>
> What about something internal to the bees as a signal for late winter brood
> rearing to start? At some point, if the queen does not start laying the
> colony will be lost from the winter bees dying off.
>

You and I are on the same page, David.  I've pondered this for some time.

>
> Fat body depletion causing a pheromone to be released that stimulates the
> queen to lay? Or a pheromone that changes with the age of the bee?


Unlikely to be fat body depletion, since only winter bees with developed
fat bodies would be expected to be able to produce jelly.  But could
perhaps be due to changes in the cuticular hydrocarbons as the bees in the
cluster age.

It's difficult to perform observations and sampling in the winter cluster
without seriously disturbing the bees.  But this is exactly what would need
to be done to answer your questions.

One possibility would be to insert a tube into the center of the winter
cluster in a number of hives, and analyze the volatiles being produced.
The initiation of broodrearing would be indicated by a spike in young brood
pheromone.  One could then look back to see whether a previous change in
the distribution of volatiles was predictive.


-- 
Randy Oliver
Grass Valley, CA
www.ScientificBeekeeping.com

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