Practical protocol for honey bee immobilization and oral administration of drugs and pathogens

ARSLAN O. C., SEVİN S., Erdem B.

Journal of Apicultural Research, cilt.62, sa.4, ss.932-935, 2023 (SCI-Expanded) identifier identifier

  • Yayın Türü: Makale / Tam Makale
  • Cilt numarası: 62 Sayı: 4
  • Basım Tarihi: 2023
  • Doi Numarası: 10.1080/00218839.2021.2014645
  • Dergi Adı: Journal of Apicultural Research
  • Derginin Tarandığı İndeksler: Science Citation Index Expanded (SCI-EXPANDED), Scopus, BIOSIS, CAB Abstracts, Food Science & Technology Abstracts, Veterinary Science Database
  • Sayfa Sayıları: ss.932-935
  • Anahtar Kelimeler: Honey bee, immobilization, oral administration, harnessing, proboscis extension reflex, MEMORY
  • Ankara Üniversitesi Adresli: Evet

Özet

Some fields in honey bee research require oral administration of substances to bees individually. This paper describes a relatively easy, practical, and reversible method for harnessing and oral feeding of honey bees. Individual bees are immobilized on a piece of balsa wood stick with two pins crossed on the junction between thorax and abdomen. Restrained bees can then easily be fed with a specific amount of chemical or pathogen in sucrose solution by inducing proboscis extension reflex. Important aspects and possible drawbacks of the method are also discussed.