Hatching rates and some characteristics of Yemeni and Carniolan honey bee eggs

Journal Article

Ghamdi, Ahmad Al Khazim Al . 2014

• المجلة \ الصحيفة: Journal of Entomology and Zoology Studies
• رقم العدد: 1
• رقم الإصدار السنوي: 2
• الصفحات: 6-10

مستخلص المنشور

Various factors impact honey bee colony activity and performance, the most important of
which are temperature and relative humidity. Within colonies, bees are typically able to
maintain a temperature between 33°C and 36°C [1] and a relative humidity above 75%. The
regulation of relative humidity is particularly important for egg hatching. If the relative
humidity is too high [2] or if it falls below 50%, egg hatching may fail [3]. Although honey bee
workers are able to control the relative humidity within the colony [4] through different
methods, including the collection of water from the environment [5], the problem of low egg
hatching rates has been noted previously in Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabia endures harsh
environmental conditions of elevated temperature and limited rainfall, especially during the
summer months. In central Saudi Arabia, the mean relative humidities within colonies of A.
m. jemenitica and A. m. carnica was found to be 34.7 and 37.8%, while egg hatching rates
were 69.2 and 67.4%, respectively, when the ambient temperature was 42°C [6]. Due to the
drought conditions in Saudi Arabia, it is likely that a low relative humidity within colonies is
the main reason for these low egg hatching rates. Therefore, egg hatching rates under
different relative humidity gradients were studied.