The effect of season and genotype on life length in worker bees (apis mellifera L.)

In this study, the effects of season (spring, summer and autumn) and genotype (Muğla Ecotype and Carniolan race) on the lifespan of worker bees were determined. For this purpose, 3 colonies from each genotype were kept in closed frame incubators (340C) with brood about to hatch in April, May, June, July, August, September, October and November and their hatching was ensured. The thorax of worker bees aged 0-12 hours that emerged were painted with queen bee painting pen. Approximately 500 painted worker bees were returned to their own colony. Then, painted worker bees were counted once a week. In the spring, in the Carniolan group, out of 1541 worker bees at the end of the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th weeks, respectively; 35.4%, 20.6%, 10.3%, 2.4% and 0.52%; and in the Muğla group, out of 1222 worker bees at the end of the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th weeks, respectively; 36.8%, 18.1%, 8%, 2.9%, and 0.50% survived. Among worker bees raised in the summer months, 38%, 24.9%, 11.1%, and 0.60% survived at the end of the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th weeks in the Carniolan group, and 47.1%, 34.7%, 11.0%, and 0.32% survived in the Muğla group. Among worker bees raised in the autumn months, 50.5%, 30.8%, 1.9%, and 0.29% survived at the end of the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th weeks in the Carniolan group, and 63.5%, 33.7%, 2.9%, and 0.10% survived at the end of the first week, respectively. Consequently, regardless of the season, almost half of the worker bees died by the end of the first week, and the lifespan of worker bees raised in the spring months was longer than that of summer and autumn bees.