Changes in photoperiod had no effect on brood rearing

Because the annual appearance of long-lived bees coincides with the onset of winter in temperate climates, signals external to colonies and associated with the seasons have been examined as factors that could induce the appearance of winter bees within the colony. Experimentation has thus far been inconclusive. Changes in photoperiod had no effect on brood rearing, worker longevity or JH titres (Kefuss, 1978; Fluri and Bogdanov, 1987; Huang and Robinson, 1995). A temperature effect could be responsible for seasonal changes in JH titre (Bühler et al., 1983; Huang and Robinson, 1995), but this effect has not been definitively established in overwintering populations. Very little is known about the extent to which internal changes alter the transition from a summer bee to winter bee population.

Insectes soc. 48 (2001) 88–93
Mattila, Harris, and Otis
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