OPTIMIZATION OF QUEEN REARING TECHNOLOGY FOR APIS MELLIFERA CAUCASICA IN THE KRASNODAR TERRITORY

Abstract

Beekeeping efficiency is largely determined by the quality of the queen
bees. Therefore, a crucial task for the industry is maximizing the genetic potential of bee colonies to ensure efficient use of the regional food supply. This study was conducted at an apiary in the Apsheronsky District of the Krasnodar Territory using colonies of the Apis mellifera caucasica bee breed (Krasnopolyansky intrabreed type). Three experimental groups were
formed in May 2025. The groups were divided based on the comb frame size in the queen cell
where the queens were hatched in 2024: control group – 135×140 mm frame; experimental
group 1 – 205×140 mm frame; experimental group 2 – 205×105 mm reduced-format frame.
The colonies were maintained under identical conditions throughout the experiment. Sealed
brood assessments were performed every 12 days to determine the egg production of the
queen bees and the number of bees raised by the start of the main honey flow. As a result of
the conducted research, the data were obtained that in the experimental group 2, a reliable increase of queen productivity over the control and experimental group 1 was noted in the second – fourth assessments (td = 2,27 – 4,23). Reliable differences in queen productivity between experimental groups 2 and 1 were observed during the fifth assessment (td = 2,99). The
highest average egg production of queens in the summer period was found in the experimental
group 2 in the sixth assessment – 1659,0 ± 20,09. The productivity of queen bees in the experimental group 2 allowed increasing the number of bees by the main honey flow. This parameter was 3,90% significantly higher (td = 2,87) in comparison to the control group and 4,27%
significantly higher (td = 2,34) in comparison to the experimental group 1.