THE BROOD-REARIXG CYCLE OF THE HOXEYBEE 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 the 
brood records of colony No. 4 for 1921 and 1922. 
46969°— 25f— Bull. 1349 4 
