Abstract

PEREZ-SATO, Juan Antonio et al. Effect of model and construction material of the brood box and brood comb coating on the thermoregulation and development of Scaptotrigona mexicana colonies. Rev. mex. de cienc. pecuarias [online]. 2021, vol.12, n.2, pp.437-452.  Epub Nov 15, 2021. ISSN 2448-6698.  https://doi.org/10.22319/rmcp.v12i2.6050.

In meliponiculture, the artificial division of S. mexicana bee colonies is one of the activities where the greatest loss of colonies is reported. One of the various causes of this mortality is the difficulty of the new colony to maintain the thermoregulation of its nest, given the traditional use of clay pots for this purpose, which render it difficult to maintain a stable temperature. The objective of this study was to analyze the interactions between the model of the box, its construction material and the brood-comb coating on the inner temperature of the nest and the development of colonies obtained by artificial division. The development of the nests was quantified based on their final and initial weight gain, the number of cells built, colony activity, and the capacity of the design to maintain the inner temperature of the nest. The results show that the best internal temperature ranges were achieved in nests transferred to Portugal-Araujo (P<0.05) and Ailton-Fontana (P<0.05) model rational boxes whose original designs were modified to include expandable polystyrene sheets. In addition, colony temperature and development were favored when the newly transferred combs were lined with Apis mellifera L. beeswax using a mold. The positive interaction between these factors provided an optimal temperature range (27.9 to 31.0 °C) for the development of the colonies, which obtained weight gains between 0.149 and 0.289 kg, and the number of brood cells constructed ranged between 3,511 and 4,956.

Keywords : Thermoregulation; Cavity; Stingless bee; Artificial partitioning; Insulating material; Involvement substitute.

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