Determination of the Effects of Bee Venom Production on Aggression Behaviour and Colony Development Parameters in Honeybee (Apis mellifera L.) Colonies

Honeybee venom is a high value-added bee product obtained from honeybee colonies, which has therapeutic properties due to its high biological activity. However, there are limited studies on the bee venom production process. In this study, behavioural characteristics of colonies in bee venom production were examined bidirectionally to reveal the behavioural effect in the production process. It was found that the level of aggression of the colonies affected the quantity of bee venom produced and that aggressive behaviour changed before and after production in colonies used in venom production. During the research, the development of the colony population and the effectiveness of environmental factors were evaluated before and after the venom production period. In the experiment, 20 honeybee colonies with the same queen age and similar size in terms of worker bee population were divided into 15 treatment groups and 5 control groups. The research was conducted between the months of July-October. Bee venom production in the treatment colonies was performed using a bee venom production machine operating on the electroshock principle. In all experimental colonies, three aggression tests were performed: pre-production, post-production and 24 hours after production while control group colonies were tested for aggression at parallel times. Colony growth parameters were measured during the study period. The results of the study indicated a negative correlation between the level of aggression displayed by the colonies in bee venom production and the amount of venom produced. The results showed that bee venom production led to an increase in aggression behaviour the colonies and resulting in a statistically significant (p