THE BROOD-REARING CYCLE OF THE HONEYBEE 19 



enough to insure the best wintering conditions. The greatly dimin- 

 ished brood-rearing activity during the latter part of the major period 

 must be attributed to a failing queen, because at any time after July, 

 except for that drawback, there were sufficient bees, stores, and room 

 to have resulted in a much greater amount of brood during August 

 and September. 



Seasonal brood-rearing activity of the type represented by this 

 colony is anything but satisfactory from the standpoint of obtaining 

 a honey surplus. Owing to lack of room, the initial expansion did 

 not have a chance to proceed normally, even though sufficient bees 

 to meet the queen's egg-laying capacity were not on hand. As a 

 result of having its early development arrested and retarded, the 

 initial expansion became merged with the major period. Owing to 

 lack of sufficient bees, brood-rearing activity increased with relative 

 slowness, even after sufficient room had been provided. As a conse- 

 quence, the maximum of sealed brood was not attained until too late 

 for the resulting bees to be useful in gathering nectar for surplus. 

 Comparatively slight brood-rearing activity at and preceding the 

 final contraction spelled danger to the colony in the coming winter, 

 and well illustrates the evil results of failure to requeen at the proper 

 time. This colony died in the winter of 1921-22, with some honey 

 still remaining in the hive. 



Colony No. 6 (fig. 6 and Table 6) had a 1920 queen, stores in 

 abundance, and had been wintered without packing. For this 

 colony, there is no sharp distinction between initial expansion and 

 major period. Colony No. 6 had an overabundance of stores in the 

 second hive body in early spring, thus restricting the queen; but it 

 did not have enough bees to permit expansion of the brood area 

 downward into the lower hive body at the rate at which it was begun 

 in the second hive body. There occurred, therefore, a slight diminu- 

 tion of the brood area at the end of March, but the colony so increased 

 in population during the fore part of April as to provide more than 

 enough bees to take care of brood in all the cells available. Brood- 

 rearing activity consequently increased to the maximum in late May, 

 excepting another slight break in April, caused by weather conditions. 

 Following the maximum there was a rather abrupt decrease due to 

 the presence of fresh nectar temporarily within the brood nest. A 

 super added during the last week of May partially provided room for 

 the honeydew in June, and thus tended to eliminate further restriction 

 of the brood area. In fact, an increase in brood rearing took place in 

 June. Although the queen had reached in May her maximum for 

 the year, she was able to make a noticeable increase in her rate, 

 even in July, after having dropped off from her maximum for 

 June. It may be added that some pollen was coming in at this time. 

 A decrease then followed which lasted until September. Possibly 

 owing to the July increase, the response to the pollen yield of August 

 is apparent only as a slight diminution in the rate of decrease. How- 

 ever, a pronounced increase in brood rearing took place during the 

 September nectar flow. The initial expansion of the colony is 

 merged too completely with the major period. During the major 

 period then; was too much brood rearing, resulting in a useless con- 

 sumption of stores. 



Colony No. 7 (fig. 7 and Table 7) had a 1919 queen and sufficient 

 stores and had been wintered without packing. Sufficient bees were 



