> Cam Jay published some of this, I remember using his numbers in a model
> back in the 80s. The numbers change with season. Jerry
Yes, and Mark Winston gives a number of 2 to 3 in his book, The Biology of
the Honey Bee", but he does not say when and if that is lifetime or
concurrent. It seems more than a little low to me when I look at package
bees. The the nurse bee can continue in that role for considerably longer
than any individual larvae requires feeding. Moreover, if the hive is fed
and there are no urgent foraging needs, I'm guessing the capacity for brood
is greater. Perhaps this is one reason supplements increase brood area.
I'm trying to model spring build-up in splits to determine -- or at least
bracket -- the optimal split size and timing.
***********************************************
The BEE-L mailing list is powered by L-Soft's renowned
LISTSERV(R) list management software. For more information, go to:
http://www.lsoft.com/LISTSERV-powered.html
Access BEE-L directly at:
http://community.lsoft.com/scripts/wa-LSOFTDONATIONS.exe?A0=BEE-L