Comparison of Wintering Performance of Honey Bee (Apis mellifera L.) Colonies in Traditional and Mobile Systems in Niğde Province

Abstract

With a mobile beekeeping system, it is possible to plan operations based on the flowering periods of nectar-producing plants and to utilize foraging areas that maximize the benefits derived from nectar and pollen sources. Recently developed innovative equipment and precision apiculture practices have helped mobile systems evolve from mere means of transport into integrated production platforms. However, for these innovative mobile beekeeping practices to be considered a viable model, they must be applicable not only to the production of bee products but also to other critical periods—such as overwintering—which serve as essential links in a chain. In this study, a total of 20 honeybee colonies of the Anatolian bee breed (Apis mellifera anatoliaca) were examined under the ecological conditions of Niğde province. The study groups consisted of 10 traditional (fixed) hives and 10 mobile multi-shelf hives. The research evaluated the proportional (%) changes in the number of frames covered with bees before and after overwintering, as well as the rates of colony collapse or queen loss (%). The results demonstrated an equal colony survival rate of 80% for both overwintering methods. Among the colonies that successfully completed the overwintering period, the average loss of frames covered with bees per colony was 1.25 ± 1.16 in the traditional overwintering group and 1.00 ± 1.07 in the mobile overwintering group. Statistical analysis revealed that the difference in population loss between the two methods was not statistically significant (P = 0.701). Although colonies in the mobile system entered winter with numerically fewer frames compared to traditional hives (5.00 ± 0.93 and 5.88 ± 1.36, respectively), they performed as successfully as the traditional hives during the overwintering period. In conclusion, the mobile beekeeping system presents no disadvantages compared to the traditional method under the winter conditions of Niğde province.