D3136: Differences in feeding behavior between worker and drone honey bee (Apis millifera) larvae

Honey bees (Apis millifera) exhibit age polyethism, whereby workers perform different tasks as they age. For example, young bees perform nursing behavior by taking care of developing brood, while older bees perform foraging behaviors, locating and collecting food sources outside the hive. All workers inside work together to create an efficient environment, and the development of the larvae is dependent on the social structure found within the colony. The United States harbors populations of several subspecies; European and African descent. In particular, Africanized honey bees are known for their more aggressive behaviors and ability to develop faster than those of European ancestry. In this study, we wanted to determine if there are any sizeable differences in the visitation rates of nurse bees tending developing larvae between bees of European and Africanized genetic ancestry. To do this, we created two observation colonies and used scan sampling to monitor the visitation and feeding rates done by nursing bees on developing larvae. Our results indicated that bees of European descent tend to visit (and feed) the larvae much more frequently than those of Africanized descent. Understanding the differences in the visitation rates between these two subspecies will further assist in comprehending their ability to defeat the parasitic mite Varroa destructor (known to reproduce at a faster rate in developing brood of Africanized descent). This study is set to provide further insight into the observable differences between nursing visitation rate in larvae between these two subspecies and the reproduction of Varroa mites.