Foraging Behaviour of Honey Bees Apis mellifera Linn. Visiting The Flowers of Some Wild Plants in Eljabal Alakhder-Libya

Abstract

This study was conducted to identify the foraging behaviour of honey bees Apis mellifera in the search for food during their visit to the wild flower plants Sinapis alba, Pelargonium radula, Malva parviflora and Stachy stournefortii in Eljabal Alakhder region. The results showed differences in the handling time periods with a significant difference between plant flower species. It showed a longer resting period compared with the handling time for flowers of the Pelargonium radula, which recorded the lowest time, also the travelling time of honey bee among the flowers of the plant species showed a significant difference. Stachy stournefortii recorded a longer travelling time with an average of 4.3 seconds, and Pelargonium radula with 3.5 seconds. Apis mellifera showed a different activity among the different flowers in the collection of nectar or pollen during different daytime hours.