Effect of various cup materials on rearing queens of Apis cerana

doi:10.16178/j.issn.0528-9017.20240644

Abstract

Abstract:

The queen bee is crucial to the development of the bee colony. To explore the influence of cup material on the rearing of Apis cerana and optimize the artificial queen rearing technology of Apis cerana, this study conducted the effects of different cup materials including plastic, Chinese bee wax, and Italian bee wax, on the rearing of Apis cerana, and compared the birth weight, emergence rate and morphological indicators of Apis cerana. It was found that the emergence rates of queen bees reared on Italian bee wax, Chinese bee wax, and plastic cups were 73.33%, 70.56%, and 50.56%, respectively, with no significant difference(P>0.05). Similarly, the birth weights of queen bees reared on Chinese bee wax, Italian bee wax, and plastic cups were 185.43, 183.63, and 179.62 g, respectively, also with no significant difference(P>0.05).The queen bee, when reared in an Italian bee wax cup, exhibited significantly elongated femur, fourth tergite, head, and upper jaw in comparison to those reared in a plastic cup (P<0.05)and there was no significant difference when compared to those reared in a Chinese bee wax cup (P>0.05)(except the upper jaw length). In contrast, the queen bee reared in a Chinese bee wax cup demonstrated significantly extended third tergites compared with those reared in a plastic cup (P<0.05), yet no significant difference was noted when compared with those reared in an Italian bee cup (P>0.05). Queen bees reared on plastic cell cups had significantly wider heads than those on Italian bee wax cups (P<0.05), but showed no significant difference when compared with those on Chinese bee wax cups (P>0.05). Queens on Italian bee wax cups had significantly longer upper jaw than those on Chinese bee wax or plastic cups (P<0.05). Cup materials influenced the height and morphology of queen bee but had no effect on their emergence rate or birth weight. Despite these changes, the materials did not impact the cultivation process of Apis cerana queens.

Key words: queen, cup material, plastic, artificial queen rearing

CLC Number:

S894

CHEN Daoyin, SU Xiaoling, HUANG Zhichu, LUO Guhui, FANG Jinbao, ZHAO Dongxu. Effect of various cup materials on rearing queens of Apis cerana[J]. Journal of Zhejiang Agricultural Sciences, 2025, 66(7): 1759-1763.

Figures/Tables 3

References 20

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台基材质	蜂王出房率/ %	王台高度/ mm	蜂王初生重/ g
塑料	73.33±8.89 a	18.46±0.96 ab	179.62±10.05 a
中蜂蜡质	70.56±9.62 a	17.63±1.94 bc	185.43±15.18 a
意蜂蜡质	50.56±8.33 a	17.42±0.97 c	183.63±16.59 a

台基材质	蜂王出房率/ %	王台高度/ mm	蜂王初生重/ g
塑料	73.33±8.89 a	18.46±0.96 ab	179.62±10.05 a
中蜂蜡质	70.56±9.62 a	17.63±1.94 bc	185.43±15.18 a
意蜂蜡质	50.56±8.33 a	17.42±0.97 c	183.63±16.59 a

台基材质	翅长	翅宽	跗节长	跗节宽	右后足胫节长	股节长
塑料	9.168±0.357 a	3.096±0.104 a	2.048±0.064 a	0.988±0.057 a	3.410±0.142 a	3.012±0.019 b
中蜂蜡质	9.271±0.260 a	3.130±0.147 a	2.046±0.089 a	1.046±0.062 a	3.393±0.096 a	3.033±0.116 ab
意蜂蜡质	9.468±0.134 a	3.194±0.103 a	2.132±0.040 a	0.982±0.094 a	3.510±0.091 a	3.128±0.051 a
台基材质	第二背板长	第三背板长	第三背板绒毛带长	第四背板长	第四背板绒毛带长	第五背板长
塑料	3.036±0.065 a	2.682±0.093 b	1.544±0.073 a	2.470±0.185 b	1.430±0.119 a	2.422±0.166 a
中蜂蜡质	3.004±0.145 a	2.784±0.050 a	1.563±0.063 a	2.604±0.073 ab	1.517±0.082 a	2.351±0.114 a
意蜂蜡质	3.044±0.092 a	2.738±0.091 ab	1.582±0.022 a	2.652±0.054 a	1.526±0.035 a	2.466±0.028 a
台基材质	第五背板绒毛带长	胸宽	头长	头宽	上颚长	上颚宽
塑料	1.504±0.056 a	3.872±0.117 a	3.058±0.105 b	2.890±0.044 a	1.160±0.080 b	0.386±0.025 a
中蜂蜡质	1.501±0.067 a	4.029±0.18 a	3.090±0.08 ab	2.757±0.15 ab	1.124±0.034 b	0.389±0.041 a
意蜂蜡质	1.498±0.098 a	4.020±0.178 a	3.170±0.052 a	2.696±0.101 b	1.238±0.024 a	0.422±0.008 a

台基材质	翅长	翅宽	跗节长	跗节宽	右后足胫节长	股节长
塑料	9.168±0.357 a	3.096±0.104 a	2.048±0.064 a	0.988±0.057 a	3.410±0.142 a	3.012±0.019 b
中蜂蜡质	9.271±0.260 a	3.130±0.147 a	2.046±0.089 a	1.046±0.062 a	3.393±0.096 a	3.033±0.116 ab
意蜂蜡质	9.468±0.134 a	3.194±0.103 a	2.132±0.040 a	0.982±0.094 a	3.510±0.091 a	3.128±0.051 a
台基材质	第二背板长	第三背板长	第三背板绒毛带长	第四背板长	第四背板绒毛带长	第五背板长
塑料	3.036±0.065 a	2.682±0.093 b	1.544±0.073 a	2.470±0.185 b	1.430±0.119 a	2.422±0.166 a
中蜂蜡质	3.004±0.145 a	2.784±0.050 a	1.563±0.063 a	2.604±0.073 ab	1.517±0.082 a	2.351±0.114 a
意蜂蜡质	3.044±0.092 a	2.738±0.091 ab	1.582±0.022 a	2.652±0.054 a	1.526±0.035 a	2.466±0.028 a
台基材质	第五背板绒毛带长	胸宽	头长	头宽	上颚长	上颚宽
塑料	1.504±0.056 a	3.872±0.117 a	3.058±0.105 b	2.890±0.044 a	1.160±0.080 b	0.386±0.025 a
中蜂蜡质	1.501±0.067 a	4.029±0.18 a	3.090±0.08 ab	2.757±0.15 ab	1.124±0.034 b	0.389±0.041 a
意蜂蜡质	1.498±0.098 a	4.020±0.178 a	3.170±0.052 a	2.696±0.101 b	1.238±0.024 a	0.422±0.008 a