more on queen bank injuries

Every kind of injury significantly increased supersedure as predicted by Woyke (1988) and observed by Gerula and Bieñkowska (2002). Even minor leg injuries such as arolium injuries caused the percentage of supersedured queens to be twice as high as that in the group of uninjured queens (Table 2). It could reflect a compromised effect on the bees of the tarsal gland secretion in the queens.

A large percentage of supersedured queens in the IA group (injured antennae) proves the importance of that organ for the normal performance of the queen in the honeybee colony. Restricted communica- tion of the queen with the bees due to mechanical injury to the antennae may be further increased by the injury to the first pair of legs. The tibial organ that performs the function of the aural organ is located on the first pair of legs.

Gerula, D., & Bieńkowska, M. (2008). Performance of artificially inseminated honeybee queens that have bodily injuries. Journal of Apicultural Science, 52(1).

PLB

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