Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1925-12-17
Brood Rearing Is
Big Honey Factor
Amount of Honey Depends
on Number of Bees That
Are of Proper Age.


prepared by the United States Department
of Agricuture.)
The quantity Of nectar gathered by
a colony of honey bees does not de-
pend merely on the number of bees in
the colony during the honey flow, says
the United States Department of Agri-
culture. 1t depends, rather, upon the
number of bees that are of the proper
age to serve as nectar gatherers when
the honey flow opens.
Since normally worker bee, before
going to the field, spends the first two
or three weeks of it's life in duties
within the hive, most of the bees
should emerge from the brood cells
about three weeks in advances of the
main honey flow, in order to have the
largest possible number of field bees
ready at the proper moment. In other
words, the queen should reach her
maximum egg-laying rate during the
period six weeks prior to the honey
flow.
Maximum Honey Crop.
Since colony left to itself does not
usually bring forth the new worker
bees at the most advantageous time
correct understanding of the principles
governing brood rearing throughout
the year becomes of prime Importance
to the beekeeper, if he is to handle his
colonies in such a way as to secure a
maximum honey crop. The principles
are discussed in Department Bulletin
No. 1349, prepared by the United States
Department Of Agriculture after an
intensive study Of the broodrearing
cycle Of the honey bee.
Lack of knowledge of the principles
governing brood rearing may cause a
reduction in the honey crop by bring
ing about in colony any or all of
the three following possibilities:
~ The population of the colony
may not become large enough TO pro-
vide sufficient field bees during nectar
flows to gather surplus adequate to
give the beekeeper a fair return for
the time spent and capital invested
(2) Surplus honey may be consumed
in regions of early nectar flows by bees
which have emerged too late to serve
as nectar gatherers,- and too early to
winter over or even assist in building
up the colony for the winter.
(S) Swarming may be stimulated If
the ratio between hive bees and field
bees does not remain such as will
avoid causing a congestion within the
hive whenever one of these classes is
relatively idle while the other is ex-
tremely busy
The prevention OF any or all of these
states involves such questions as win
tering, stores for spring, requeening,
population Of the colony at the begin
ming Of brood rearing, swarm control,
dequeening, removal of brood and 9TH
er related factors.
Important Factors.
Among some of the important fac
tors which are within the power of the
beekeeper to provide are a prolific
queen, sufficient bees wintered over r.
meet all broodrearing requirements in
the spring, sufficient worker brood
cells, sufficient stores of good honey,
and proper insulation. All of these are
factors which must and can be provid-
ed in the manipulations in the latter
part Of the previous season If the bee
keeper wishes to take advantage of the
natural tendency toward intense brood
rearing activity at the beginning of
spring.
Conditions within the hive making
for brood rearing during the period of
initial expansion may be likened to a
charge of explosives set to go off at a
certain moment in the spring, the time
depending on weather conditions; in
the one case the force of the resulting
explosion is definitely predetermined
by the quantity Of the charge; in the
other case the amount of brood reared
is definitely predetermined by the pro-
visions made In the. preceding season
to give the colony the conditions most
favorable for the purpose.
A copy Of the bulletin, the Brood
Rearing Cycle of the Honey Bee, may
be obtained, as long as the supply
lasts, by writing to the United States
Department of Agriculture, Washing
ton, D. C.