ATTRACTANTS AND REPELLENTS FOR HONEYBEES

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ATTRACTANTS AND REPELLENTS FOR HONEYBEES

• D. G. NAIK

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ATTRACTANTS AND REPELLENTS FOR HONEYBEES

• Honey bees Useful Insect
• Collection of Honey and pollination
• Usually Honey is multifloral
• Unifloral honey-fetches more price
• Pollen grains lost due to random flights

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BEEKEEPING INDUSTRY IN INDIA

• Does not depend on natural colonies
• Apairies are maintained
• - Boxes of bees
• Annual turnover About Rs. 25 Crores

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PROBLEMS OF THE BEEKEEPINGINDUSTRY

• How to regulates visits of Honeybees to the
  desired plants ?
• How to manage untimely death of Queen ?

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MECHANISM OF ACTION OFHONEYBEES

• Scout bees - Survey
• Dance- Conveying the message
• Worker bees-forger, go into the zone guided by
  scout bees
• Attracted to flowers
• Mark the flower while leaving with Nasonov gland
  pheromone

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PHEROMONES

• Chemicals secreted / used by insect for
  communication.
• Several types, depending on function.
• - Attractant - Repellent
• - Alarm -Trail
• -Special type
• Pheromones of Honey bees - Nasonov
• - Queen

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ISOLATION OF NASONOV GLAND PHEROMONE

• Dissection method
• Renners wiping procedure
• Examine the crude extract by GC/ MS
• The major compounds are identified
• Prepared in the laboratory
• Volatile and fragrant
• Formulation is necessary

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BIOASSAY

• No.of bees visiting the two dishes is counted
• Difference corresponds to Attractiveness
• Attractiveness increases with concentration of
  attractant , goes through a maximum and then
  reduces, even becomes negative

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BIOASSAY OF ATTRACTANTS

GRAPH OF ATTRACTIVNESS VS CONCENTRATION
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FORMULATION OF MAXIMUM ATTRACTIVENESS IS LURE

• Lures for
• Apis cerana
• Apis florea
• Apis mellifera are ready
• Patent application no. 95/BOM/405
• Accepted by Indian Patent Office

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REPELLENTS FOR HONEYBEES

• Useful to keep honeybees away
• Reduces effect of insecticide
• Mandibular glands pheromones
• Random screening of chemicals

• Difference corresponds to repellency

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BIOASSAY OF REPELLENTS
GRAPH OF REPELLENCY VS CONCENTRATION
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USE OF LURES AND REPELLENTS

• Lures Useful in Apiaries to get unifloral
  honey.
• Useful in Agriculture to improve the efficiency
  of pollination.
• Repellents Useful in Agriculture to keep
  honeybees away from the insecticide sprayed area.

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

• CENTRAL BEE RESEARCH AND TRAINING INSTITUTE
• 1153, GANESHKHIND ROAD PUNE 411016

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CONTROL OF MOSQUITOS , COCKROACHES AND HOUSEFLIES

• Economically important insects.
• Some of their pheromones
• known.
• Their control- Attraction,
• repulsion etc. possible using
• pheromones.
• Difficulty- Rearing the insects.
• Interested parties invited.