Effects of queen excluders on the colony dynamics of honeybees (Apis mellifera L.) under biodynamic management

The evaluation of beekeeping management practices (BMPs) is important for beekeepers worldwide because their choice affects health and survival of managed honeybee ( A. mellifera L.) colonies and touches ethical and economic questions. This study focusses on queen excluders, a common hive addition i...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Apidologie 2024-02, Vol.55 (1), Article 16
Main Authors: Bundschuh, Jana, Rappel, Herbert, Bock, Andreas, Balleisen, Ute, Daiser, Markus, Friedmann, Günter, König, Werner, Miltenberger, Tobias, Müller, Manuela, Müller, Robert, Poeplau, Norbert, Roosen, Alix, Schlotter, Alexander, Sedlmair, Christian, Weiler, Michael, Thewes, Christoph, Brock, Christopher
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Apiculture
Apis mellifera
Beekeeping
Bees
Biomedical and Life Sciences
Decision making
Entomology
Life Sciences
Original Article
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Summary:The evaluation of beekeeping management practices (BMPs) is important for beekeepers worldwide because their choice affects health and survival of managed honeybee ( A. mellifera L.) colonies and touches ethical and economic questions. This study focusses on queen excluders, a common hive addition in contemporary beekeeping. Its impacts are controversially discussed but have not been studied scientifically yet. Within a 4-year participatory on-farm experiment, we assessed the effects on colony dynamics in 64 hives in 8 apiaries during one season in Germany using the Liebefeld estimation method. We found no significant deviation for parameters of colony dynamics between hives managed with and without queen excluders. A qualitative decision-making tool (Pugh decision matrix) facilitated concept selection only for specific beekeepers.
ISSN:0044-8435
1297-9678
DOI:10.1007/s13592-023-01041-9