FORAGING OF THE AFRICANIZED HONEYBEE ON BRACATINGA FLOWERS

Abstract

This experiment was conducted in Municipality of Mandirituba, Paraná, to assess the foraging behavior of Apis mellifera L. workers on Bracatinga flowers. The worker bees were collected using an insect net from 10h to 16h, during eight sunny days, from August 5 to 28, 2001. The bees were immediately anesthetized and the crop content was evaluated using a manual refractometer to measure the total soluble sugar in the nectar. On average 27.02 ± 9.88% of the bees presented nectar and pollen simultaneously, with the peak of bees carrying nectar at 3 p.m. and pollen at 1 p.m. Statistical differences were observed on nectar sugar concentration amongst hours of the day varying from 18.5% to 36.8%, with the peak at 1 p.m. The sugar concentration in the nectar was moderate and directly correlated to temperature; inversely correlated to relative humidity; and was not correlated to luminosity.