Method of studying food consumption of live honey bee larvae by liquid scintillation counting

A radioisotope method was developed to study the continuous food intake of individual honey bee larvae, Apis mellifera L. (Hymenoptera: Apidae), from hatching until they become prepupae. The amount of 32P-labeled royal jelly eaten during this developmental period was measured directly in living larvae by analyzing their 32P content by liquid scintillation counting in a special vial designed to isolate the insect from the liquid scintillation fluid. The procedure is applicable for insects with a maximum weight up to about 25 mg. For larger organisms, a correction factor for self-absorption of beta radiation can be applied.