> Do they really choose?
When given choices, they seem to show clear and consistent preferences, as
Tom Seeley has often illustrated for multiple factors.
But your question prompted me to remember this report:
"Use of Small-volume Nest Boxes by Apis mellifera L. (European Honey Bees)
in Alabama"
Prange and Nelson
Southeastern Naturalist 6(2):370-375. 2007
http://dx.doi.org/10.1656/1528-7092(2007)6[370:UOSNBB]2.0.CO;2
or
http://tinyurl.com/n8hgcqu
"Previous studies have documented that cavities < 10 liters are consistently
rejected as nest sites by Apis mellifera... During a study of... southern
flying squirrel ecology in Alabama, however, honey bees occupied a total of
10 nest boxes with volumes of 5-6.7 liters. These observations are
significant because they represent the smallest documented cavity volume
accepted by honey bees, and also because they lend support to the theory
that minimum acceptable cavity volume varies geographically. Small volume
cavities may be accepted in the southeastern United States due to milder
climates, a paucity of natural cavities, genetic differences in honey bees
among regions, or some combination of these factors. Consequently, there may
be increased potential for competition between honey bees and other
cavity-nesting species in the Southeast."
For the record, Seeley found a majority of swarms selecting 35 to 40 liter
boxes over both smaller and larger sized boxes when presented with a range
of choices, but I don't think he bothered with offering them choices as
small as 5 liters.
Does the anecdote reported above imply that swarms of honey bees can somehow
know/learn their local climate, and can somehow adapt their behavior
sufficiently to be less demanding in terms of cavity sizes? And further
"pass that knowledge on" to subsequent generations via some sort of
epigenetic modification caused by the "stress condition" of living a life
with mild winters in the south? And all in the less than 500 years since
bees were brought to North America?
It is not such an unreasonable question, this sort of magical thinking seems
to me to be the essence of every single effort to "select and breed local
queens, selected to thrive in the local conditions".
Or does the above simply provide evidence of africanization-hybridization in
Alabama in 2007, with AHB hybrid genetics being the explanation for the
disregard for cavity size similar to their AHB ancestors?
For perspective, 5 liters of space is 305 cubic inches, slightly smaller
than 16 x 20 x 1, (320 cubic inches) so that would be a "1-inch hive".
To me, this seems a suicidal choice for any swarm, regardless of climate.
(If a 6.5-inch medium can hold 40lbs of honey, the "1-inch hive" possible in
a 5-liter cavity would max out at 6 lbs of honey. Not even Sue Cobey's NWCs
can overwinter on such tiny stores.)
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