AVALIAÇÃO DE SUPLEMENTOS PARA ABELHAS Apis mellifera AFROCANIZADA

Abstract

Bees need essential nutrients for their development, brood maintenance, and colony growth, normally supplied by collecting nectar, pollen and water. One of the biggest challenges in beekeeping is to increase productivity and avoid the loss of colonies during periods when there are few flowers, making it necessary to opt for artificial feeding and alternative food sources. The aim of this research was to evaluate the influence of different alternative foods on survival and longevity of worker bees (Apis mellifera L. africanizada) in a controlled environment. The foods evaluated were made from pollen, dried and ground moringa leaves (Moringa oleifera) and baru nuts (Dipteryx alata Vog.) and syrup. Newly emerged bees were collected from brood combs and placed in groups of 30 bees in cages in a controlled environment, where the food was served, and the number of dead bees were recorded daily. The experiment was conducted in a completely randomized design, with four treatments and five replicates. The survival curve and accumulated mortality rate were evaluated over 17 days, when all the bees in the control treatment died. The results showed that the baru nut-based diet significantly reduced the longevity of the bees, causing a higher mortality rate compared to the other diets. On the other hand, the diet based on pollen or moringa provided the greatest longevity for the bees compared to the syrup. Due to its ease of cultivation and handling, as well as being more accessible than pollen, moringa has shown itself to be a promising food for keeping bees, especially during periods when flowering is scarce.