Aggressive Behaviour of<i>Apis Florea</i>towards<i>Apis Mellifera</i>in Hive Robbing and in Foraging

Abstract

SummaryRobbing of Apis mellifera colonies by Apis florea bees was observed in 7 of 109 apiaries examined in the Punjab, India, in 1984 and 1985. Eleven of 54 colonies in the seven affected apiaries, most of them relatively weak, were robbed and disorganized. Observations of individual bees under simulated conditions for robbing and at a feeding dish indicated that A. florea bees behaved aggressively towards A. mellifera. Although casualties occurred in both species during robbing, A. florea bees stung A. mellifera bees but escaped being stung themselves by the latter.