Honeybee colony weight as an index of honey production and nectar flow: a critical evaluation.
Abstract
Honeybee colony weight (C) was related to the weight of honey stored (H), but this relationship was not linear because of the increased population of mature and immature bees in the middle of the active season. It was shown to be dependent on the number of days (D) from the beginning of the honey harvest. The 4 factors were related for the study area by the polynomial: H = -1416.0 + 0.7604 C - 57.142 D + 0.487 D2 + 0.00142 CD, which accounted for 97% of the total variation. Using the relationship between colony weight and honey stored, nectar flows in two districts (coastal and upland) of SE Scotland were characterised over four seasons, and colony weights were different from one another in June and again in August and September, probably due to available moisture and temperature. Author