14 BULLETIN" 1349, U. S. DEPARTMENT OE AGRICULTURE 



BROOD REARING OF A TYPICAL COLONY FOR TWO SUCCESSIVE 



SEASONS 



Of the 16 colonies used in 1921 the seasonal brood-rearing record 

 of one (No. 4) during 1921 and 1922 has been chosen as normal and 

 as typical of the whole group. This colony stored the most surplus 

 honey during the two successive seasons and its seasonal brood- 

 rearing curves for the two years are strikingly similar, taking into 

 consideration certain minor differences due primarily to weather con- 

 ditions. During the winter preceding each of the two seasons this 

 colony was left without packing in two 10-frame Langs troth hive 

 bodies with abundant stores of honey. Nothing additional was done 

 to stimulate brood rearing in the course of the two years except to 

 furnish an abundance of room at all times, the queen having free 

 access to all hive bodies. In 1921 the first super, or third hive body, 

 was given to the colony on April 26, whereas in 1922 the first super 

 was given on April 14. In both seasons the queen still had plenty 

 of room in the original two hive bodies at the time the third hive 

 body was given. Other supers were given later, so that in 1921 

 the colony had a maximum number of five hive bodies, and in 1922 

 a maximum of six. Owing to the policy adopted of providing an 

 abundance of room at all times, not only for incoming nectar but 

 for the egg-laying activity of the queen as well, the total number of 

 hive bodies furnished during each season provided one hive body in 

 excess of the actual minimum requirements of the colony. No added 

 hive bodies were removed until October in either year; in 1921 the 

 number was reduced to two on October 11, and in 1922 the same was 

 done on October 16. Although there was no restriction to any 

 possible expansion of the brood area, on no occasion was brOod 

 found above the lower three hive bodies. The same queen was used 

 throughout both seasons, having been introduced into the colony 

 in late summer in 1920 as soon as she had commenced to lay. For 

 purposes of identification her left wing was clipped in July, 1921. 

 In brief, each spring found this colony with a fairly strong force of 

 bees, a prolific queen, combs composed chiefly of worker cells, and 

 no shortage of honey stores. 



INITIAL EXPANSION, COLONY NO. 4 



In each of the two years of this experiment, as shown by obser- 

 vations, the chief source of nectar, tuliptree, was yielding freely by 

 May 21. For these years, then, the maximum amount of sealed 

 brood should have been attained during the last week in April, but 

 in neither 1921 nor 1922 did the maximum brood-rearing correspond 

 with ideal conditions. (Figs. 4 and 17 and Tables 4 and 17.) 



In 1922 the maximum amount of sealed brood was reached during 

 the first week in May, whereas in 1921 this maximum was not attained 

 until about two weeks later, although a more auspicious beginning 

 had been made occasioned by the unusually early spring. Nectar 

 and pollen came in abundantly throughout March, but the secretion 

 of nectar and the production of pollen were affected adversely by 

 the inclement weather at the end of March and beginning of April, 

 and probably the lower temperatures also affected unfavorably the 

 activity of the unpacked colony. The adverse conditions finally 

 checked the initial seasonal expansion of the brood, as is shown by 

 a decrease in the amount of sealed brood in the latter half of April, 



