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Abstract : |
The experiments were carried out under laboratory conditions in two groups to evaluate the suitability of some protein diets for supplementary feeding of honeybee. In the first group, food consumption and cumulative mortality percentage of newly emerged bees fed on some protein diets were determined. The highest food consumption rate was recorded in bees fed on diet II (Improved traditional substitute, ITS), followed by diet III (mixed date palm pollen + soybean flour, DP+Sb) whereas the lowest one was for diet I (Traditional Substitute, TS). Feeding bees on beebread or diets containing date palm pollen gave the longest LT50. In the second group, development of hypopharngeal glands and rectal content was evaluated. Results indicated that the normal source of protein for honeybee workers as beebread or date palm pollen was the best source for hypopharngeal gland development. The rectal content weight reflected the suitability of diets which contain pollen grains for feeding honeybee colonies., |
