Queen Bee Rearing Trials: Making the Hive to the Production of Queen Cells

Abstract

With a view to implementing a method of producing and breeding bees to ensure their increase in hives, replace aging queens and create new colonies in the event of desertion, an experimental study of breeding trials of queens of the bees were conducted in the C2GA beekeeping farm (Gassana Gafolai Cooperative of Affem Boussou) in the prefecture of Tchamba, canton of Affem, located 18 km from the town of Tchamba to the East (in the Central region). Given the time of the research internship which was granted to us for the writing of our dissertation with a view to obtaining the Professional License in Agricultural Sciences, this experience only lasted three (03) months. She particularly took into account the first stages of breeding: from the manufacture of the hive to the production of the queen cells. The last stage, which concerns the production of queens, was not reached due to an unfavorable beekeeping season and lack of time. The experiment was carried out on ten (10) Dadant-type hives subjected to three (03) methodologies and distributed as follows: two (02) hives for the grafting method, three (03) hives for the Alley method and five (05) hives for the natural method. The results obtained were more conclusive with the natural method. In fact, only the natural method allowed us to obtain queen cells. This study must be summarized and continued during the different honey flow periods and extended to other farms to better facilitate the choice of the best method of production and breeding of queen bees adapted to Togo.