نشریه علوم و فنون زنبور عسل ایران
پیاپی 22 (بهار و تابستان 1400)

The aim of this study was to determine the attractiveness of plants using by honey bee in the rangeland of Aliabad Mousiri, Koohrang, Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari province. For this purpose, plant species were collected during the growing season at a distance of 1500 meters from the location of bee keeping point in rangeland. The attractiveness of the plants used by bees, considering three criteria; Time, number of bees and distance and relying on indigenous knowledge and experience of beekeepers were determined. According to the results, species with attractiveness for bees include between 60 and 65% of plant composition, which plants with excellent, good, medium and low attractive plants respectively, constitute11.79, 44.94, 4.49 and 38.76, of the share of species in plant composition. The flowering period of most of the plants used by bees in the rangelands of the region is from the beginning of June to the end of August. Also 29 species producing nectar(16.29%), 40 species producing pollen (22.47%) and 110 species producing nectar and pollen(61.79%) were identified. The results can be used to determine the suitability of rangeland habitats in terms of beekeeping in multi-purpose rangeland designs.

Propolis or bee glue is a resinous mixture that honey bees produce by mixing saliva and beeswax with exudate gathered from tree buds, sap flows, or other botanical sources. It is like beeswax and possesses a pleasant smell. Its color varies such as yellow, green, red, dark brown. Its composition varies depending on its botanical sources, district, weather, bee race, hive density, and food storage. Precise identification of plants producing resin in every district is essential because all propolis physical and chemical properties such as color, taste, odor, active ingredients, and its medical properties are affected by resin kind and origin. There is a high variety of resin sources because of the variety of climate and flora in Iran. The aim of this study was to introduce plants producing valuable resin in beekeeping in Iran. Some sources including the species from Cupressaceae, Pinaceae, Salicaceae, Betulaceae, and Umbelliferae are the most important propolis sources in Iran.

Honeybees are very important pollinators and play a vital role in agricultural and natural ecosystems. The quality of their colonies is determined by the queens and the reproductive drones of mother colonies. Therefore, factors affecting drone fecundity will also directly affect progeny at the colony level. Here, we review environmental and bee-related factors that are closely related to drone reproductive ability. The environmental factors that mainly affect the sperm count and the viability of males include temperature, nutrients and pesticides. Based on the results of previous studies, we also suggest that the effects of somatotype dimorphism of males and queens on sperm quality and queen fecundity should be given more attention in further studies.

The purpose of line production is to increase yields and good behavior of bee colonies. Using inheritance, heritability, heritability, genotypic correlation between them, selection line and production are planned. In each line, important traits are measured and the top queens are selected by kinship and performance test. If pure queens intersect with purebred bees, they create a pure line, and if they intersect with other male bees, a hybrid is produced. At least three independent lines are needed to increase heterozygosity and decrease inbreeding. There is a dilemma between choosing an attribute to improve performance and reducing the cost of breeding. In line production, kinship and mixing methods are used, the combination of which is Diallel cross.The purpose of managing bee lines; Maintaining genetic diversity and improving the performance and behavior of bees, reducing colony losses and reducing dependence on drug treatments. By evaluating the offspring, the response rate to selection and genetic progression will be determined. Queens of high-yielding breeds and commercial lines are also valued and sold based on the evaluation of the desired traits. In creating a bee line with high production of royal jelly, first Italian bees were bred and after six generations, a bee line called znd1 was produced with high production of royal jelly and even high honey production. Quantitative genetic advances and the use of molecular markers over 35 years improved the bee line by producing very high royal jelly.

In the present study, the status of management and hygienic of honey bee colonies in the north of West Azerbaijan province and their impact on pests and diseases were studied in 2020. The apiaries of 8 cities of this province were selected and subjected to field studies. We selected 12 apiaries from each city and grouped them into four groups of three colonies, including groups 0 to 100, 100 to 200, 200 to 300, and 300 to 400 colonies. From apiaries up to 100 colonies, 10 colonies, 100 to 200 colonies, 15 colonies, 200 to 300 colonies, 20 colonies, and 300 to 400 colonies, 25 colonies were randomly selected as a sample, numbered, and subjected to field studies. Selected samples were studied in terms of eggs, larvae, pupae, population, pests and diseases, and if pests and diseases were observed, their contamination was visually determined and recorded. Also, the selected colonies were examined in terms of the amount of produced honey, the presence of Varroa mites and yellow bees and their relationship with the number of colonies, their location in different places, the use of drugs and chemical pesticides used to control Varroa mites, Nosema and American foulbrood, the impact of migration to the tropics and the attempt to replace the queen. Statistical analysis of data was performed using the GLM method in SAS software. According to the results, the majority of beekeepers in this province were in the age range of 30 to 40 years, and only 21.9% of the youth of this province were engaged in this beekeeping profession. The results showed that the mean of produced honey has a significant relationship to the variables of location and number of hives. The average production of honey in Poldasht and chaypareh cities was higher than in other counties studied. Varroa mite had a significant relationship with the variable of place and drug of the control Varroa mite so that Varroa mite infection was more in Chaldoran city than other cities. The results of the present study showed that the Apistan drug had the greatest effect on the control of Varroa mites. The results of this study showed that increasing the management and health efficiency of bee colonies can have a significant effect on controlling pests and diseases and increasing the performance of bee colonies.