Suchergebnisse

Productive and reproductive traits of beehives are influenced by climate and food availability in the region where the bees are reared or maintained, thus honey and pollen storage, egg-laying conditions of the queen as well as comb occupation are subject to seasonal variations. The present study was conducted in the apiary of the Department of Entomology and Acarology, College of Agriculture Luiz de Queiróz, ESALQ/USP, in the municipality of Piracicaba, in an area containing fruit trees, ornamental plants and a fragment of a native forest. The objective was to identify protein sources used by honeybees (Apis mellifera) over a whole year (2010-2011) in remnants of the Atlantic forest, information that can be used in the conservation and restoration of degraded areas. For sample preparation, the acetolysis method was adopted (Eredtman 1952) and the quantitative analysis was performed by counting successive samples of 900 grains per sample which were grouped by botanical species and/or pollen types. The results show that the bees used various plant types in the area, including ruderal species, to maintain their colonies. Apis mellifera seeks food sources in all plants in the surroundings of the apiary, including herbaceous, shrubs, trees, native or introduced. Eucalyptus sp. played an important role as a food source in all seasons due to its wide availability around the apiary and its high flower production. The most frequent pollen types (greater than 10% of the sample) were Anadenanthera sp., Acacia sp, Miconia sp. and Eucalyptus sp. in winter; Philodendron sp., Mikania cordifolia, Parthenium and Eucalyptus sp. in spring; Alternanthera ficoidea, Chamissoa altissima and Eucalyptus sp. In summer; Philodendron sp., Raphanus sp. and Eucalyptus sp. in autumn.

The productive and reproductive characteristics of Apis mellifera L. bees are directly affected by climatic conditions and food availability in the region where the bees are reared or kept; therefore, food storage (honey and pollen), oviposition and population growth of these bees are subject to seasonal variations. These variations lead the bees to constantly search for food, taking exploratory trips, called "foraging". This study investigated the botanical origin of nectar sources collected by A. mellifera bees for six consecutive months, from October/2011 to March/2012 in six bee colonies. The study was carried out in the experimental apiary of the Entomology and Acarology Department of the College of Agriculture "Luiz de Queiroz", from the University of São Paulo, in the municipality of Piracicaba, São Paulo State. The study site has a predominance vegetation of Semideciduous Forest (Atlântica Forest). In each sampling month, we analyzed the pollen types in the honey samples. We used the acetolysis method to prepare the samples for melissopalynology. We carried out the quantitative analysis by successive count of 900 sample grains. The samples were grouped in terms of botanical species, families and/or pollen types. The results show that bees used several plants from the region as a nectar source. However, Arecaceae, Fabaceae/Mimosoideae and Myrtaceae families were predominant throughout the sampling period. The occurrence of these plant species was significant and essential for the maintenance of the bee colonies.