In a message dated 12/4/98 2:25:49 AM Eastern Standard Time,
[log in to unmask] writes:
 
> The strange thing is that all of the
>  queen-right colonies do not have such great supplies of honey, only a
little
>  honey around the brood area, as usual.  So I wonder: Are the queen-less
>  hives working harder for the honey? Or do they have more honey because they
>  have no brood to feed?
 
    In my experience a strong hive that becomes queenless will temporarily
store more honey, and I believe this is because of the lack of brood to feed.
As workers die off, and the remainder lose morale, they will lose interest in
gathering, and/or not have the population to do the job, so there is then a
loss.
 
[log in to unmask]     Dave Green  Hemingway, SC  USA
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