Document Type : Research Paper
Authors
1 Ardabile Resaerch Center of Agriculture and Natural Resources
2 Animal Science Research Institute of Iran, Agricultural Research, Education and Extension Organization (AREEO), Karaj, Iran
3 Animal Science Research Department, Ardabil Agricultural and Natural Resources Research and Education Center, AREEO, Ardabil, Iran
Abstract
Considering the crucial importance of overwintering, controlling and optimizing hive temperature can significantly aid in the survival of bee populations during the cold seasons. The aim of the current study was to investigate the effect of the type of hive insulation in winter on population level and honey production. For the current study, 35 honeybee hives were used in the framework of four treatments and one control group. The treatments included hives insulated with tarpaulin, plastic sacks, polystyrene, and dual-walled plastic hives. The control group consisted of uninsulated hives. The results indicated that the type of insulation had a significant impact on traits such as spring population, winter honey remainder, adult and brood populations in spring and summer, as well as honey production (P <0.05). The use of dual-walled plastic hives had the best effect on maintaining population and less honey consumption during the wintering period. Excluding the control hives, insulation with polystyrene showed the weakest performance in terms of population preservation (61.83% survival rate) and winter honey consumption (23.5% honey remaining) (P <0.05). The amount of honey produced in treatments with dual-walled plastic hives (38.10 kg), tarpaulin insulation (34.73 kg), sacks (32.34 kg), and polystyrene (32 kg) was higher than the control group (28.11 kg) (P <0.05). Although in general, plastic hives showed the best performance, if beekeepers do not have access to this type of hive, using insulation with tarpaulin can be a suitable alternative
Keywords
Main Subjects
)