Diurnal and seasonal variation in defensive behavior of African bees Apis mellifera adansonii in Ghana

Abstract

During the non-productive period (summer rainy season) one peak of defensive behavior was observed in the morning. During the period of honey flow (winter dry season) two peaks occurred, one early in the morning, the other late in the evening. The bees stung less during periods of low flight activity. Bees in front of the entrance defended the colony more than those flying out from the combs. During the period of honey flow bees stung about four times more frequently than during the summer rainy season. The ratio of the number of stinging bees to that of flying bees is a better indicator for comparison of potential defensive behavior of different colonies than that of the absolute number of stings. -from Author