Performance of Fruit Juice as a Nectar Substitute for Sustaining the Indian honey Bee Colonies During Dearth Period

M. Kandibane; P. Athinarayanan; K. Nishanthini

doi:10.13102/sociobiology.v73i3.12640

Authors

M. Kandibane Department of Agricultural Entomology, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru College of Agriculture and Research Institute, Karaikal, U.T. of Puducherry, 609603, India
P. Athinarayanan Department of Agricultural Entomology, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru College of Agriculture and Research Institute, Karaikal, U.T. of Puducherry, 609603, India
K. Nishanthini Department of Agricultural Entomology, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru College of Agriculture and Research Institute, Karaikal, U.T. of Puducherry, 609603, India

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.13102/sociobiology.v73i3.12640

Keywords:

Indian honey bee, Artificial supplements, Fruit juices, Bee biology, Foraging activity

Abstract

Honey bees (Apis cerana indica) are important for pollination and agricultural productivity, but a lack of nectar and pollen resources during the dearth period will negatively impact their survival and colony performance. The present study was carried out at the apiary of PAJANCOA&RI, Karaikal, during summer and winter 2022 to assess the efficacy of various fruit juices as artificial nectar substitutes for conventional sugar syrup. A total of 24 colonies were exposed to 8 treatments in 3 replications under a randomized block design. Parameters like diet consumption rate, worker bee population, colony biology, foraging activity, pollen and nectar storage, and correlations with weather variables. The findings indicated that the treatments differed significantly (p < 0.05). Pumpkin juice nectar substitute (T6) always showed the highest intake (490 ± 5.5 ml), highest pollen cell storage (220 ± 1.3), superior brood production (eggs: 283 ± 4.3, larvae: 304 ± 6.2, pupae: 305 ± 2.2), and higher worker bees (180 ± 3.4). Maximum honey cells (357 ± 3.2) were favored by sugar syrup (T7), but T6 encouraged the highest foraging activity during both morning and evening observations. According to correlation analysis, foraging during summer was positively influenced by relative humidity and sunshine hours, and wind velocity had a strong positive effect during winter. The results imply that artificial nectar supplements, especially pumpkin juice, not only sustain colony growth and honey productivity during floral scarcity but also increase the foraging efficiency. These findings offer practical knowledge for beekeepers in nectar-poor areas to improve colony resilience and maximize honey production.

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