Comparison of colony performances of honeybee (Apis Mellifera L.) housed in hives made of different materials

Abstract

Numerous flowering plants rely on bees for pollination. Any natural or anthropogenic factor that threatens colony survival can have a large impact on plant production. This study investigates the effects of manmade hives built from different materials and how these may influence colony growth. Ten each of three hive types were selected, wooden, polystyrene and composite insulated hives. Factors of adult bee numbers, brood development, nectar flow period weight gain, bee flight activity, aggression response, and honey yield were selected markers of hive development. Statistically, each hive type produced significant variation (p < .05). The greatest overall productivity across all factors was for insulated hives made of composite material, with honey production approximately 35% times that of wood, 14% times that of polystyrene and in terms of the development of honeybee colonies, the average of other hives is 10.2 times. HIGHLIGHTS Relative humidity and temperature are important environmental factors for honeybees. Insulated hives, increased honey yield. High temperature and humidity inside the hive made honeybees more aggressive.

Influence of Hive Cover Modifications and Ambient Microclimate on Colonization of African Honeybees in Awka, Nigeria

“…This could be attributed to the fact that African honeybees prefer woody habitats in nature. This is in line with the work by Erdoğan [8] who earlier reported that colonies housed in wooden hives achieved superior performance over polystyrene hives. Contrastingly, previous work by Alburaki and Corona [11] showed that hives made of polyurethane provided better insulation than hives made of softwood.…”

“…The effectiveness of honeybee growth and output is also greatly influenced by the temperature and humidity of the surrounding environment, necessitating some modifications to the beehives [7]; (Abou-Shaara, 2014). It is advised that materials that can isolate heat and humidity be used to make modern apiculture hives more suited for honeybee colonies [8]. Insulation for hive covers is essential in the winter when temperatures may fall below zero [9].…”

“…The addition of insulation or extra layers around the hive cover [12] are also suitable modifications of beehives used for beekeeping due to their good ventilation, heat insulation, and the naturalness of the surfaces with which bees come into contact [8]. The paucity of information on the influence of hive cover modifications and ambient microclimate on the colony establishment of African honeybees in Awka formed the basis of this study.…”

Hive Temperature Regulation by Honeybees in Response to Extreme Conditions

“…This, in turn, decreases the overall hive strength and productivity (Li et al, 2019). Former reports have demonstrated increased thermoregulation efficiency in modified hives designed for both hot and cold climates (Abou-Shaara et al, 2013;Erdoğan, 2019;Floris et al, 2020;Alburaki and Corona, 2021), increasing yield and decreasing mortality rates. Although conventional Langstroth hives have prevailed since 1852, exploring the use of different materials according to the local climate may offer advantages to keeping the hive microclimate within an appropriate physiologic range (Mitchell, 2015).…”

Thermo regulation of honeybee (apismellifera l.) Hives under extreme temperatures

“…7 It must be considered that several studies suggest that Langstroth hives, traditionally used around the world, lack insulating capacity, which directly affect microclimate and makes thermoregulation more difficult. [8][9][10] Thermo regulation of honeybee (apismellifera l.) Hives under extreme temperatures Volume 6 Issue 3 -2022…”