Effectiveness of attractants and scents in enticement of Apis cerana on sesamum crop

Abstract

Foraging activity of Apis cerana in sesamum crop during pre and post spray of Citral-a (10 µl/l), Citral-b (10 µl/l), Geranial (10 µl/l), Vanilla flavor (200 µl/l), Pineapple flavor (200 µl/l), Mango flavor (200 µl/l), Chocholate flavor (200 µl/l) and Rose white flavor (200 µl/l) attractants indicated that Apis cerana bees were mostly attracted to very few attractants and scents. Citral-a was found to be a good attractant for bees followed by Citral-b and Geraniol. The effect of attractants sprayed remained up to third day of spraying. Other treatments like Vanilla flavor, Pineapple flavor did not show any increase in bee visitation over the unsprayed control