Efeito nutricional e toxicológico do macerado de flores de algaroba na alimentação de abelhas apis melífera.

Abstract

In some plants, secondary components of nectar or pollen may be toxic or repellent to their pollinators. In this sense, the objective of this work was to study different macerate concentrations of Algaroba flowers, as food for workers of Africanized bees in a controlled environment. Therefore, bioassays were performed at the Entomology Laboratory of the Federal University of Campina Grande, Campus de Pombal. Used dried and crushed Algarvean flowers. The flower dust was weighed in three different fractions (25%, 50% and 75%) and added to candi and water. The newly emerged operatives were distributed in a set of 20 insects per wooden box measuring 11 cm long by 11 wide and 7 cm high, in three repetitions and the control, making 12 boxes and 240 worker bees, were placed in BO D with temperature adjusted to 32º C and humidity of 70%. The control group received only candi and water. Given the results obtained with the research it can be observed that the control bees remained alive until 23 days reaching a statistical average of 17 days and for those treated with 25%, 50% and 75% respectively had mortality at 22, 22 and 20 days for mesquite bees. Data analysis showed statistically significant differences between treatments and control, suggesting toxic effect of macerate obtained from mesquite flowers to Africanized bee workers Apis mellifera. Thus, it can be concluded from this work that: The control bees remained alive until 23 by the treatments with mesquite and mesquite; The bees treated with the 25%, 50% and 75% concentrations of the mesquite flower macerate, respectively, presented mortalities at 22, 22 and 20 days; Mesquite and mesquite flowers showed toxicity to Apis melifera under controlled environment conditions.