Relationship of population size and extraction frequency with honey production in Apis mellifera colonies
Sumit Saini, OP Chaudhary and Vadde Anoosha
Present study is a part of PhD thesis of the first author, conducted at CCS Haryana Agricultural University, Hisar with thirty six colonies of varied strength (5, 10 and 15 frame). Each frame strength contains 12 colonies which were subjected to three types of honey extraction frequencies namely single, double and regular extraction. Total four honey extraction was carried out throughout the season under regular honey extraction regime. It is evident from the data that colonies with high work force (15 frame) remain superior with mean honey production of 27.61 kg under single honey where 10 frame colonies produce 24.3 kg/ colony and lowest was in weakest colonies. Similar trend was observed under two and regular extraction regimes where also weakest strength colony produce less honey 11.67 kg and 10.24 kg / colony which far less than high and medium strength colonies. Under two extractions it was observed that 10 frame colonies produce comparable honey, 18.33 kg /colony where strongest colony was seen with 22.38 kg/ colony. Even 15 frame colonies produce less honey but high from medium and low strength colonies that itself indicates that high strength colonies with single or maximum two extraction is best suitable under Indian condition.
Sumit Saini, OP Chaudhary, Vadde Anoosha. Relationship of population size and extraction frequency with honey production in Apis mellifera colonies. J Entomol Zool Stud 2018;6(3):1374-1377.