Abd Al-Majeed Al-Ghzawi

Monthly changes in various drone characteristics of Apis mellifera ligustica and Apis mellifera syriaca

This study was conducted to investigate drone rearing activity and semen production of Apis mellifera ligustica and Apis mellifera syriaca. Tendency of worker bees of both subspecies towards egg laying under semiarid conditions were also monitored in the experiments. Differences were not observed in drone brood production between both honeybee subspecies throughout the investigation. Worker bees of both subspecies needed a significantly shorter time to start egg laying during February and March in comparison with the time those workers needed for laying eggs during the remaining months of the study. Syrian bee workers started egg laying earlier than Italian bee workers. Drones from laying workers were much smaller and produced less sperms with more abnormalities than normal drones. Drones produced from queens in May were heavier and produced more sperms with less abnormalities than those produced during the other months. The drone brood rearing of both subspecies tended to follow the same general cycle in 2005 and 2006. The study suggests that virgin queens have a better chance to receive adequate viable sperm amounts from drones in April and May in semiarid Mediterranean conditions.

Incidence and Geographical Distribution of Honeybee (Apis mellifera L.) Pests in Jordan

Abstract The occurrence and distribution of pests of honeybee (Apis mellifera L.) in Jordan were surveyed during the agricultural seasons of 1999 and 2000. A total of 800 colonies in 112 apiaries were chosen from different geographical regions that support beekeeping in Jordan. Honeybee colonies are attacked by 21 pest species in different areas of Jordan. The most distributed pests which cause considerable damage are Varroa destructor, Vespa orientalis, Galleria melonella, Dorylus fulvus, Braula orientalis, Merops apiaster, Hirundo rustica, Hirundo daurica and Merops orientalis. Other pests of minor importance to beekeeping were also recorded. Most of the recorded pests were appeared in both the Jordan Valley and Irbid regions.

Origin and rearing season of honeybee queens affect some of their physiological and reproductive characteristics

Queen honeybees of Apis mellifera ligustica and Apis mellifera syriaca were raised to investigate physiological and reproductive characteristics and to determine the most suitable time for queen rearing under semi‐arid conditions in Jordan. The queen rearing season as well as the origin of the queens affected the queens’ weight, acceptance, preoviposition period, volume of the spermatheca, and quantity and quality of sperm in the spermatheca. Italian bees were heavier than Syrian bees at emergence. The introduced queen acceptance rate appeared to be a genetic influence of the queen: A. m. ligustica virgin queens were accepted at a higher rate than were A. m. syriaca queens. There were large seasonal variations in the acceptance rate. Experimental bee colonies accepted their virgin queens during spring with good honey flows at a higher rate compared to the other rearing periods. The greatest mating success was achieved in May and the smallest was during July and August. The preoviposition period was shorter in the Syrian than in the Italian queens, and was longer during summer for both honeybee subspecies. The volume of the spermatheca was smaller in Syrian bees and the spermatheca had lower numbers of spermatozoa compared with Italian bees. Thus, under semi‐arid Mediterranean region conditions, it is highly recommended to raise virgin queens in the spring months only to obtain their highest quality.

Impacts of drought on pollination of Trigonella moabitica (Fabaceae) via bee visitations

This experiment was conducted to evaluate the effect of drought stress on the attractivity of Trigonella flowers to worker honey bees, seed set and yield of T. moabitica under semi-arid Mediterranean conditions during the flowering stage. At this stage plants were exposed to one of three water regimes: either well-watered, moderately-watered, and drought stress. Results showed that flowers of well-watered plants attracted more bee flower visitors compared to plants grown under drought stress conditions. Plants grown under drought stress conditions were shorter, had fewer numbers of inflorescences, and fewer flowers per plant compared to well and moderately-watered plants. Furthermore, drought-stressed plants produced lower quantities of viable pollen grains, and lower pod and seed set.

Daily number of bee louse （Braula coeca） in honey bee （Apis mellifera carnica and A. m. syriaca） colonies maintained under semi-arid conditions

Experimental work was conducted at two apiaries located in Irbid district and in Shuna North, Jordan, during the years 2004–2006. The aims of these investigations were to estimate the seasonal changes in the infestation rates of the bee louse (Braula sp.) and to develop an easy and rapid method of estimating the infestation rate on workers with bee Braula. Two major honey bee subspecies are reared in Jordan; Apis mellifera carnica and Apis mellifera syriaca were used in this study. The results showed that the infestation rate began to increase rapidly in May, reaching the seasons maximum rate of 16.2%, 15.8% and 17.4% for A. m. carnica and 22.6%, 23.9% and 22.9% for A. m. syriaca in December of 2004, 2005 and 2006, respectively. The maximum adult numbers of bees were found in April and June, whereas the minimum for the year was in January in both honey bee subspecies colonies during the study period. The actual population of the bee louse could be estimated by counting the daily dropped lice and multiplying by a factor of 158. This factor is valid for the experimental colonies of both subspecies kept for 3 years under semi‐arid Mediterranean conditions.

Impact of bee pollinators on seed set and yield of Vicia villosa spp. dasycarpa (Leguminosae) grown under semiarid conditions

Abstract A field experiment was conducted during 2005/2006 at Jordan University of Science and Technology campus (32°30” N, 35°59” E), Irbid, Jordan, to study the role of bee visitors on seed set and production of Vicia villosa spp. dasycarpa grown under semiarid conditions. Two treatments were imposed on Vicia villosa plants before flowering: 1) Plants were covered in cages (control) or 2) Plants were left uncovered to permit bee visiting. The results of this experiment showed that V. villosa flowers were very attractive to worker honeybees as well as to few numbers of wild bees. The most frequent visitor species were A. mellifera and Anthophora albigena of family Apidae. V. villosa flowers attracted most of the bee visitors in the early hours of the day. The duration of their visit on the flowers also peaked early in the day and decreased toward the end of the day. The percentage of pod set of the un-covered plants averaged 14% out of the total florets on the plants, which was significantly higher than the covered plants (2%). These results indicated that the percentage of flower abscission was high and averaged more than 86%. Plant covering significantly reduced seed yield by reducing seed and pod number per plant and seed number per pod, but had no effect on individual seed weight. In conclusion, preventing bees from visiting during flowering of V. villosa spp. dasycarpa decreased seed set, seed yield and yield components. Further studies are needed to understand the high flower abscission and failure of seed set in this species.

Effect of pollination on seed set of Origanum syriacum under semiarid Mediterranean conditions.

Abstract This study was aimed at identifying the potential different insect visitors of Origanum syriacum flowers and at evaluating their role in seed set in Syrian Oregano grown under its native semiarid Mediterranean conditions. Three treatments were imposed on O. syriacum plants before flowering: 1) Plants were left uncovered to permit insect visiting, 2) plants were covered and hand pollinated with pollen from flowers of other plants, and 3) plants were covered (control). The results showed that 21 bee species were identified visiting O. syriacum flowers, of which 8 species were recorded for the first time in Jordan. Supplementary pollination produced a higher significant number of seeds and seed set than other pollination treatments that led us to conclude that O. syriacum flowers are affected by pollen shortage under natural conditions. Wind plays little or no role in its pollination process. There is low seed yield production and seed set by O. syriacum under natural conditions in Jordan. The number of bee colonies as well as the wild bees must be enhanced in the area to improve their value in O. syriacum flower pollination.

INFLUENCE OF ELEVATION ON HONEYBEES Apis mellifera syriaca (HYMENOPTERA: APIDAE) FLIGHT ACTIVITIES AND ITS IMPACT ON FRUIT SET AND QUALITY OF WATERMELON (Citrullus lanatus, CUCURBITACEAE)

A field experiment was conducted to monitor the flight activities of the worker bees of Apis mellifera syriaca and their impact on pollination of watermelon Citrullus lanatus as affected by the growing area elevations. The experiment composed of three treatments, the control (covered plants); in which the plants were caged before flowering to prevent any contact with insect pollinators, the second treatment the plants were left opened to permit contact with honeybees (uncovered plants) and the third treatment the plants were supplementary pollinated with pollen from other plant (hand pollination). The results of this experiment showed that the viability of female flower stigmas lasted mostly to the early hours of the day at 11:00 am for flowers produced in Madaba (780 m above sea level), and lasted to the afternoon of the day at 14:00 pm for flowers produced in Wadi Araba, Al Safi village (350 m below sea level). In general fruit set, seed set, number of fertile seeds, fruit weight, and fruit sugar content were significantly higher in uncovered followed by supplementary pollinated then covered plants while fruit length and fruit circumference were significantly higher in uncovered followed by covered and finally supplementary pollinated plants. Furthermore, fruit set, seed set, fruit weight, fruit circumference, and fruit total soluble solids percentage was significantly higher in plants grown above sea level than below sea level. Honey bees play an important role in the production of high quality and quantity of watermelon fruits for plants grown above or below sea level.

Pod production of Prosopis juliflora (Sw.) DC. as affected by supplementary and honeybee pollination under arid conditions

Abstract An experiment was conducted to examine the importance of honeybees and flowering dates for pollination and pod characteristics of Prosopis juliflora grown under semiarid conditions. Flowers of Prosopis were subjected to two pollination treatments: 1) open pollination and 2) supplementary pollination at different flowering dates from September to January. Number of racemes per node, number of flowers per raceme, pod per raceme, pod length and weight, seed number per pod, 100-seed weight, and total seed yield per node were measured. Prosopis trees produced an average of 6 racemes per node. Supplementary pollinated flowers had higher pod number/raceme but lower pod length and weight in comparison with open pollinated at all flowering dates except for January. Pollination treatment did not influence seed number or characteristics. These data suggest that although supplementary pollination increased pod set per raceme, bee pollination gave the same pollination efficiency and better pod quality.