Growth and decline of honeybee colonies and inter-relationships of adult bees, brood, honey and pollen.
Abstract
Mean adult bee populations were 18 000 in late May, 37 000 in early June and 13 000 in late September, while mean brood populations were 15 000 in late May, 24 000 in mid-June and almost non-existent in late September. Honey stores increased with nectar flows and decreased at other times, leaving about 16 kg at the end of the season for overwintering. About 30 kg of pollen was necessary for brood and adult requirements throughout the season. Pollen in store reached a maximum of 2 kg at maximum brood rearing and declined to about 0.75 kg for overwintering. Adult bees and brood, and adult bees and honey stored, were related only in the first half of the season; there were no significant relationships between adult bees, pollen stored, and pollen trapped. There were no relationships between brood, pollen stored, pollen trapped, and honey stored, although patterns of pollen storing, pollen trapping and brood rearing were similar. Author