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Date: | Mon, 7 May 2012 08:05:36 -0600 |
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Looking at this question further, if applying N2O merely causes young
bees to become nectar foragers immediately (Ribbands), then it makes
sense that beekeepers might well assume that the old foragers had not
left the newly relocated hive and returned to the original stand because
they see no diminution in the number of foraging bees coming and going
the newly moved hives.
Having a good field force is important to the newly moved hives, so that
could be a good thing if the sudden transformation of the nurse bees to
nectar foragers does not short-change the nursery and reduce brood rearing.
The reduction in pollen foragers would impact brood rearing quite
severely in some cases I would think, as the loss of pollen foragers in
newly moved splits has set them back badly at certain times in spring,
in my experience. That latter observation is behind my concern about
moving new splits less than two miles and considering using ammonium
nitrate. (Now under reconsideration after the caveats received and after
achieving a better understanding [I think])
None of these suspected effects is easy to observe and quantify, and in
the case of spring hives, there may be a surfeit of young bees anyhow.
Some say a surfeit of young bees is a cause of swarming, so now I wonder
if applying ammonium nitrate smoke might reverse a swarming urge in a
swarmy hive with lots of room?
Or would a shortage of house bees ready to accept nectar nullify the
effect of getting the young bees out of the hive?
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