Queen Rearing Optimization: Role of Queen Cup Materials and Substrates on Larval Acceptance and Queen Emergence Rate in <i>Apis Mellifera</i> L

Current research investigated the effects of different queen cup materials and substrates on the success of larval acceptance and queen emergence rates during the autumn season. Substrates tested included apple juice, commercial royal jelly enriched with honey, sugar syrup, honey solution, and a mixture of these media. These were applied within three types of queen cups: beeswax, paraffin wax, and plastic. The Doolittle grafting technique was employed to rear queens. Control group, which utilized dry grafting, exhibited the highest acceptance of larvae and emergence of queen rate at 43.33% and 26.67% respectively. No statistically significant differences in acceptance and emergence rates were observed between beeswax and plastic queen cups. Among the substrates, the commercial royal jelly (enriched with honey) applied within beeswax cups resulted in the highest larval acceptance at 30% and emergence of queen rate at 30%. Additionally, the mixture solution within plastic cups outperformed different treatments during autumn.