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Comparison studies of instrumentally inseminated and naturally mated honey bee queens and factors affecting their performance

Études comparatives sur des reines d’abeilles après insémination artificielle ou accouplement naturel et facteurs agissant sur leurs performances

Vergleichende Untersuchungen an instrumenteil besamten und natürlich begatteten Honigbienenköniginnen und zu Faktoren, die deren Leistungsfähigkeit beeinflussen

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Abstract

Instrumental insemination, a reliable method to control honey bee mating, is an essential tool for research and stock improvement. A review of studies compare colony performance of instrumentally inseminated queens, IIQs, and naturally mated queens, NMQs. Factors affecting queen performance are also reviewed. The collective results of the data demonstrate that the different methodologies used, in the treatment of queens, has a significant affect on performance rather than the insemination procedure. Beekeeping practices can optimize or inhibit performance. The competitive performance of IIQs is demonstrated when queens are given proper care. The advantage of selection and a known semen dosage can result in higher performance levels of IIQs.

Zusammenfassung

Die instrumenteile Besamung ist eine zuverlässige Methode, um die Paarung bei Honigbienen zu kontrollieren. Sie bietet damit ein unverzichtbares Verfahren für die Forschung und die Bienenzucht. Dieses Review der Forschungsarbeiten von 1946 bis heute vergleicht die Leistung von Bienenvölkern mit instrumentell besamten Königinnen (IIQs) und natürlich begatteten Königinnen (NM-Qs) sowie Faktoren, von denen die Leistungsfähigkeit der Königinnen beeinflusst wird.

In den Studien wurden verschiedene Leistungsparameter der Königinnen verglichen: Produktivität des Bienenvolkes, Lebensdauer der Königin und Aufbewahrung der Spermien. In Tabelle I sind die Ergebnisse dieser Studien in Gruppen zusammengefasst: Gruppe I mit 6 Untersuchungen zeigt gleiche Leistungsfähigkeit von IIQs und NMQs; Gruppe II mit 7 Untersuchungen zeigt eine höhere Leistung bei IIQs; Gruppe III enthält eine Studie mit höherer Leistung bei NMQs.

Eine detaillierte Analyse dieser Studien zeigt eindeutig, dass die Leistungsfähigkeit der Königin signifikant von der Durchführung der Besamung abhängt. Die Ergebnisse in Gruppe III können demnach auf unterschiedliche Behandlung der Königinnen zurückgeführt werden. Die IIQs in den Gruppen I und II wurden in einem Alter zwischen 5 und 12 Tagen mit einer Samenmenge von 8–12 μL besamt. Diese Königinnen wurden in Jungvölker oder „package bees“ eingeweiselt, ohne zuvor über längere Zeit gekäfigt in weisellosen Völkern aufbewahrt worden zu sein. In der Gruppe III wurden die Königinnen dagegen in einem Alter von 2–3 Wochen mit einer relativ geringen Samenmenge (zweimal 2,7 μL) besamt und zusätzlich über 2–3 Wochen in anderen Völkern aufbewahrt, bevor sie in größere Bienenvölker oder „package bees“ eingeweiselt wurden.

Die geringe Anzahl an Spermien sowie die geringere Produktivität und Überlebensraten der IIQs in Gruppe III kann ebenfalls mit der verwendeten Methode bei der Besamung erklärt werden. Wenn Königinnen vor dem Zeitpunkt ihrer ersten aufnahmefähigen Paarung besamt werden, speichern sie weniger Samen. Das Käfigen nach der Besamung reduziert ebenfalls die Speicherfähigkeit für die Spermien und führt zudem häufig zu Verletzungen der Königin durch aggressive Arbeiterinnen.

Bienenköniginnen durchlaufen dramatische physiologische Veränderungen während der Vorbereitung zur Eilage. Viele Faktoren beeinflussen diese Veränderungen und damit auch die Leistungsfähigkeit der Königin. NMQs, die sich frühzeitig paaren, sich frei bewegen können und gut von Arbeitsbienen versorgt werden, paaren sich mit mehr Drohnen und speichern mehr Spermien.

Es wurden einige geringe Unterschiede zwischen IIQs und NMQs beobachtet. So können die höhere Variationsbreite beim Beginn der Eiablage sowie eine langsamere Produktion des Königinnenpheromons das Einweisein von IIQs erschweren. Diese Unterschiede minimieren sich aber bei einer guten imkerlichen Praxis.

Andere vom Imker zu verantwortende Faktoren wie die Art der künstlichen Besamung und die Behandlung des Samens beeinflussen ebenfalls die spätere Leistungsfähigkeit der Königin. Die imkerliche Praxis kann somit die Leistungsfähigkeit der Königin verbessern oder verschlechtern. Es konnte aber klar gezeigt werden, dass bei guter imkerlicher Praxis die Leistungsfähigkeit von IIQs und NMQs vergleichbar sind. Dieses Review soll den Imkern Vertrauen in die instrumenteile Besamung geben und darüber hinaus zeigen, welche methodischen Details dabei die Leistungsfähigkeit der Königinnen verbessern können.

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  1. Susan W. Cobey

    Present address: Dept. of Entomology, Harry Laidlaw Honey Bee Rsearch Facility, University of California, Davis, one Shields Ave., 95616, Davis, CA, USA

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  1. Department of Entomology, Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, USA

    Susan W. Cobey

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Correspondence to Susan W. Cobey.

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Manuscript editor: Peter Rosenkranz

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Cobey, S.W. Comparison studies of instrumentally inseminated and naturally mated honey bee queens and factors affecting their performance. Apidologie 38, 390–410 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1051/apido:2007029

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