Influence of queens age and honey collection conditions on honey productivity and bee colonies strength

The aim of the study was to assess the influence of the age of the Carpathian breed queens and the conditions of honey collection on the honey productivity and strength of bee colonies in autumn. Observation of bee colonies of group I with queens born in 2018 was carried out during three summer seasons; the II group with queen bees born in 2019 was observed for two seasons and the III group with queen bees of the current year of birth was observed for one season. The data showed that the honey productivity and strength of bee colonies in autumn depends to a greater extent on weather conditions during the honey collection period than on the age of the queens. Unfavorable honey collection conditions were observed in the summer of 2018 and 2019, good honey collection conditions - in the summer of 2020. During the 2018 season, 18.7 kg of honey were obtained from bee colonies of group I with queens of the current year, the next year the yield of honey decreased to 10.7 kg. In 2020, the honey productivity in families of group I with third-year queens reached 37.7 kg. For one family of group II with queens of the first year of life, 2.2 kg of marketable honey was received in 2019, and 30.1 kg each for the next year. For one family of the III group with queens of the current year of birth in 2020, 24.8 kg of honey were received. The strength of group I bee colonies in the autumn of 2018-2020 amounted to 9.0, respectively; 8.1 and 8.9 beeways; group II in autumn 2019; 2020 - 7,1 and 9,8 beeways; III group in 2020 - 11 beeways. Consequently, bee colonies of the third year of life can be left for wintering as an exception and used in the apiary in the next season as valuable breeding material.