Thermoregulation within honey bee apis mellifera colony

Abstract EN

Thermoregulation within the honey bee, Apis mellifera jemenitica, and colony was monitored at the apiary belonging to the Agriculture Research Center, Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries, Muscat, Sultanate of Oman during September, 2007.

The temperature and the relative humidity were recorded at 1-hour intervals / 24 hours for period of 5 days by using HOBO RH & Temp data logger.

Three groups of colonies (according to its status and strength) were considered: the 1st headed with good queen and received perfect colony management (bees covered 10 combs); the 2nd had a high inbreeding value (bees covered 6 combs) and the 3rd comprised laying workers (bees covered 4 combs).

In the 1st group the outdoor (outside the hive) temperature and humidity throughout the day recorded an average of 3 0.21 ±2.3 8 °C & 43.53±5.11%, respectively.

The worker bees regulated the colony conditions inside the hive to reach thermal equilibrium.

Whereas the average ambient temperature and humidity were 35.51±0.24 °C & 54.34±2.31%, respectively for sealed brood, 34.46 ±0.27 °C & 57.94 ±0.41%, respectively for open brood / eggs and 33.49±0.49 °C & 53.21 ±1.27, respectively for empty / honey comb.

In the 2nd group, the mean outdoor temperature was 31.73±1.53 °C and humidity was 59.46±6.79% throughout the day.

The sealed brood, which included in between open brood and empty cells according to the degree of inbreeding, the worker bees tried to reach the temperature and humidity to the allowable limits which recorded 34.56±0.31 °C and 53.42±2.31%, respectively.

The corresponding values for the open brood / eggs was 33.13 ±0.17 °C & 53.26±2.77%, respectively and for empty / honey comb was 31.05±1.59 °C & 41.07± 1.13 %, respectively.