>
> Not at all. It's not what I'm saying, its what Mattila found. That the
> bees that became "winter bees" were those that emerged *after* fresh pollen
> stopped coming in, and the rearing of young larvae ceased.
>
I think the answer to the different observations might be the word "fresh".
There is still a lot of pollen on now dead flowers, so bees can still be
bringing in pollen but not "fresh" pollen- if that is the meaning of the
word used by Mattila.
Could also be the fact that pollen may be coming in but not nectar so that
could be another signalling device that there is a problem with food.
Certainly is in a dearth with Carniolan queens who shut down brood
production.
Bill Truesdell
Bath, Maine
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