I came across this last year;

"A study on the relationship between the age of comb and the activity of
the hybrid Carniolan honey bee colonies in collecting pollen activity,
worker brood production, colony strength, and honey yield was conducted.
In comparison to colonies with combs aged 4-years, colonies with combs
aged 1, 2 and 3-years significantly exceeded in the number returning
workers, number returning workers with pollen loads, rate of storing
pollen, rate of worker brood production, and size of colony population.
Colonies with combs aged 1, 2 and 3-years produced significantly more
honey than colonies with combs aged 4-years (5.25, 4.90 and
4.65 kg/colony vs. 4.45 kg/colony, respectively). It can be
concluded that the foraging rate, gathering and storing pollen, brood
production, colony population size, and honey yield significantly
depended on the age of combs. Beekeepers can replace old combs with new
ones to increase brood and honey production."
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1319562X1930049X



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