Effect of different pollen diets on the amount of vitellogene and colony characteristics in bumble bees (Bombus terrestris)

In the study aiming to determine the effect of different pollen diets on vitellogenin (Vg) level in worker bees and colony development in Bombus terrestris, monofloral sunflower and poppy pollen were used. Poppy syrup (PS), poppy fermented (PF), sunflower syrup (SS) and sunflower fermented (SF) groups were formed by kneading and fermenting the pollen with syrup. The study with 12 colonies in each group was conducted at Van YYÜ Beekeeping Application and Research Center Directorate in a temperature and humidity controlled bumblebee production unit. According to the results of the study, which showed that each food group had different protein content, there was no statistical difference between the time of first laying and first worker bee emergence and the competition point, while the group that reached the switch point the latest (average 36.90±1.26 days) was SS (p < 0.05). There was no difference between the groups in terms of first drone bee and queen bee emergence times and total number of drones and queens, which are other colony development characteristics. However, in the study, SS group produced the highest number of worker bees with an average of 370.91±28.38, followed by PF group with 321.58±49.04, PS group with 290.66±42.80 and SF group with 202.33±39.13. In the gene expression analysis using 6 workers from each group, the SS group, which showed the expression rate, was taken as the control group and accordingly, it was determined that the SF group showed a similar Vg expression level, the PF group showed 1.4 times and the PS group showed 3.2 times Vg expression level. In the thesis study, it is interpreted as a remarkable finding that the worker bees with the lowest Vg amount were determined in the AŞ group and that this group differed from the others in terms of conversion point, total number of workers and total number of bees.