Hello,

REPLY:

Colonies will NOT suffer equally in a nectar dearth.  There will be best 
performers that may be identified during ‘even during the very worst 
years‘.  Some colonies will be able to forage further distance, better 
scouting abilities etc.  The foraging strategy of a honeybee colony 
involves surveying the food source patches within a vast area around its 
nest, pooling the reconnaissance of its many foragers, and using this 
information to focus its forager force on a few high-quality patches within 
its foraging area (Seeley).  If these traits are not expressed in their 
genetics, it will often show at the colony level in the form of stress 
during times nectar dearth.  Traits affecting foraging and productivity can 
sometimes be difficult to assess during times of abundant nectar, but 
colonies that lack in the traits associated with productivity will be very 
easily identified at low nectar times.  IMO, this ‘makes bad years for 
honeybees’ potentially excellent opportunities for making critical 
assessments associated with particular traits of interest.  

No, a lack of food does not select for ‘lesser populated colonies’ in the 
north according to Seeley and Visscher because population affects colony 
fitness due to the colonies need to collect winter stores.  

“Worker population effects a colonies fitness because a larger colony is 
able to collect more nectar and store more honey during the active foraging 
season, thereby increasing the food reserves that are necessary for it to 
survive the winter (Seeley, Visscher).”

You suggest a natural selection during food shortages for ‘lesser populated 
colonies‘, which might be applicable for the south.  But the reference from 
Seeley and Visscher suggest quite the opposite is true in northern climates 
with lesser populated colonies less fit due to the need to survive winter.

If desired traits are not expressed in a line of bees, then IMO you would 
be better off eliminating undesired stock and selecting from the bees that 
have expression of desired traits in there genetics. From what I am seeing 
here in PA this year is lesser populated colonies are dieing off and 
suffering the most.  There are also production colonies managing a surplus 
and production colonies starving, so this suggests genetics and expression 
of necessary traits is playing a huge role also (at least that appears to 
the case here in PA).

Best Wishes,  

Joe Waggle 
Ecologicalbeekeeping.com 
‘Bees Gone Wild Apiaries' 
Feral Bee Project:
 http://groups.yahoo.com/group/FeralBeeProject/

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