TITLE:
Queen Bee (Apis mellifera L.) Production Using Grafting Method and Non-Grafting System
AUTHORS:
Carlos Castellanos-Zacarías, Álvaro Domínguez-Rebolledo, Roberto Zamora-Bustillos, Jorge Vivas-Rodríguez, Juan Baeza-Rodríguez, Julio Ramón-Ugalde, Henry Loeza-Concha
KEYWORDS:
Apis mellifera, Queen Bees, Queen Rearing, Doolittle Method, Nicot System
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Access Library Journal,
Vol.12 No.11,
November
5,
2025
ABSTRACT: Currently, most beekeepers replace queens artificially by employing selection and genetic improvement through methods (grafting) or systems (non-grafting) to achieve higher yield and productivity in colonies. However, there is a lack of information regarding the acceptance and oviposition rates of queens reared by both methods in the tropical region. The study aimed to evaluate the effect of queen bee rearing methods, non-grafting (Nicot), and grafting (Doolittle) on the reproductive phenotypic characteristics of Apis mellifera L. A completely randomized design was used to evaluate six colonies with two rearing methods for queen bee production with three replicates per method from October to December 2024. Colonies were supplemented with 1 L of sugar syrup and 50 g of a protein supplement in paste form. The results showed that the Doolittle method was superior (P