On 26/03/2012 8:21 AM, Peter Loring Borst wrote:


> >As far as I can see, what is being proposed that honey bees can 
> assess how much honey they have in reserve and that they alter their 
> foraging behavior accordingly. I am stating that they do not do this. 


All the evidence that I have seen such as Seely's work indicates that 
they adjust only on the economic benefit of the source.

> >There is some evidence that a colony can and does vary their foraging 
> for pollen based upon how much they have in reserve, and maintain a 
> critical mass of pollen of about 1 kg. 

Seely IIRC said something like this.  However in Western Australia I am 
(I hope reliably) informed that excess pollen may at times be stored in 
the honey supers, which implies well above the 1kg. Peter D?

> >There is no evidence that bees decreased storing honey at any point, 
> and will store ten times the amount they actually need to go through a 
> single winter.

If there is no other room they will keep contracting the brood nest 
almost to nothing.

Geoff Manning

             ***********************************************
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

Guidelines for posting to BEE-L can be found at:
http://honeybeeworld.com/bee-l/guidelines.htm