> Pete, do you not observe colonies completely plugging out the broodnest
with nectar during an intense honey flow?  Perhaps this would not be the
case if you had your hives stacked tall with empty drawn comb, but my own
observations (and those of others) is that this is a common occurrence.  It
would especially be the situation for bees in a natural cavity, and thus
likely selected for evolutionarily.

It's my observation, that even with ample supers the brood nest may get backfilled during a heavy flow. Since my flows can coincide with swarm season, I've always used it as an indication that the colony is preparing the queen for flight by restricting egg-laying.  But it's tricky to interpret because the brood nest can clear later that same day when bees move nectar around to a more permanent location. In my area, if the backfilling persists, the colony almost always start building queen cells.  

I've never considered that the colony would be backing off brood rearing to avoid a bunch of hungry cohorts when the flow stops. So if this is just another example of an emergent property that aids swarming or a conserved trait for the reasons Randy states,  in the end, the result is the same;  fewer adult bees in the colony. 


Bill Hesbach
Cheshire CT

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