THE BROOD-BEARING CYCLE OF THE HONEYBEE 15 



1921. A recovery in the rate of brood rearing was made subse- 

 quently, but at a time when factors associated normally with the 

 major period were making themselves felt. It follows that the 

 maximum amount of brood rearing in 1921 was not purely the re- 

 sult of the initial seasonal tendency. 



In 1922, on the other hand, there was a late spring, inclement 

 weather in early March causing a temporary shortage of pollen in the 

 hive. These conditions restricted somewhat the initial seasonal tend- 

 ency, as is clearly evidenced in the brood curve for that month. In 

 spite of this beginning, April weather proved so favorable that by the 

 end of the month the principal sources of nectar were as far advanced 

 as in the previous year, and brood-rearing activity became so pro- 

 nounced that the maximum for the season was practically reached 

 before factors peculiar to the major period became dominant. In 

 fact, the maximum in sealed brood in 1922 was attained in advance 

 of the tuliptree honey flow, and about two weeks in advance of that 

 of the previous year. 



THE MAJOR PERIOD, COLONY NO. 4 



In 1922, the more typical year, the beginning of the major phase 

 was marked by a maintenance of brood rearing at the highest rate 

 of the year (fig. 17). Since the maximum had been attained just 

 before the locust bloom, the high rate was kept up for a couple of 

 weeks. During the week of maximum sealed brood, brood rearing 

 was undoubtedly still being carried on under the impulse of the 

 intitial tendency, but influencing factors characteristic of the major 

 period were also becoming evident. The week of the maximum 

 marked the point of division between the initial seasonal tendency 

 and the major period. Nectar subsequently coming in from the 

 tuliptree tended to restrict the queen, and after this honey flow 

 there was a dearth of nectar until the middle of September. During 

 June, however, there was an appreciable amount of incoming pollen, 

 and in August there was an intense pollen yield. As a consequence 

 the decline in brood-rearing activity which set in with the beginning 

 of the tuliptree honey flow and extended until the intense pollen 

 yield in August was broken by a slight increase in June, in response 

 to the pollen yield. The increase in August, on the other hand, was 

 very pronounced. This was followed by a decrease until incoming 

 nectar, chiefly from goldenrod, made itself felt by another slight in- 

 crease in the brood area. 



In the main, brood-rearing activity during the major period of 

 1921 was very similar to that for 1922. In the month of June, 1921, 

 the increase in brood rearing was more pronounced, for two reasons. 

 In the first place, instead of a gradual decline following the peak, as 

 in 1922, a sharp decrease occurred in 1921. This happened because 



i'ust prior to trie honey flow the queen had ascended to the third 

 live body to lay, there being already at that time an extensive 

 brood area in this hive body. Incoming nectar, however, so quickly 

 cut down the number of cells available for the queen as to force her 

 soon to return to the second hive body. Here, too, so many available 

 cells within the brood area proper had been filled with nectar during 

 her absence that the total number of cells made empty either by 

 emerging bees or by consumption of stores did not suffice during that 

 week to permit keeping up her former rate. During the next two 



