<0.001) and lower feed intake with 12.04% compared with the bee families maintained in the wooden multi-storied beehives

Research on the productive performance of hybrid offspring of rabbits reared in household system (I)

In the experiment consisted in using 5 females hybrid which have been mated with 3 male pure-bred. Each couple was monitored for pup and mother body weight and also the consumption of succulent feed, bulky and concentrated. Both parents and offspring were kept in cages made of wood and wire mesh. Under the cages there was a tray of galvanized steel sheet for collecting manure. During the experiment, female New Zealand and the Californian Red hybrid have given birth 4 times, producing 43 cubs (pups 10.75/birth) and 31 pups (pups 7.75/birth). The other 3 females gave birth only once a year. All pups survived until weaning (30 days). Weaned pups from female New Zealand Red hybrid at time of weaning had a mean body mass of between 341.20 to 602.20 g/pups, and those from female Californian hybrid were between 374.00 to 803.33 g/pup. At weaning, pups from female Chinchilla Mare hybrid weighed on average 546.75 g/pup, the ones from the French hybrid female Great Silver weighed 433.00 g/pup, and those from the New Zealand Red primiparous female hybrid weighed784.00 g/weaned puppies. Between the 11th and the 30th day of lactation, most females have lost body weight, the highest being 489.00 g/lactating female

Body mass indices analysis in the German Giant Ram breed

The study of the main body mass indices in the giant German ram breed was performed between 6.06.2014 and 10.06.2014 in a rabbitry from Diniaș town, Timiș County. The biological material was represented by 16 adult rabbit females and 10 adult males, with the average body weight of 7 kg, raised in semi-intensive system. There have been performed the following body measurements: oblique and horizontal length of the trunk, the length of thorax, the length of head, the length of ears, of neck, and of tail, the height at weithers and rump, the height of thorax and stern, the width of chest, of thorax, of rump at hip and ischia, the wide width of forehead, the thoracic circumference and the circumference of shin. Giant German Ram males have registered higher values in the body size index, in the pelvic-thoracic index, and in the rump angle index compared to females from the same breed, which have registered higher values in the index of transverse body size, in the index of massiveness, in the pelvic-thoracic index, and in the cephalic index

Research on the productive performance of young rabbit hybrid bred in a household system (II)

To ease the shock of weaning, the young hybrid rabbits were held between the ages of 30 days and 37 days in a farrowing cage and than they were transfered inside growing pens (148/123 cm), where they remained until slaughter. Before slaughter, youth has undergone a finishing process. Youth received treatment with vitamins, coccidiostatics and specific vaccinations. The finishing process began when youth Hybrid reached a body mass of 1700-1900 g and consisted of removal of the ration of grain and vitamins. Youth hybrid was sacrificed to a body weight of 2500 g, weight being achieved between the ages of 107-142 days. Youth consumed between 140.86 to 663.50 g / day juicy fodder, from 806.14 to 1225.82 g / day bulky and concentrated feed. Carcasses of youth hybrid weighed between 1596.70 to 1886.40 g. Slaughter yield ranged from 50.25 to 68.67%. The average price on housing in young hybrid rabbits, calculated at a price of 17 lei/kg carcass, ranged from 27.10 to 33.40 lei / housing

Bee Queen Breeding Methods - Review

The biological potential of a bee family is mainly generated by the biological value of the queen. Whether we grow queens widely or just for our own apiaries, we must consider the acquisition of high-quality biological material, and also the creation of optimal feeding and caring conditions, in order to obtain high genetic value queens. Queen breeding technology starts with the setting of hoeing families, nurse families, drone-breeding families – necessary for the pairing of young queens, and also of the families which will provide the bees used to populate the nuclei where the next queens will hatch. The complex of requirements for the breeding of good, high-production queens is sometimes hard to met, under the application of artificial methods. The selection of breeding method must rely on all these requirements and on the beekeeper’s level of training