Research Information System
KAFKAS UNIVERSITESI VETERINER FAKULTESI DERGISI, vol.19, no.2, pp.351-353, 2013 (SCI-Expanded)
To increase the production of queens in B. terrestris colonies, after the emergence of the first workers, colonies were randomly allocated to four groups as comprised 4 colonies in each of them. Colonies in control group (group 1) were formed without adding workers or pupae from a different colony, while colonies in group 2, group 3 and group 4 were designed by adding 60 pupae from a different colony, adding 60 workers from a different colony and placing two colonies (queens) together in the nest box, respectively. The two-queen colonies could not be developed because of aggressiveness towards each other. The average number of queens produced per colony in control, group 2, and group 3 colonies were 56.3 +/- 35.9, 72.5 +/- 25.0 and 145.3 +/- 61.8, respectively. The results showed that adding workers from a different colony can be used as a useful method in the rearing of bumblebee queens.