Effect of Different Seasons on the Royal Jelly Production Under Nasr City Conditions – Cairo - Egypt

Abstract

The study was executed at apiary of Plant protection Dept. Fac. of Agric. Al-Azhar Univ., Cairo, Egypt, during two successive years 2019 and 2020 to determine the effectiveness of different seasons on the acceptance rates of the larvae and royal jelly production. In the first year, the highest acceptance means for Italian hybrid 72.1 and 65.43% for Carniolan hybrid were recorded at midspring on the other hand, the lowest acceptance percentages means were 50.86 and 55.8 % recorded at early summer for Carniolan and Italian hybrids respectively. Also, results demonstrated that mid spring gave the best mean weight of royal jelly per queen cell cup 238.35 mg. for Italian hybrid and 236.31 mg. for the Carniolan hybrid. The lowest quantity means were recorded in early summer 187.24 mg./cup for Carniolan hybrid and 198.74 mg./cup for Italian hybrid. In the second year, the highest acceptance means were 66.42 and 62.96% at mid spring for Italian and Carniolan hybrids respectively. Whereas the lowest acceptance percentage means were 44.44 and 48.4 % at early summer for Carniolan and Italian hybrids. Also, results cleared that mid-spring gave the best mean weight of royal jelly per queen cell cup, 229.71 mg. for Italian hybrid and 227.5 mg. for Carniolan hybrid. The lowest quantity means were recorded at early summer 186.72 mg./cup for Carniolan hybrid and 189.06 mg./cup for Italian hybrid. As for the effect of the bar level, the middle bar level gave the best results for royal jelly quantity and cup acceptance while the upper level gave the least royal jelly quantity and acceptance percentages in different seasons. There was a significant difference in acceptance percent and the royal jelly production per cup cell between mid-spring and early summer. Mid-spring gave the best results while the early summer gave the least results.

Queen cells acceptance rate and royal jelly production in worker honey bees of two Apis mellifera races

“…The RJBs could produce ≥10 kg RJ/year/ colony, confirming the feasibility of selection for this trait [ 29 , 46 ]. The results were consistent with Hussain [ 45 ] who recorded that percentage of queen cell acceptance rate, RJ production per colony and cell cup was higher in Italian bee colonies than Carniolan bee colonies. In contrast, Şahinler and Kaftanoğlu [ 25 ] revealed that the average percentage of acceptance rate and production of RJ was higher in Carniolan followed by Mugla and Caucasian bees.…”

“…The results of this study indicated that RJ production was significantly higher in summer seasons than winter seasons in both bee races. Hussain [ 45 ] revealed similar results that queen cell acceptance rate and RJ yield were higher in Italian bee hybrid than Carniolan bee hybrid during summer and winter seasons.…”

“…Multiple factors may influence RJ production such genetics, inside population conditions, queen egg-laying capacity and environmental factors [ 6 , 31 , 36 , 44 , 45 ]. For instance, Hu [ 46 ] evaluated RJ production between high RJ-producing bees (RJBs) and Italian bees (ITBs).…”

Evaluation of queen cell acceptance and royal jelly production between hygienic and non-hygienic honey bee (Apis mellifera) colonies

“…RJ production higher in RJBs suggested that honey bees’ lines effect on larval acceptance and RJ productions [ 19 , 31 ]. Our results are in line with previous research, recorded that larval acceptance rate and per cell cup were 72.1% and 236.31 mg/cell cup for Italian bees and 65.43% and 187.24 mg/ cell cup in Carniolan bees [ 53 ]. Further, another study reported the mean larval acceptance rate and RJ yield was more in Carniolan than other races [ 41 ].…”

Improving the larvae acceptance rate and morphometric characteristics of queen Apis cerana javana by grafting larvae at different ages

“…In addition, Njeru et al (2017) was reported that the larvae age at 12, 24, and 36 hours was higher of acceptance rate compared to 6 and 48 hours for Apis mellifera scutellata queen. The acceptance rate of larvae was affected by the raw material to make queen cells, food, and seasons (Khan et al 2021) and by honeybee species (Hussain et al 2020). The heavier emergence weight of 1 day old was supported by the higher acceptance rate in 1 day old than in 2 and 3 days old (Figure 3).…”