Investigation of an Ethanol Containing Diet for Apis mellifera Larvae

To effectively study the developmental effects of ethanol on honeybee (Apis mellifera) larvae, ethanol must be administered without causing high rates of mortality. As larvae are bathed in the food they ingest, there is a risk that an ethanol-containing diet will cause drying effects, effectively killing the larvae. The aim of this study is to investigate the survival rate of honeybee larvae exposed to an ethanol-containing diet. To accomplish this goal, a rearing protocol and diet achieving a consistent survival rate of greater than 95% were selected from previous literature. This protocol involves the grafting and feeding of larvae over a 6-day period, increasing the amount of food and altering proportions of nutrients administered in accordance with the stage of development. The present study will investigate survivability while incorporating varying concentrations (0%, 2.5%, 5%, and 7.5%) of ethanol into the diet and maintaining the previously effective grafting and feeding procedures. Concentrations chosen are known to result in the presence of ethanol in the hemolymph of adult honeybees and impact behavioral outcomes. Concentrations will not exceed 7.5% as previous studies indicate serious impairment above this level. As future studies are intended to investigate the developmental effects of ethanol on chemosensory behavior, the present study will determine a viable diet containing concentrations of ethanol that will affect bee behavior without severe impairment. To determine the viability of our diets, the mortality of the honeybee larvae will be measured each day during grafting. The results of this study will inform future investigation of ethanol administration to honeybee larvae by providing critical information on concentrations that can or cannot be administered effectively without drying out these developing organisms.