Sobrevivência de abelhas operárias africanizadas alimentadas com macerado de flores de Mentrasto em condições de laboratório.

Abstract

Bees are insects that feed on nectar and pollen from flowers, so the availability and quality of these foods depend on plant species. Flowering plants play a very important role in maintaining colonies and bee production. But it can have a toxic effect since some plants can exert on them. In some regions, bees can find plants that kill adult chicks and bees. Ageratum conyzoides L. is an annual aromatic plant considered invasive and cosmopolitan herb that grows in tropical areas, and is very common in Brazil has several popular names like: mentresto, maria-preta, picão-branco among others. The objective of this work was to evaluate the toxic effect of the maceration of flowers of Ageratum conyzoides L (Mentrasto) on the feeding of Africanized bees (Apis Mellifera) under controlled conditions. The work was conducted at the Bee Laboratory of the Federal University of Campina Grande, Pombal Campus. The flowers of Mentrasto were collected and macerated in order to obtain the food. Newly emerged worker bees of A. mellifera were used and groups with 20 bees corresponding to one repetition of the experiment were used. The captured bees were placed in wooden cages. In the work the experimental design was completely randomized, with four treatments in three replications. In the control group (T0) they received water and the pulp as food, the experimental groups the amounts of the macerated flowers of Ageratum conyzoides L in the diet were in the concentrations of 0.25%, 0.50%, and 1.00 %, relative to 10g of the candi paste. The number of dead bees was recorded daily. The toxicity of flower maceration of Ageratum conyzoides was measured over the period up to total mortality in bees in the cage (PMTG).