Published in Scientific Papers. Series D. Animal Science, Vol. LXV, Issue 2
Written by Cristina ȘURLEA (ȘURLEA-STOICA), Georgeta DINIȚĂ, Marius MAFTEI, Iuliana MARIN, Carmen Georgeta NICOLAE
The growth of the bee brood (the stage of the decapitated larva) is directly influenced by the ability of the nurse bees to secrete royal jelly. The secretion of the main precursors of royal jelly is made in the hypopharyngeal glands, located in the bee's head. After the nursing stage (bee capable of raising new generations of larvae), the hypopharyngeal glands regress and are responsible only for the secretion of invertases that ensure the transformation of nectar into honey. The study aimed to establish the degree of variation in the viability of the brood, correlated with the feeding with royal jelly from nurse bees, fed on diets with low protein intake (low in pollen). The study conducted in an apiary with 20 bee families, Apis mellifera carpatica, in autumn, with a lack of pollen in nature. A positive correlation established between the two factors studied. The degree of development of the hypopharyngeal glands that influence the condition of bee larvae as well as their viability. Monitoring in practice the level of protein in the feeding of nurse bees and the periods with greater or lesser need may be a criterion for determining the strength of bee families.
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