The effect of africanization on honey production, defensive behavior and size of honeybees (Apis mellifera L.) in the mexican high plateau

José Luis Uribe Rubio; Ernesto Guzmán Novoa; Greg J. Hunt; Adriana Correa Benítez; J. Antonio Zozaya Rubio

2003, Number 1

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Vet Mex 2003; 34 (1)

The effect of africanization on honey production, defensive behavior and size of honeybees (Apis mellifera L.) in the mexican high plateau

Uribe RJL, Guzmán NE, Hunt GJ, Correa BA, Zozaya RJA

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Language: English/Spanish
References: 41
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ABSTRACT

This study was conducted to determine the effect of african genes on the production of honey, stinging behavior and size of honeybees (Apis mellifera L.) from colonies commercially exploited in an africanized area of the mexican high plateau. Data on honey production, stinging behavior and size of workers from 416 colonies having european or african mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) were analyzed. Bees from colonies with african mitotype were significantly less productive, more defensive and smaller than the bees from colonies with european mitotypes (P ‹ 0.01). The honey yield per colony was 23.5, 31.5 and 31.8 kg, for bees with african, western european and eastern european mitotype, respectively. The number of stings per colony was 101.7, 56.9 and 41.9, for bees with african, western european, and Eastern European mitotype, respectively. The wing length was 8.9, 9.1 and 9.2 mm for bees with african, western european, and eastern european mitotype, respectively. The defensiveness of the experimental colonies was negatively correlated with the size of the bees (r = –0.51, P ‹ 0.01). Honey yield did not show correlation neither with stinging behavior, nor with bee size (P › 0.05). Results mentioned demonstrate that the introgression of african genes into honeybee populations decreases the size of the bees and their honey production, as well as increasing their defensiveness. Thus, the introgression of european genes into these populations is advisable to keep productive and manageable bees. Several alternatives for achieving this goal are discussed.

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