The influence of queen bee age, the number of brood combs, and the use of a queen excluder on comb brood size in Apis mellifera bees during the blossom season

Mochammad Junus

Abstract: This study was carried out in the village of Kayoman, Wonorejo District, Pasuruan Regency, Indonesia. The aim of the study was to develop colony management and to prepare for the main honey harvesting in order to obtain optimum broods. The results indicated that the cumulative size of the S1 brood combs was different from those of S2. There were no significant differences between presence (P1) of five brood combs (S1) and (S2), but P1 (S1) is different from P2 (S1) and absence (P2) of three brood combs (S2). The relative size of the S2 was different from the S1. The results also indicated that the cumulative brood quality was depended on the number of brood combs, and the quality of S1 was different from S2. Brood comb size was depended on the number of brood combs and the use of a queen excluder. Brood comb quality depended on the age of the queen and the number of brood combs. In order to increase colony honey production during the blossoming season, keepers should maintain bees at a maximum age of three months (R3), the number of brood combs should not exceed three, and a queen excluder should be used. A bee colony management system should be based on the above findings.

Keywords: brood; honey pollen; number of combs; queen bee age; queen excluder

Date published: 2019-12-20