Morphometric characteristics of Ukrainian steppe bees depending on the method of controlled queen mating

Abstract

Bee breed is an important factor in determining bee family development and productivity, as it affects honey production, disease resistance, climate adaptation, and bee behaviour characteristics. The purpose of the study was to establish the relationship between the methods of mating queens and the morphological characteristics of bees of the Ukrainian steppe breed and the productive indicators of bee colonies. To conduct the research, 43 bee colonies with queen sisters of the Ukrainian steppe breed mated by different methods of natural mating were established in the Vinnytsia oblast. According to the results of mating, there were 22 queen bees in the control group, and 21 queen bees in the experimental group. The queens of the first control group mated in a normal natural way without any restrictions. The queen bees of the experimental group mated under time and space control. Based on the results of the research, the relationship between the integrity of the colony and its morphological features and productive indicators was established. Thus, experimental families have different degrees of belonging to the Ukrainian steppe breed, control – 59% and experimental – 87.2% (p < 0.001). According to the cubital index, the advantage was 8.2% (p < 0.001) in favour of the experimental group. The best family integrity on the hantel index was observed in families in which queens were mated in a controlled time and space, with a difference of 3.32% (p < 0.001). In the control group, where uncontrolled mating of queens was performed, more bees were found for discoid displacement with an excess of the standard indicator for the breed. Families in the experimental group were stronger by 14.5% (p < 0.001) compared to the control group. They provided 41.9% more honey, built 22.1% more honeycombs (p < 0.01), and the need for Kandy feeding was 31.8% less (p < 0.001). In addition, the bees of the experimental group had pronounced hygienic behaviour and required less labour costs. The practical significance of the study lies in the possibility of establishing patterns of action of factors on a particular breed and confirms the need to implement breeding programmes in beekeeping

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“…Controlling Africanisation by replacing European queens is another strategy to mitigate losses. By introducing European queens into hives prone to Africanisation, beekeepers can help maintain the desired genetic and temperament traits in their families (Salyuk, 2023).…”