THE BEOOD-EEARING CYCLE OF THE HONEYBEE 25 



in the curve. As a matter of fact, at one time the queen was confined 

 to one side of the brood area by a comb filled almost entirely with 

 fresh nectar. More room was given by the addition of a super dur- 

 ing the last week in April. Unpacking on May 5 meant the addition 

 of three frames in the lower hive body to replace the packed division 

 boards. As a result, both of the extra room and of the stimulation 

 of the May nectar flow, brood-rearing activity expanded back to the 

 level attained in March. Incoming nectar occasioned a slight de- 

 crease during the latter part of May, but feeding of larvae on hand 

 soon removed this restriction. The maximum of the season was 

 attained in June, but soon gave way to a sharp decrease brought 

 about by incoming honeydew. A partial recovery was made, which 

 in turn was stopped by another decrease because the brood area had 

 been so restricted by honeydew that few empty cells were to be 

 found. More room was available within the brood area proper at 

 the time of the small pollen yield in July, which resulted in an increase 

 followed by a decrease. Loss of the queen at this time then caused 

 a suspension of brood rearing. A virgin was reared, which mated 

 and began laying before the September honey flow. As in the case 

 of colony No. 15, there is too wide a gap between the initial expansion 

 and the main activity of the major period, and also too much of a 

 break in the continuity of brood rearing just prior to the final con- 

 traction for this colony to have had the proper population during the 

 various phases of the active season. 



GENERAL DISCUSSION OF THE RECORDS FOR 1921 



The brood-rearing records of these colonies show the region about 

 Washington to be one in which seasonal brood-rearing activity tends 

 toward slackening during the major period. The main brood rearing 

 of the season comes before the occurrence of this tendency; but, fol- 

 lowing it, brood-rearing activity increases in normal colonies suffi- 

 ciently to provide an adequate number of bees for winter. 



INFLUENCE OF POLLEN AND NECTAR 



Throughout the season direct responses were made to incoming 

 pollen and nectar. The main nectar flows of the year come during 

 the forepart of the active season, which is also normally the time of 

 greatest brood-rearing activity. During July scarcely any fresh 

 nectar is found, and brood-rearing activity is greatly diminished. In 

 September there is a nectar flow, and associated with it is heightened 

 brood-rearing activity. The correlation between a good pollen yield 

 and brood rearing is well illustrated by the expansion of the brood 

 areas during the pollen yield of August. That there will even be a 

 response at times to a light pollen yield is shown by the colonies (Nos. 

 2, 6, 11, 15, and 16) whose brood-rearing activity did not decrease 

 continuously throughout July. For the most part, owing to abnor- 

 mal circumstances, conditions within these colonies did not become 

 conducive to maximum brood-rearing activity until just before the 

 period of nectar dearth; as a result, only a slight stimulus was needed 

 to create a response in such colonies. That definite brood-rearing 

 responses will be made from year to year to certain constant seasonal 

 stimuli, other conditions remaining equal, is well brought out by tho 

 brood records of colony No. 4 for 1921 and 1922. 

 46969°— 25f— Bull. 1349 4 



