Enhancing honeybee breeding for sustainable agriculture through temperature and relative humidity monitoring

Abstract

Through their vital role in pollination, honeybee colonies play a crucial part in sustaining biodiversity and ensuring global food security. This paper aims to: 1) assess temperature and relative humidity variations within the hive and at the brood level; 2) determine genetic parameters for these traits; and 3) predict Breeding Values (PBVs) for honeybee colonies. Temperature and relative humidity data, during the period 2020-2023, were collected in Northern Tunisia using sensors placed inside hives and at the brood level. A dataset comprising 214,128 records for temperature and relative humidity within hives, sourced from 317 devices, was used in this study. Additionally, 20,740 records for temperature and relative humidity obtained from 78 brood-level devices were incorporated into the analysis. Phenotypic and genetic parameters were computed for the four examined traits, and using a BLUP Animal model, colony breeding values (PBVs) were predicted. Main results indicated a highly significant influence (p<0.01) of the month effect on the four temperature and relative humidity traits. Heritability estimates for in-hive temperature, in-hive relative humidity, brood relative humidity, and brood temperature were 0.14, 0.12, 0.16, and 0.28, respectively. Positive correlations were observed between relative humidity inside hives and at the brood level, as well as between temperature within beehives and at the brood level. Colony breeding values were predicted to select the best adapted bee queens to enhance honeybee’s sustainable use under Southern Mediterranean climatic conditions.