The Impact of Feeder Type on the Honeybee Colonies (<i>Apis mellifera</i> L.) and Hive Operation During Colony Feeding

Zewdu Ararso Hora; Taye Negera; Kibebew Wakjira

doi:doi:10.11648/j.bio.20210903.15

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The Impact of Feeder Type on the Honeybee Colonies (Apis mellifera L.) and Hive Operation During Colony Feeding

Zewdu Ararso Hora, Taye Negera, Kibebew Wakjira

Published in American Journal of Bioscience and Bioengineering (Volume 9, Issue 3)

Received: 6 April 2021 Accepted: 29 May 2021 Published: 22 June 2021

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Abstract

Several types of feeder have been used by beekeepers for feeding their colonies with sugar syrup during dearth periods. However, each feeder type has its benefits and drawbacks both for the bees and beekeepers. The effects of different feeder types on honeybee colonies well-being and their conveniences for feeding by the beekeepers were investigated. Time required to feed a colony, amount of feed consumed, number of dead bees during feeding, number of dead bees in/on the feeder when removed, disturbance and convenience based on technicians’ opinion were compared. Accordingly, significantly (p<0.000) shortest time (40.45 sec) was obtained for top feeder than bucket (71.25 sec) and frame (137.80 sec) feeders. Likewise, significantly (p<0.001) less number of dead bees (2.50) were observed while feeding a colony using top feeder as compared to bucket and frame feeders in which 5.45 and 11.00 dead bees were recorded under hive stand, respectively. Moreover, no dead bee was recorded on the top surface of top feeder compared to frame feeder in which 1.60 dead bees were counted. However, feeder type did not affect the amount of sugar syrup consumed and colony survival during the experiment. Regarding bee technicians’ opinion, top feeder is highly convenient to feed colonies with a minimum colony disturbance and reaction. Thus, the current results indicate that feeding colonies using top feeder is less time consuming, inflicts less damage to the bees, and more convenient feeding method for the beekeeper.

Published in	American Journal of Bioscience and Bioengineering (Volume 9, Issue 3)
DOI	10.11648/j.bio.20210903.15
Page(s)	88-92
Creative Commons	This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited.
Copyright	Copyright © The Author(s), 2024. Published by Science Publishing Group

Keywords

Bucket Feeder, Colony Feeding, Frame Feeder, Sugar Syrup, Top Feeder

References

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[3]	Neupane, K., Thapa, R. (2005) Alternative to Off-season Sugar Supplement Feeding of Honeybees. Journal of Institute of Agriculture and Animal Sciences 26: 77–81. doi: 10.3126/jiaas.v26i0.615.
[4]	Somerville, D. (2014) Feeding sugar to honey bees. Primefact 1343, New South Wale Government, Department of Primary Industry. Available at: https://www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0018/532260/Feeding-sugar-to-honey-bees.pdf.
[5]	Sihag, R. C., Gupta, M. (2013) Testing the effects of some pollen substitute diets on colony build up and economics of beekeeping with Apis mellifera L. Journal of Entomology 10: 120–135. doi: 10.3923/je.2013.120.135.
[6]	Standifer, L. N., Moeller, F. E., Kauffeld, N. M., Herbert, E. W., J., & Shimanuki, H. (1977). Supplemental Feeding of Honey Bee Colonies. United States Department of Agriculture, Agriculture Information Bulletin No. 413, 8 pages.
[7]	Delaplane, K. S., Steen, van der J., Guzman-Novoa, E. (2013) Standard methods for estimating strength parameters of Apis mellifera colonies. In: Dietemann, V., Ellis, J. D., Neumann P. (eds.) The COLOSS BEEBOOK, Volume I: standard methods for Apis mellifera research. Journal of Apicultural Research 52 (1): 1–12. doi: 10.3896/IBRA/1.52.1.03.
[8]	IBM Corp. (2017). IBM SPSS statistics for windows, Armonk, New York.
[9]	MacFawn, D. (2019) Feeders – Every feeder has its strengths and drawbacks. Bee Culture The Magazine of American Beekeeping 1–6. Available at: https://www.beeculture.com
[10]	Abou-shaara, H. F. (2016) A simple method for feeding honey bees. Bees for Development 101: 3.
[11]	Liseki, S. D. (1996) Sugar feeding using a top-bar feeder. Bee for Development 38, 1.
[12]	Andere, C., Palacio, M. A., Rodriguez, E. M., Figini, E., Dominguez, M. T., Bedascarrasbure, E. (2002) Evaluation of the defensive behavior of two honeybee ecotypes using a laboratory test. Genetics and Molecular Biology 25: 57–60. doi: 10.1590/S1415-47572002000100011.
[13]	Patrice, K., Gideon, N. N., Paul, N. N., Christopher, A., Robert, K. (2018) Apis mellifera adansonii Is the Most Defensive Honeybee in Uganda. Psyche 2018: 4079587. doi: 10.1155/2018/4079587.
[14]	Alemu, T., Legesse, G., and Ararso, Z. (2014) Performance Evaluation of Honeybee (Apis mellifera scutellata) in Guji Zone. International Journal of Innovation and Applied Studies 9: 1987–1993.
[15]	Blackiston, H. (2009) Beekeeping For Dummies. Wiley Publishing Inc., Indianapolis, Indiana. 358pp.

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APA Style

Zewdu Ararso Hora, Taye Negera, Kibebew Wakjira. (2021). The Impact of Feeder Type on the Honeybee Colonies (Apis mellifera L.) and Hive Operation During Colony Feeding. American Journal of Bioscience and Bioengineering, 9(3), 88-92. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.bio.20210903.15

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ACS Style

Zewdu Ararso Hora; Taye Negera; Kibebew Wakjira. The Impact of Feeder Type on the Honeybee Colonies (Apis mellifera L.) and Hive Operation During Colony Feeding. Am. J. BioSci. Bioeng. 2021, 9(3), 88-92. doi: 10.11648/j.bio.20210903.15

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AMA Style

Zewdu Ararso Hora, Taye Negera, Kibebew Wakjira. The Impact of Feeder Type on the Honeybee Colonies (Apis mellifera L.) and Hive Operation During Colony Feeding. Am J BioSci Bioeng. 2021;9(3):88-92. doi: 10.11648/j.bio.20210903.15

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@article{10.11648/j.bio.20210903.15,
  author = {Zewdu Ararso Hora and Taye Negera and Kibebew Wakjira},
  title = {The Impact of Feeder Type on the Honeybee Colonies (Apis mellifera L.) and Hive Operation During Colony Feeding},
  journal = {American Journal of Bioscience and Bioengineering},
  volume = {9},
  number = {3},
  pages = {88-92},
  doi = {10.11648/j.bio.20210903.15},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.bio.20210903.15},
  eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.bio.20210903.15},
  abstract = {Several types of feeder have been used by beekeepers for feeding their colonies with sugar syrup during dearth periods. However, each feeder type has its benefits and drawbacks both for the bees and beekeepers. The effects of different feeder types on honeybee colonies well-being and their conveniences for feeding by the beekeepers were investigated. Time required to feed a colony, amount of feed consumed, number of dead bees during feeding, number of dead bees in/on the feeder when removed, disturbance and convenience based on technicians’ opinion were compared. Accordingly, significantly (pp<0.001) less number of dead bees (2.50) were observed while feeding a colony using top feeder as compared to bucket and frame feeders in which 5.45 and 11.00 dead bees were recorded under hive stand, respectively. Moreover, no dead bee was recorded on the top surface of top feeder compared to frame feeder in which 1.60 dead bees were counted. However, feeder type did not affect the amount of sugar syrup consumed and colony survival during the experiment. Regarding bee technicians’ opinion, top feeder is highly convenient to feed colonies with a minimum colony disturbance and reaction. Thus, the current results indicate that feeding colonies using top feeder is less time consuming, inflicts less damage to the bees, and more convenient feeding method for the beekeeper.},
 year = {2021}
}

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TY  - JOUR
T1  - The Impact of Feeder Type on the Honeybee Colonies (Apis mellifera L.) and Hive Operation During Colony Feeding
AU  - Zewdu Ararso Hora
AU  - Taye Negera
AU  - Kibebew Wakjira
Y1  - 2021/06/22
PY  - 2021
N1  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.bio.20210903.15
DO  - 10.11648/j.bio.20210903.15
T2  - American Journal of Bioscience and Bioengineering
JF  - American Journal of Bioscience and Bioengineering
JO  - American Journal of Bioscience and Bioengineering
SP  - 88
EP  - 92
PB  - Science Publishing Group
SN  - 2328-5893
UR  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.bio.20210903.15
AB  - Several types of feeder have been used by beekeepers for feeding their colonies with sugar syrup during dearth periods. However, each feeder type has its benefits and drawbacks both for the bees and beekeepers. The effects of different feeder types on honeybee colonies well-being and their conveniences for feeding by the beekeepers were investigated. Time required to feed a colony, amount of feed consumed, number of dead bees during feeding, number of dead bees in/on the feeder when removed, disturbance and convenience based on technicians’ opinion were compared. Accordingly, significantly (pp<0.001) less number of dead bees (2.50) were observed while feeding a colony using top feeder as compared to bucket and frame feeders in which 5.45 and 11.00 dead bees were recorded under hive stand, respectively. Moreover, no dead bee was recorded on the top surface of top feeder compared to frame feeder in which 1.60 dead bees were counted. However, feeder type did not affect the amount of sugar syrup consumed and colony survival during the experiment. Regarding bee technicians’ opinion, top feeder is highly convenient to feed colonies with a minimum colony disturbance and reaction. Thus, the current results indicate that feeding colonies using top feeder is less time consuming, inflicts less damage to the bees, and more convenient feeding method for the beekeeper.
VL  - 9
IS  - 3
ER  -

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Author Information

Zewdu Ararso Hora

Oromia Agricultural Research Institute, Holeta Bee Research Center, Holeta, Ethiopia
Taye Negera

Oromia Agricultural Research Institute, Holeta Bee Research Center, Holeta, Ethiopia
Kibebew Wakjira

Oromia Agricultural Research Institute, Holeta Bee Research Center, Holeta, Ethiopia

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Plain Text BibTeX RIS

APA Style

Zewdu Ararso Hora, Taye Negera, Kibebew Wakjira. (2021). The Impact of Feeder Type on the Honeybee Colonies (Apis mellifera L.) and Hive Operation During Colony Feeding. American Journal of Bioscience and Bioengineering, 9(3), 88-92. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.bio.20210903.15

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ACS Style

Zewdu Ararso Hora; Taye Negera; Kibebew Wakjira. The Impact of Feeder Type on the Honeybee Colonies (Apis mellifera L.) and Hive Operation During Colony Feeding. Am. J. BioSci. Bioeng. 2021, 9(3), 88-92. doi: 10.11648/j.bio.20210903.15

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AMA Style

Zewdu Ararso Hora, Taye Negera, Kibebew Wakjira. The Impact of Feeder Type on the Honeybee Colonies (Apis mellifera L.) and Hive Operation During Colony Feeding. Am J BioSci Bioeng. 2021;9(3):88-92. doi: 10.11648/j.bio.20210903.15

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@article{10.11648/j.bio.20210903.15,
  author = {Zewdu Ararso Hora and Taye Negera and Kibebew Wakjira},
  title = {The Impact of Feeder Type on the Honeybee Colonies (Apis mellifera L.) and Hive Operation During Colony Feeding},
  journal = {American Journal of Bioscience and Bioengineering},
  volume = {9},
  number = {3},
  pages = {88-92},
  doi = {10.11648/j.bio.20210903.15},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.bio.20210903.15},
  eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.bio.20210903.15},
  abstract = {Several types of feeder have been used by beekeepers for feeding their colonies with sugar syrup during dearth periods. However, each feeder type has its benefits and drawbacks both for the bees and beekeepers. The effects of different feeder types on honeybee colonies well-being and their conveniences for feeding by the beekeepers were investigated. Time required to feed a colony, amount of feed consumed, number of dead bees during feeding, number of dead bees in/on the feeder when removed, disturbance and convenience based on technicians’ opinion were compared. Accordingly, significantly (pp<0.001) less number of dead bees (2.50) were observed while feeding a colony using top feeder as compared to bucket and frame feeders in which 5.45 and 11.00 dead bees were recorded under hive stand, respectively. Moreover, no dead bee was recorded on the top surface of top feeder compared to frame feeder in which 1.60 dead bees were counted. However, feeder type did not affect the amount of sugar syrup consumed and colony survival during the experiment. Regarding bee technicians’ opinion, top feeder is highly convenient to feed colonies with a minimum colony disturbance and reaction. Thus, the current results indicate that feeding colonies using top feeder is less time consuming, inflicts less damage to the bees, and more convenient feeding method for the beekeeper.},
 year = {2021}
}

Copy | Download

TY  - JOUR
T1  - The Impact of Feeder Type on the Honeybee Colonies (Apis mellifera L.) and Hive Operation During Colony Feeding
AU  - Zewdu Ararso Hora
AU  - Taye Negera
AU  - Kibebew Wakjira
Y1  - 2021/06/22
PY  - 2021
N1  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.bio.20210903.15
DO  - 10.11648/j.bio.20210903.15
T2  - American Journal of Bioscience and Bioengineering
JF  - American Journal of Bioscience and Bioengineering
JO  - American Journal of Bioscience and Bioengineering
SP  - 88
EP  - 92
PB  - Science Publishing Group
SN  - 2328-5893
UR  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.bio.20210903.15
AB  - Several types of feeder have been used by beekeepers for feeding their colonies with sugar syrup during dearth periods. However, each feeder type has its benefits and drawbacks both for the bees and beekeepers. The effects of different feeder types on honeybee colonies well-being and their conveniences for feeding by the beekeepers were investigated. Time required to feed a colony, amount of feed consumed, number of dead bees during feeding, number of dead bees in/on the feeder when removed, disturbance and convenience based on technicians’ opinion were compared. Accordingly, significantly (pp<0.001) less number of dead bees (2.50) were observed while feeding a colony using top feeder as compared to bucket and frame feeders in which 5.45 and 11.00 dead bees were recorded under hive stand, respectively. Moreover, no dead bee was recorded on the top surface of top feeder compared to frame feeder in which 1.60 dead bees were counted. However, feeder type did not affect the amount of sugar syrup consumed and colony survival during the experiment. Regarding bee technicians’ opinion, top feeder is highly convenient to feed colonies with a minimum colony disturbance and reaction. Thus, the current results indicate that feeding colonies using top feeder is less time consuming, inflicts less damage to the bees, and more convenient feeding method for the beekeeper.
VL  - 9
IS  - 3
ER  -

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