25 June 1993 / 845
 
        Here in Santa Barbara (on Santa Cruz Island), bees swarm almost all
year, and we can find drones aplenty much of the year.  Decreasing or
increasing day length doesn't seem to be a factor.
 
                                        Adrian M. Wenner
                                        Prof. of Nat. History, Emeritus
                                        Univ. of Calif., Santa Barbara
                                        Santa Barbara, CA  93106
 
                                        [log in to unmask]
 
>
> reflection apropos of summer solstice ...
>
> Does you know if it exist some papers, researchs, observations about
> the capacity of bees to record the lenght of the day and the
> difference between two records from day to day ?  When you observe the
> honeybee colonies in our latitudes (50degres 30'N) there is some
> evidences they could have this.
>
> 1.
> In Nov., with 6 to 10 degre C (40 to 50d F) and obviously no crop we generally
> find no brood. The days are decreasing.  In Feb., with maybe -20 degre C (0d F
)
> and also no crop, each established colony is brooding a beautiful
> nest (Seeley T.D. Honeybee Ecology (1984)).  The days are increasing.
>
> 2.
> Dave Pehling, WSU Coop. Extension ([log in to unmask]) says:
> > I have definitly noticed the inclination of an ESTABLISHED hive to draw
> > drone comb wherever there is empty space.  Apparently, a hive "likes" lots
> > of males available if there are adequate stores, workers, etc.
>
> Quite OK when the days are increasing but actually, it is not so
> evident : There is a crop but the drone brood is not renewed, some is
> eliminated and some drones are ejected !  The remainers are hiding in
> some nooks.  The days don't change, but ... they are no more
> increasing !  And, in a few weeks, we'll see a lot of abandoned drones,
> no more "liked" (days decreasing?) !
>
> 3.
> Swarming is a bee activity for the late increasing days period : the top !
> After that, it is an accident !
>
> What is your mind(s) ?
> Cheers          Jean-Marie
>
>
> Local blooming informations ...
> Lat. : 50o 30'N  - Long. : 4o 56'E -   Alt. : 200 m  -  North Sea at 200 km
>
> Tea linde (Tilia) is finishing its buzzy blooming.
> fields of "Epilobium spicatum Lam." and "Spiraea ulmaria L." fully blooming.
>
> -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
>  Jean-Marie Van Dyck             email : bitnet    jvandyck@bnandp51
>  B.P. 102                               internet  [log in to unmask]
>  B-5000    NAMUR (Belgium)              School Med. - Physiol. Chem. dept
> -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
>