The Influence of Environmental Factors on Site Selection Augment Breeding Success in Honey Bees: An Insight of Honey Bee Genetic Resource Conservation.

Honey bee reproductive behavior involves a complicated mating system that embodies a number of factors, including environmental and human-induced factors. Controlled breeding in isolated mating stations is a prerequisite to maintain the genetic resources of honey bees through natural mating. The concept of controlled mating is a challenge in most beekeeping operations due to its low mating success rate. Therefore, a detailed investigation into the suitability of isolated mating stations is of interest. Thus, we bred two subspecies of honey bees (Apis cerana koreana and Apis mellifera L.) in isolated mating stations (island) from 2021 to 2023 and in an open breeding station in 2023. Our results demonstrate that the highest percentage of the mating success rate in isolated mating stations was recorded in the Wido Island, which had the highest percentage of bare land, coniferous forests, deciduous forests, fields, and mixed forests. The mating success rate was higher in the summer and spring for A. cerana and A. mellifera, respectively. The mating success rate was higher in open mating compared to controlled mating (Island) and did not vary between pure-breeding and cross-breeding lines. Our findings suggested that mating stations with mixed forest and fields are potential sites for the successful breeding of honey bees.

Honey Bee Colonies (Apis mellifera L.) Perform Orientation Defensiveness That Varies among Bred Lines.

Honey bees (Apis mellifera L.) express complex behavioral patterns (aggressiveness) in defensive mechanisms for their survival. Their phenotypic expression of defensive behavior is influenced by internal and external stimuli. Knowledge of this behavior has recently become increasingly important, though beekeepers are still faced with the challenges of selecting defensive and less-defensive bred lines. Field evaluation of defensive behavior among bred lines of honey bees is required to overcome the challenges. Chemical cues (alarm pheromone and isopentyl acetate mixed with paraffin oil) and physical and visual stimuli (dark leather suede, colony marbling, and suede jiggling) were used to evaluate defensiveness and orientation among five bred lines of honeybee colonies. Our results showed that both chemical assays recruited bees, but the time of recruitment was significantly faster for alarm pheromone. Honeybees' response to both assays culminated in stings that differed among bred lines for alarm pheromone and paraffin when colonies were marbled. Honeybee orientation defensiveness varied among bred lines and was higher in more defensive bred lines compared to less-defensive bred lines. Our findings suggest that it is crucial to repeatedly evaluate orientation defensiveness at the colony level and among bred lines when selecting breeding colonies.