Multiplicação induzida de colmeias de abelhas Melipona seminigra Friese, 1903 (Hymenoptera, Apidae) submetidas a diferentes tipos de alimentação complementar, em Manaus – AM

Abstract

The stingless bees beekeeping (Meliponiculture) in small Meliponaries is an activity that has been implemented in the State of Amazonas, on properties of rural farmers, in order to contribute to income generation. 40 colonies and their progenies were monitored with the aim of verifying the multiplication capacity induced in Jandaira bee hives (Melipona seminigra); they underwent two processes of multiplication (nest/super nest process = N/S and super nest / super nest process = S/S) and four types of supplementary feeding (T1= syrup; T2= syrup + Vitagold; T3=syrup + pollen; T4= no supplementary feeding). The bee colonies were randomly distributed among the multiplication processes (20 hives for each one) separated into the four feeding subgroups (5 hives for each one) which weekly received 60 mL of food during 15 months (from September 2010 to October 2011). Fortnightly the hives were evaluated and the experimental data were analyzed and compare by Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) F-test and the Tukey main comparison was applied when the factors were significant (both tests were carried out at the 5% probability). The results were statistically analyzed using the MINITAB version 1.4 program and presented in graphical form, by use of the Excel spreadsheet (Microsoft Office Excel, 2007). In this context, the N/S process generated 47 new hives like this: 31 hives in F1, 15 in F2 and 1 in F3, totaling 99 progeny hives. There were 19 deaths, being 13 in the N/S process (6 main hives and 7 progenies) and 6 in the S/S process (1 main hive and 5 progenies). The leading cause of death in offspring hives was the Irara’s attack. A rapid increased in the number of hives in Meliponaries was promoted in both processes; however the S/S process got the highest number of offspring hives, the highest number of hives which achieved grade 5 (criterion of multiplication success), the highest number of surviving offspring hives and the lowest mortality. Even so, no statistically significant difference was attained with N/S process. The T3 treatment (syrup + pollen) showed the highest number of formed colonies and the lowest number of dead hives, in absolute numbers, and it differed significantly from the others as the best treatment for increasing the number of hives. No statistically significant difference was attained among the multiplication processes or the feeding treatments concerning the time of physogastric queen formation and time to reach grade ≥ 5. In this context it can be concluded that both multiplication processes were efficient for the rapid increase in the number of Melipona seminigra beehives in Meliponaries, and the best feeding treatment for this purpose was syrup + pollen.