Feed supplementation in the diet of Melipona rufiventris

Abstract

In beekeeping, the knowledge of nutrition must be improved to maximize its genetic potential to enhance productivity, especially in times of food shortages. This study aimed at studying the influence of protein supplements on the development of Melipona rufiventris bee colonies. About 15 colonies of M. rufiventris were used. They were divided into three treatments with five replicates in a 3 × 3 factorial design with three types of supplementation x three periods. The evaluations were performed on the 30th, 60th, and 90th days after the start of the experiment. The colonies were supplemented with cornmeal with soy extract or cornmeal with brewer’s yeast, and without protein supplementation (control). The colonies received 3 g of the supplement every two days, and the leftovers were quantified. To evaluate their development, the following variables were considered: diameter of brood combs (DBC), number of brood combs (NBC), number of pollen pots (NPP), number of honey pots (NHP), and colony weight gain (WGC). Both supplements were accepted and consumed by bees, which allows them to be used for the nutritional supplementation of the species studied. There was an effect in time for the NBC, NPP, and WGC characteristics at 90 days of evaluation. Soybean and barley supplements are presented as efficient alternatives for the diversification of M. rufiventris feed.

Keywords:

• stingless bees
• colonies
• food shortage
• nutrition and Melipona beekeeping
• soybean
• barley

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.