The Effects of Co-Enzyme Q10 and Caffeine on Morphometric Characteristics of Queen Honey Bees

Honey bee queen quality is a critical factor of colony performance. Indications of such qualities can manifest themselves through morphological traits such as wet weight and thorax width. Improving such characteristics is driven in part by nutritional provision in queen-cell-builder hives. We invest...

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Main Authors: Samet Okuyan, Paul Cross
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Hasan Eleroğlu 2021-02-01
Series:Turkish Journal of Agriculture: Food Science and Technology
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Online Access:http://www.agrifoodscience.com/index.php/TURJAF/article/view/3903
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author Samet Okuyan
Paul Cross
author_facet Samet Okuyan
Paul Cross
author_sort Samet Okuyan
collection DOAJ
description Honey bee queen quality is a critical factor of colony performance. Indications of such qualities can manifest themselves through morphological traits such as wet weight and thorax width. Improving such characteristics is driven in part by nutritional provision in queen-cell-builder hives. We investigated the potential to improve queen quality by adding coenzyme Q10 (endogenous antioxidant) and caffeine (central nervous system stimulator) to feeder syrup in queen-cell-builder colonies for 15 and 20 days prior to grafting, two sets of queens were reared. We recorded subsequent wet weight, body length, head width and length, thorax and wing width and length, and spermathecae diameter. The queen-cell acceptance rate was not affected by either treatment or graft period. Coenzyme Q10 increased wet weight, body and wing length in the first graft, and thorax width, wing length and spermathecae diameter in the second graft. The caffeine treatment increased head and thorax length in first graft and thorax width in the second. A mix of the two substances (coenzyme Q10 and caffeine) increased head width in the first graft and spermathecae diameter in the second graft. This study suggests that the application of coenzyme Q10 to cell-builder colonies at least 15 days prior to grafting can increase reared wet weight (the most significant quality indicator) and thorax width of queen bees.
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spelling doaj-art-c3af71054a2a42d5b4717841dc8e970b2025-08-20T02:18:56ZengHasan EleroğluTurkish Journal of Agriculture: Food Science and Technology2148-127X2021-02-019232132510.24925/turjaf.v9i2.321-325.39031990The Effects of Co-Enzyme Q10 and Caffeine on Morphometric Characteristics of Queen Honey BeesSamet Okuyan0Paul Cross1Honey Bee Research Institute, 52000 OrduSchool of Natural Science, Bangor University, Bangor, UK.Honey bee queen quality is a critical factor of colony performance. Indications of such qualities can manifest themselves through morphological traits such as wet weight and thorax width. Improving such characteristics is driven in part by nutritional provision in queen-cell-builder hives. We investigated the potential to improve queen quality by adding coenzyme Q10 (endogenous antioxidant) and caffeine (central nervous system stimulator) to feeder syrup in queen-cell-builder colonies for 15 and 20 days prior to grafting, two sets of queens were reared. We recorded subsequent wet weight, body length, head width and length, thorax and wing width and length, and spermathecae diameter. The queen-cell acceptance rate was not affected by either treatment or graft period. Coenzyme Q10 increased wet weight, body and wing length in the first graft, and thorax width, wing length and spermathecae diameter in the second graft. The caffeine treatment increased head and thorax length in first graft and thorax width in the second. A mix of the two substances (coenzyme Q10 and caffeine) increased head width in the first graft and spermathecae diameter in the second graft. This study suggests that the application of coenzyme Q10 to cell-builder colonies at least 15 days prior to grafting can increase reared wet weight (the most significant quality indicator) and thorax width of queen bees.http://www.agrifoodscience.com/index.php/TURJAF/article/view/3903turkeybeekeepingconservationmorphologyecotypesbreedingapis mellifera caucasia
spellingShingle Samet Okuyan
Paul Cross
The Effects of Co-Enzyme Q10 and Caffeine on Morphometric Characteristics of Queen Honey Bees
Turkish Journal of Agriculture: Food Science and Technology
turkey
beekeeping
conservation
morphology
ecotypes
breeding
apis mellifera caucasia
title The Effects of Co-Enzyme Q10 and Caffeine on Morphometric Characteristics of Queen Honey Bees
title_full The Effects of Co-Enzyme Q10 and Caffeine on Morphometric Characteristics of Queen Honey Bees
title_fullStr The Effects of Co-Enzyme Q10 and Caffeine on Morphometric Characteristics of Queen Honey Bees
title_full_unstemmed The Effects of Co-Enzyme Q10 and Caffeine on Morphometric Characteristics of Queen Honey Bees
title_short The Effects of Co-Enzyme Q10 and Caffeine on Morphometric Characteristics of Queen Honey Bees
title_sort effects of co enzyme q10 and caffeine on morphometric characteristics of queen honey bees
topic turkey
beekeeping
conservation
morphology
ecotypes
breeding
apis mellifera caucasia
url http://www.agrifoodscience.com/index.php/TURJAF/article/view/3903
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AT sametokuyan effectsofcoenzymeq10andcaffeineonmorphometriccharacteristicsofqueenhoneybees
AT paulcross effectsofcoenzymeq10andcaffeineonmorphometriccharacteristicsofqueenhoneybees