The effect of different concentrations of carbon dioxide (CO₂) in a mixture with air or nitrogen upon the survival of the honey bee (Apis mellifera).

The effect of different concentrations of carbon dioxide (CO₂), mixed with air or nitrogen (N₂), on the behaviour and lifespan of honey bee (Apis mellifera) workers was studied. It was found that the workers, after being treated for three minutes with the gases entered a state of deep anaesthesia only in an atmosphere of pure CO₂ and its mixtures with N₂. It was also observed that the higher the concentration of CO₂ in N₂, the quicker the bees entered a state of deep anaesthesia, and they also woke up sooner. The workers treated with mixtures of gases with high concentrations of CO₂ (above 80 %) survived for a significantly shorter time than those treated with lower concentrations of the gases.