The volatile compounds emitted by European and African matriline honey bee queens were measured. Profiles of virgin and mated queens were compared as were naturally reared and grafted queens. Pheromone profiles were measured from free-running queens and after they had been confined in queen introduction cages or queen banks. European queens and African queens emit different pheromone profiles.Time of year, egg laying rates and experimental treatments were found to influence the amount of pheromone emitted. In general, factors that affected the queen's egg laying rate also influenced the amount of pheromone emitted. Pheromone signals in mated queens differed from those in virgin queens and were stronger in the spring than in autumn. Queens emit more pheromone when they are free running compared with when they have been confined. The methods used to rear and introduce queens and how they can affect pheromone profiles and success rates of queen introduction are discussed.
Species 1: Hymenoptera Apidae Apis mellifera (honey bee)
Keywords: reproduction, African honey bee
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