Determination of the Impact of Mating on Stress Protein in Different Honey Bee Breeds

The queen is the only individual that carries a colony of bees and has the ability to reproduce. In this study, the level of stress proteins (Hsp70) was determined in mated and virgin queens reared under the same conditions in colonies of honey bee breeds and ecotypes in Turkey. When the effects of mating were examined, it was found that the stress protein content of mated queens was significantly lower than that of non-mated queens (p<0.05). It was also found that Hsp70 stress protein levels were lower in Thrace, Yığılca and Goekçeada ecotypes, which are the sub-ecotypes of the Anatolian bee, compared to other ecotypes and races. As a result, the Thrace, Goekçeada and Yığılca ecotypes, which are the ecotypes of the Anatolian bee, were found to have better adaptive abilities than the others.