>
>  I have a friend here in California, who by feeding pollen
> sub, creates monstrous brood-filled colonies over the winter solstice, from
> which he can shake bulk bees in January to sell to other beekeepers.  Thus,
> the nail in the coffin of the winter solstice brood shutdown hypothesis.


I wonder how economical this practice is. Obviously it must be or he
wouldn't continue. But I imagine his feed costs would be very high.

>
>
> It is a misconception that colony buildup has anything to do with
> photoperiod or time of year.  It instead appears to be a function of
> temperature and pollen availability.


Do you believe photoperiod has ZERO impact on colony buildup, or that it's
just one factor?

January is typically colder in my neck of the woods than December. Still no
pollen incoming in January (usually). Yet colonies can grow (don't always)
from December to February, because the queen is laying and the colony using
pollen reserves (or fat reserves, or both). The only difference I see is
photoperiod. But there could be another factor I don't see.

>
>

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