> Do Oz bees at least dip the egg laying rate in winter, even if they do not
stop altogether?  Does the old lady not get even a partial rest? 


My experience is it depends on what is flowering.  Where I live, in winter
the queen can stop laying all together with no capped brood present if the
condition go off e.g. no nectar or pollen coming in.  However, in a wet year
with some nectar and pollen they will keep from 2 to 4 frames of brood.

We can see bees on a honey flow in winter as Randy can attest to with good
brood.

Have seen bees in April/May, our autumn which north Americans call fall, go
to a honey flow, which was pollen deficient, and the bees cannibalised all
the brood within two weeks and the queen stopped laying.

If they want some Aussie beekeepers can be on a honey flow for almost 12
months of the year, unfortunately not this year.

Trevor Weatherhead
Australia

 

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