Relationship between 2-heptanone and some biological and environmental variables in Apis mellifera L.

SummaryThe present study was undertaken to determine the possible interrelationship between 2-heptanone production and brood development, nectar and pollen gathering, defensiveness (number of attacking bees and number of stings left in a ‘test’ ball), temperature and relative air humidity. It was found that 2-H production showed a strong correlation with brood area and it was negatively correlated with number of stings left in a ‘test’ ball. The other factors were not related to 2-H concentration.