a randy oliver snip 

Once a colony reaches a certain size and is full of sealed brood and
beebread, what other reason is there for it to exist, other than to attempt
to reproduce (via the issuance of drones and swarms), even if the chance of
one of those drones mating or of the swarm surviving is small?

>well what you are describing is good nutritional background and a growth spurt and basically the ultimate cause for the short term outcome.  one might suspect that bees can recognized length of day (and season maybe???) but you might also suspect like most animals they do not perceive risk (basically a probability distribution of possible outcomes). I am guessing here but this > what other reason is there for it to exist, other than to attempt to reproduce) would get you some sharp question from my now retired phd wife (animal behavior) if you made this comment in her class.  sound to me a bit anthropomorphic.... function is the key and not some human manufactured cause or purpose.

Gene in Central Texas  

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