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

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

Influence of Essential Oils on Queen Prolificacy and Bee Colony Health

Essential oils obtained from medicinal and aromatic plants, due to their bioactive principles, represent an important pharmaceutical source for human and animals. The objective of this paperwork was to determine the effect of the addition in supplementary feeding of bee colonies of oregano and basil essential oils. The bee colonies fed, during spring, on sugar syrup and essential oils presented a better development, recording a number of bee brood cells that was bigger than in the control variant. At the same time, we observed a significant reduction in the total number of germs within the small intestine in the case of supplementation with these essential oils, correlated with the improvement of health status of bee colonies

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

Morphometric Characterization of Bee Populations in the Banat-Oltenia Region

This paperwork reveals the results of the morphometric measurements performed on 200 worker bees from 5 apiaries from Timiș, Caraș-Severin and Mehedinți counties. The bees studied presented a high variability of characters, with the following values: proboscis length between 4.08 mm and 6.25 mm, anterior wing length with limits of 6.29-8.86 mm, and anterior wing width of 2.02-3.01; the posterior wing length was between 4.22 mm and 6.73 mm, and posterior wing width was 1.15-2.08 mm. Femur length was between 2.95 mm and 3.75 mm; tibia length presented values of 1.70 mm – 2.25 mm, and width was 0.39-0.80 mm. Basitarsus length was between 1.14 mm and 1.90 mm, and the width was between 0.43 mm and 0.90 mm. Tarsus length of the bees belonging to the 5 apiaries was comprised between 1.11 mm and 1.64 mm

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 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

Testing in Vitro of an Apifitoterapeutic Formula Against Nosema spp.

Nosema, a parasitic disease that affects adult honey bees, has a directly correlation with the losses of bee colonies, until to depopulation. The target of our study was to determine the antinosema action of an apifitoterapeutic formula that was obtained in an earlier phase of our researches. In the present study, we have had two experiences (F and N) formed by clinically healthy bees. The experimental bees have received, in vitro, naturally infested honey (7 spores by Nosema spp / field). The first experience (F, I-IX groups) was treated with apifitoterapeutic formula (10 ml/ honey kg), for 10 days (from T1 to T2 moment), while the second experience (N, with X-XVIII groups) was infested with naturally infested honey, for 20 days (from T1 to T2 moment). The first experience (F) showed 22% positive diagnosed bees, while the second experience (N) showed 89% positive diagnosed bees. In the first experience, the infestation degree was very weak (group I) and weak (group III), while the other groups were negative. The antiparasitic formula has showed, in laboratory conditions, a positive impact on experimental honey bees, with an efficiency over 78%. In the further, testing prophylactically and therapeutically will be conducted on bee families

Characterization of Some Breeds and Hybrids of Bombyx mori L. Silkworms through Biological Index of Spawning

The main aim of this study is to determine the parameters of biological indexes of Bombyx mori L. spawning, in order to obtain adequate larvae for experimental breeding using MSF (Familial Sericulture Modulus). The biological material used for experiments contains the pure breeds AB (Alb Băneasa), B1 (Băneasa 1), AC (Alb de Cislău), AC29 (Alb chinezesc, line 29), AC29/T (Alb Chinezesc), AC/T (Alb de Cislău), RG90, IBV, S8, AJ5/F, C127, AJ17, C108/T, AO/T and the hybrids B1XAC, ACXB1,  ABXAC29, AC29XAB, ACXAB, ABXAC, ABXB1, B1XAB. For each pure breed and hybrid were determinate the number of eggs/spawning, the number of hatching eggs, the hatching percent (%) and the number of unhatching eggs. The analyse of these indexes was done in three consecutive years, and the averages and spread parameters, as well as variability coefficients (V%) were calculated for each breed and hybrid. The obtained values of biological indexes of spawning were compared with those reported in autochthon and foreigner literature. The main conclusions of our study are that the autochthon breeds and hybrids values are according to the values published by other researchers and correspond for the experimental breeding

Research on the Concentration of Plasma Testosterone in Silver Foxes (Vulpes fulva) and Polar Foxes (Alopex lagopus) Raised in Captivity

The plasma testosterone determinations were performed on 19 silver fox males (Vulpes fulva) and 19 polar fox males (Alopex lagopus) that were coming from the farm. The concentration of testosterone was performed on prepubertal males (0-10 months), during the sexual period and the period of sexual rest. For quantitative determination of the testosterone, some systems were used like the VITROS system ECi/ECi O2, the immunological diagnostic system VITROS 3600 and the integrated system VITROS 5600. In both species, the plasma concentration was maximal at the males in the period of sexual activity (1.56 ± 0.23 ng / ml at the polar fox and 1.46 ± 0.23ng / ml at the silver fox) and minimal in males between the age 0-10 months (0.22 ± 0.01 ng / ml at the polar foxes and 0.20 ± 0.01 ng / ml at the silver foxes).The adult males that were in the sexual rest period showed low testosterone levels (0.25 ± 0.02 ng / ml at the polar foxes and 0.22 ± 0.02 ng / ml at the silver foxes)