應用蜂巢片加熱系統於蜂群越冬之初探

Abstract

蜂產業不僅僅提供了巨量產值，更重要的是，蜜蜂扮演著近九成的經濟作物之授粉者。2006年後世界各地開始發生蜂群崩潰症候群，蜜蜂數量銳減，造成農產業相當嚴重的經濟損失，而近幾年之統計數據結果顯示，蜂群在冬季損失(winter loss)之比率遠超過以往之統計數據，因此冬季損失成為科學家研究之一個相當重要的議題。 據前人研究發現，蜜蜂在蛹化的過程中若生長溫度過低的話會有如神經系統發展不完全、對農藥抵抗力下降、較易被螨寄生等負面影響，因此本研究設計三套不同之加熱系統，試圖於低溫環境下藉由外力提升蜂群成長之環境溫度，以增加蜂群過冬之能力。加熱系統之加熱板材質將PCB板常見基板材質之玻璃纖維替換成鋁基板，並透過本研究所採用之線分布策略，將板子上的溫差降低至0.5°C，足以維持育幼區之溫度。其中，底部加熱系統與嵌入式加熱系統皆不適用於蜂箱之中，因此本研究採用外掛式加熱系統進行實驗。本實驗將其擺於真實蜂箱之中，並發現在大小相近的族群中加裝加熱系統之蜂群對於寒冬較有抵抗力，沒有加裝加熱系統之族群於寒流中或是寒流後不久便死亡。另外，加裝加熱系統之族群與控制組之羽化率皆落於67%至69%之間，且封蓋數下降比例特徵相似，因此認定加熱系統並不影響育幼行為。急速關閉加熱系統，對蜂群而言會視為是一種逆境，於本研究中原先殘差率在晴天時為0.23之蜂群，於關閉加熱系統隔天之殘差率為0.50，有著顯著差異，顯示蜂群大量離巢，最後進而導致蜂群崩潰。 本研究未來會測試嵌入式加熱系統之可行性，同時研究蜂巢內溫度調控之方式以符合自然樣貌。此研究證實加入加熱系統可成功提升蜂群的存活率，盼望可以應用於實際產業之中，使蜂農因冬季損失造成之虧損下降，並提升蜂產業之產值。

The apiculture not only provided a huge amount of production, but more importantly, the bees played as the pollinators of nearly 90% of the economic crops. After 2006, large-scale loss of bees happened abruptly, resulting in serious economic losses in the agricultural industry. The statistical data in recent years showed that the scale of winter loss was far beyond the past, so the winter loss had become a very important issue for scientists. According to previous studies, if the rearing temperature is too low in the capped stage, negative effects such as the incomplete development of the nervous system, the decline of resistance to pesticides and Varroa infestation could occur more easily. Therefore, this study intends to develop a heating system to try to maintain the suitable temperature of the colony's growth by external forces in a low-temperature environment so as to increase the ability of the colony to overwinter. A PCB-based heating system were developed in this study. The material changed from glass-fiber into aluminum which have higher heat transfer coefficient. The try-and-error strategy of wire distribution decreased the temperature difference on the heating plate to lower than 0.5°C, which was better than even distribution, resulting in 1.2°C, and was a suitable device to maintain the temperature of brood. This study put the heating system in a real beehive, and found that colonies, which had the similar size, added with heating system were more resistant to the cold winter. The colonies without the heating systems collapsed soon during the cold spell, or they collapsed in few days. In addition, the emergence rate of both control groups and experiment group were between 67% to 69%, and the pattern of decrease of the numbers of capped were similar. Thus, it could be seen that heating system did not affect the parenting behavior. Shuttling down the heating system immediately could have strongly effect on the colonies. The mortality of the colony in the experiment was 0.23 before the heating system was turned off, while the mortality increased 0.50 after the heating system was turned off, indicating that massive loss happened and colony collapse eventually. This study will test the feasibility of the embedded heating system in the future, and at the same time study the way of temperature regulation in the beehive to conform to the law of nature. This study confirms that adding a heating system could successfully increase the survival rate of bee colonies. It is expected that the heating system can be applied to the actual industry to reduce the economic losses of the beekeepers due to winter loss, and increase the value of the apiculture.