The influence of season and volatile compounds on the acceptance of introduced European honey bee (Apis mellifera) Queens into European and Africanized colonies

Abstract

Mated European honey bee (Apis mellifera) queens were introduced into Africanized and European colonies to determine if acceptance rates differed. Prior to introduction, volatile compounds emitted by queens were collected. More queens were accepted by European colonies compared with Africanized. The highest supersedure rate occurred in Africanized colonies during summer introductions. Queen acceptance did not differ between European and Africanized colonies during spring or fall introductions. E-β-ocimene was the only compound consistently detected in queens prior to their introduction, and was present in lower amounts in queens that were rejected within the first week of their introduction. The best time to introduce European queens appears to be in the fall when overall rejection rates are the lowest. © INRA/DIB-AGIB/ EDP Sciences, 2007.