• DOI:10.9775/KVFD.2012.7576
• Corpus ID: 84523361

Effects of CO2 Narcosis on the Onset of Oviposition and Colony Founding Success of Post Diapausing Bumblebee (Bombus terrestris) Queens

@article{Karsli2013EffectsOC,
  title={Effects of CO2 Narcosis on the Onset of Oviposition and Colony Founding Success of Post Diapausing Bumblebee (Bombus terrestris) Queens},
  author={Bahar Argun Karsli and Fehmi Gurel},
  journal={Kafkas Universitesi Veteriner Fakultesi Dergisi},
  year={2013},
  volume={19},
  pages={221-224}
}

• B. A. Karsli, F. Gurel
• Published 2013
• Biology
• Kafkas Universitesi Veteriner Fakultesi Dergisi

In year-round rearing of bumblebees, rapid and successful colony production is the major criterion to reduce production costs. In this study, the effect of CO2 narcosis on the oviposition and colony founding success of post diapausing Bombus terrestris queens were investigated. Mated queens that were kept in the refrigerator at 4.0±0.5oC for two months were randomly allocated to three groups for control, single and double narcosis. The queens in control group were not narcotized, while the queens in single narcosis group were treated once with CO2 for 30 min and the queens in double narcosis group were treated with CO2 for 30 minutes two times in consecutive days before introducing in starting boxes. All queens and colonies were kept in standard rearing conditions (27±1C and 60±5% RH). There were significant differences between the treatment groups in terms of the duration of colony initiation (day) and the percentage of queens that laid eggs. The queens exposed to single and double narcosis started to lay eggs approximately 4.5 and 5 days earlier than the non narcotized queens, respectively. Similarly, 80% of single and double narcotized queens laid eggs, whereas only 45% of non narcotized queens laid eggs. The numbers of workers in the first brood batch, queen mortality rates at the first week and first month (%) were not significantly different between groups. The results showed that single CO2 narcosis treatment to post diapausing queens can become a useful tool in the mass rearing of B. terrestris.