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The Effect of Royalactin on Formation of Queen Bees

The Effect of Royalactin on Formation of Queen Bees. Lee Isaacson – Warren Mott High School Raymond Marchionda – Warren Mott High School. Introduction.

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The Effect of Royalactin on Formation of Queen Bees

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  1. The Effect of Royalactin on Formation of Queen Bees Lee Isaacson – Warren Mott High School Raymond Marchionda – Warren Mott High School

  2. Introduction • For years, bees have been domesticated by man and used for their beeswax to make candles, wax tablets, and more modern developments like cosmetics and pharmaceuticals Isaacson -- Marchionda

  3. Purpose of Experiment • The researchers wanted to learn more about Apis mellifera, or honey bees, and how to manipulate hives Isaacson -- Marchionda

  4. Background information • The Queen Bee runs the hive: • She uses pheromones to communicate all the hives actions • Every bee is an offspring of the queen • She tells the bees when to birth a new queen when she is getting too old Isaacson -- Marchionda

  5. Background information • Worker bees have wax glands similar to our sweat glands • The use their secretions to build the hive along with the honey combs inside of it • Without a queen, these bees wouldn’t build a complete hive, or a queen cell Isaacson -- Marchionda

  6. Background information • Queen bees are typically born into a cell which is built to extend from the bottom of the hive • Emergency queens can be birthed into cells on the face of a honeycomb Isaacson -- Marchionda

  7. Background information • Nurse Bees secrete Royal Jelly, or royalactin, from the tops of their heads • It is a complex mixture of water, proteins, sugars, lipids, vitamins and amino acids • Bees meant to develop into queens are exclusively fed this Royal Jelly Isaacson -- Marchionda

  8. What Was Done • The researchers fed bee eggs and larvae different types of food • Food that was fed to the bees included: • Royalactin • Standard food • Mixture of royalactin and standard food • The researchers wanted to see if a significant amount of larvae would turn into Queen Bees Isaacson -- Marchionda

  9. Problem Statement • Is it possible to artificially produce Queen Bees by using royalactin (Royal Jelly) alone? Isaacson -- Marchionda

  10. Hypothesis • The increase in the amount of worker bees that will develop into Queen Bees with artificial feeding of royalactin will be significant Isaacson -- Marchionda

  11. Materials Protective Bee Suit 2 mL Syringe Incubator Bee Larvae Honeycomb Observation Chamber Sharps Container Bee Honey 4 oz. Royalactin Isaacson -- Marchionda Bee Pollen

  12. How To Make Standard Food • Make the standard food by mixing: • 50 mL of honey • 1.5 g of pollen • 20 mL of water Isaacson -- Marchionda

  13. How To Make Food Mixture • Make the mixture by combining: • 25 mL Standard Food • 25 mL Royalactin Isaacson -- Marchionda

  14. Procedures • Fill three syringes, one with royalactin, one with standard food, and one with the mixture of both • With the protective bee suit on, fill 30 cells with 2 mL of royalactin • Fill 30 cells with 2 mL of the half royalctin/half standard food mix • Fill 30 cells with 2 mL of standard food • Heat the incubator to a temperature of 94°F Isaacson -- Marchionda

  15. Procedures Cont. • Put the honeycomb into the observation chamber. • Place the observation chamber into the incubator. • Repeat steps each day • Check on the honeycomb each day and record any noticeable changes in each chamber. • On day 15 check to see if any queen bees have formed. Isaacson -- Marchionda

  16. Video Isaacson -- Marchionda

  17. Observations • All trials ran smoothly. • Some cells were covered with wax earlier than others. Isaacson -- Marchionda

  18. Data Measured • The independent variables for the experiment were which bees were fed, and the amount and type of food they were fed • The dependent variable for the experiment was the type/length of the bee on day 15. Isaacson -- Marchionda

  19. Test Performed • A 2-Proportion Z test was performed because two proportions were being compared to each other to test for significance • Performed twice: • Royalactin vs. Standard • Mixture vs. Standard Isaacson -- Marchionda

  20. Assumptions Isaacson -- Marchionda

  21. Equation • The equation for a 2-Proportion Z test is… Null: H0: p1 = p2 Alternative: Ha: p1 ≠ p2 Isaacson -- Marchionda

  22. Standard Food Results Isaacson -- Marchionda

  23. Mixture Food Results Isaacson -- Marchionda

  24. Royalactin Results Isaacson -- Marchionda

  25. Testing for Growth • Because there were no queen bees produced, the researchers tested for any significant growth amongst the bees. The bees were considered to have experienced significant growth if their length was greater than 11mm and their width was greater than 5mm. Isaacson -- Marchionda

  26. Royalactin Results Isaacson -- Marchionda

  27. Mixture Food Results Isaacson -- Marchionda

  28. Percent of Bees with Significant Growth Standard = 0% Mixture = 3.3% Royalactin = 26.6% Isaacson -- Marchionda

  29. Results for Royalactin& Standard z = 3.0382 P-Value = 0.0024 Results show a significant amount of bees experienced significant growth. A P-Value of 0.0024 shows that there is a 0.24% that these results would occur again by chance alone. Isaacson -- Marchionda

  30. Results for Mixture and Standard z = 1.0084 P-Value = 0.3132 Results show there was not a significant amount of bees that experienced significant growth. A P-Value of 0.3132 shows that there is a 31% that these results would occur again by chance alone. Isaacson -- Marchionda

  31. Conclusion • After running a total of 90 trials, the researcher’s hypothesis was rejected • Queen Bees were not formed after being fed royalactin during development Isaacson -- Marchionda

  32. Conclusion • According to the 2-proportion z test, no trials produced a significant amount of Queen Bees • There was a significant amount of bees fed royalactin that experienced significant growth Isaacson -- Marchionda

  33. Why Royalactin? • The bees that were fed only royalactin received all the nutrients necessary to show greater developments while the other bees didn’t receive enough of the extra nutrients. Isaacson -- Marchionda

  34. Errors • The mixture of honey, pollen and royalactin had less royalactin near the end of the feeding process because it began to run out Isaacson -- Marchionda

  35. Design Flaws • Other bees could have eaten the royalactin meant for larva • Cold temperatures outside may have stunted growth Isaacson -- Marchionda

  36. Further Research • The effect of royalactin on growth of other insects, like ladybugs • The use of larger cells or queen chambers • Test the behavior of fully grown bees after being fed royalactin Isaacson -- Marchionda

  37. Real World Applications • To provide beekeepers a way of expanding the number of hives producing honey through Queen Rearing • Varroa mites and herbicides can kill bees or the queen, so these methods could possibly replace a queen Isaacson -- Marchionda

  38. Recap • Wanted to learn more about bees and manipulating hives • A 2-proportion z test was used • No Queen Bees were formed, although significant growth was observed • Hypothesis was rejected • Royalactin caused a significant amount of bees to experience significant growth Isaacson -- Marchionda

  39. Acknowledgments • Eileen Byrnes • Draper, Royal W. “All About Royal Jelly.”All About Royal Jelly. Draper’s Super Bee Apiaries, Inc., 2012. Web. 18 Sept. 2012 <http://www.draperbee.com/info/royaljelly.htm> • Hamdan, Khalil. "Raising Honey Queen Bees." Country Rubes. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 Sept. 2012. <http://www.countryrubes.com/images/Raising_Honey_Bee_Queens_8_3 0_10.pdf>. • Hoff, Mary. "Male or Female? For Honeybees, a Single Gene Makes All the Difference.”PLOS Biology. Public Library of Science, 20 Oct. 2009. Web. 17 Sept. 2012. <http://www.plosbiology.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pbio.1000186> • "Honey Bee: Pictures, Information, Classification and More." Honey Bee: Pictures, Information, Classification and More. Microsoft Cooperation, 2007. Web. 20 Sept. 2012.  <http://www.everythingabout.net/articles/biology/animals/arthropods/ insects/bees/honey_bee/>. Isaacson -- Marchionda

  40. Acknowledgments • Kamakura, Masaki. "Royalactin Induces Queen Differentiation in Honeybees.”National Center for Biotechnology Information. U.S. National Library of Medicine, 26 May 2011. Web. 20 Sept. 2012. <http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21516106>. • Peterson, Ivars. "Science News Online (7/24/99): The Honeycomb Conjecture.”Science News Online (7/24/99): The Honeycomb Conjecture. Science Service, 24 July 1999. Web. 12 Oct. 2012. <http://www.sciencenews.org/sn_arc99/7_24_99/bob2.htm>. • Prgude, Rusida. “The Composition of Royal Jelly.”Maticna Mlijec Memisevic. Prilikom Koristenja, 10 Apr. 2009. Web. 05 Dec. 2012. • "Royal Jelly." Drugs Information Online. Wolters Kluwer Health, 2009. Web. 18 Sept 2012. <http://www.drugs.com/npp/royal-jelly.html>. Isaacson -- Marchionda

  41. Questions? Isaacson -- Marchionda

  42. Questions?

  43. Questions?

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