Zootechnical bookkeeping in apiary in the municipality of Catolé do Rocha, Paraíba, Brazil

Abstract

The objective of this research was to conduct a study on zootechnical bookkeeping, collecting dice on the situation of hives, through visits to the apiary. The work was performed in the apiary Picos, in the rural municipality of Catole of the Rocha-PB. The field research was conducted by collecting dice using questionnaires with different forms relating to the apiary, hives, supers and bees. Four visits were made to the apiary on the following dates (30/08, 13/10 and 30/11 of 2013 and 15/01/2014), five colonies were observed, which were identified with numbers 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5. It was observed that on the first visit the swarms had average size (to 60,000 bees), with insufficient reserves of pollen and honey and queen with a good posture. For the second test it was found that in hives 2 and 3, a decrease in the size of the swarms, with reserves of honey and pollen and low stance of the queen, as a result of the attack saraças ants (Solenopsis spp.) occurred. In the collections of 3 and 4, except the swarm 2 others had a high bee population, with good reserves of honey, ready to be harvested. For the evaluation of the necessity of food on the first visit to the apiary, in the five colonies carrying, it was found a larger number of frames without honey supers and voids in three of the five hives. Research on zootecnical bookkeeping in bees do not exist in the national literature. There is a need for research in this line that will help beekeepers in decision making in their apiaries. Simple observations followed annotations can prevent the deaths of queens, loss of swarms and justify drop in productive activity of the apiary.