Development of an Environmental Sampling Unit Utilizing Small Groups of Honey Bees Apis mellifera and The Influence of Pheromones on Foraging Behavior

Abstract

The goal of this research was to develop a means of environmental monitoring using small groups of honey bees. The small units were tested using artificial pheromones to stabilize and induce foraging by the bees for potential use in testing for environmental contaminants. Four different stocking rates of bees were placed inside two different sized containers with plastic comb and sugar paste as starting materials, and placed in the field to forage for seven days. Brood pheromone and queen mandibular pheromone were provided as odors to keep the bees attracted to their test unit and to induce foraging behavior. The hypothesis tested was that the combination of queen and brood pheromones would induce basic hive-like behavior. It was found that a half-pint container with queen mandibular pheromone alone provides a sufficient temporary home for as few as three hundred bees to stabilize within the new unit and demonstrate foraging behavior.