Physiological processes related to the bee swarming

• Main Author: Jiří Svoboda
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Mendel University Press 2010-01-01
• Series: Acta Universitatis Agriculturae et Silviculturae Mendelianae Brunensis
• Subjects: swarming; hypopharyngeal glands; workers age
• Online Access: https://acta.mendelu.cz/58/5/0345/

One of the essential genetically subjected behaviours of a bee-colony is swarming. However, in the time of queen breeding and technical approach to colony division, swarming constitutes a problem in the effectiveness of controlled beekeeping and subsequently in decreasing of the attainable economic profits. The intensity of swarming is a polyfactorial phenomenon whose characteristic feature is seasonality (the availability of breed, course of weather) so the swarming intensity is different in particular years. This study is connected with the research carried out at the Department of Zoo­lo­gy, Fisheries, Hydrobiology and Apiculture at Mendel University in Brno. The experiment focused on the relationship between the swarming and biological state of bee-colony was realized in three seasons of the period 2003–2005. Experimental bee-colonies were stimulated to the swarming fever by zoo-technical practices, at the same time the biological status of given bee-colony was observed. Within the process of marking of newly emerged workers there was observed their number continuously during the particular season. The samples of 3- and 4-week-old workers were instrumental to the analysis of the development of their hypopharyngeal glands. The study has proved that a) bee-colonies building higher number of queen cells are likely expected to be in swarming fever, b) 3-week-old workers have hypopharyngeal glands in higher stage of development than 4-week-old workers, c) higher stage of swarming fever is closely correlated with higher stage of de­ve­lop­ment of hypopharyngeal glands. These facts can contribute to the comprehension of the reason and relationships of the swarming.