ERKEK ARI YETİŞTİRİCİLİĞİ ve BALARISI (Apis mellifera L.) KOLONİLERİ İÇİN ÖNEMİ.

In this study the rearing of drones and its importance for honey bee (Apis mellifera) colonies were discussed. The effects of drones and queen on the physiological, behavioral and task specialization of bee colonies are genetically equivalent. For this reason the rearing of drones is of high importance in queen production. During the mating each queen has to mate with 8 or 10 drones. Under certain circumstances such insufficiently mated queens may lead to unproductive colonies due to insufficient worker population. Drones have to be reared from the colonies with known and preferred performances. Drone mother colonies need special care and maintenance. They should be fed throughout the time drones are being reared. Also they should be supported by addition of sealed brood combs each week. The time needed for sexual maturation of the drone and the queen are different. The drone comb is given to each drone mother colony about 40 days before the time the drones are needed, typicallyin the autumn. The drone may be permitted to mature in the feeding colonies. A carefully maintained drone mother colony can produce about 3200 to 4000 cm² drone brood area, which is sufficient for securing matings of 140 to 150 queens. Queen breeders should take into consideration the genetic quality of the drone mother colonies just like the queen source colonies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]