A model for determining the interactions between some honey bee (Apis mellifera L.) genotypes and different grooming times in terms of aggression

Abstract

In honey bee (Apis mellifera L.), aggression and aggressive behavior occur due to many reasons and the most important one is the genotype. However, regardless of genotype, a bee colony can have different levels of aggression at different times. If the bee’s aggression is not due to racial characteristics, this may indicate some problems in the colony. One of the most important reasons is the absence of queen bees in the colony, and the other is that the amount of nutrients in the hive has decreased to a critical level. Some other environmental effects are effective on bees’ aggression and aggressive behavior. In this study, the determination of the relationships between the aggression of four different honey bee genotypes (Carniolan, Caucasian, Black Sea and Muğla) in Samsun province in two different months (July, August) at different times of the day (09:00-13:00-17:00) was intended. For this purpose, a Log-linear model analysis was made. According to the findings, genotype, month and time, which are the main effects, and genotype × month interaction among the second-order interactions were found to be statistically significant, while genotype * hour and month × hour interactions were not significant. In Samsun province, it was determined that the Carniolan genotype was 7.846 times less, the Caucasian genotype 3.991 times and the Black Sea genotype 3.888 times less aggressive than the Muğla genotype. In addition, it was determined that the aggression in July was 1.185 times less than in August, and they were less aggressive in the daytime than in the evening and morning hours. It was determined that the Carniolan genotype was 2.04 times less aggressive than the Muğla genotype in July. Before and after the nectar flow seasons, studies to determine the aggression for all genotypes suitable for the regions will be a good source of information for beekeepers and researchers.

Keywords

• honey bee
• genotype
• month
• pugnacity
• time