This thread on "swarming instinct" has held interest for many.  Permit
me to insert a new idea.

   Some of us who have engaged in migratory beekeeping, where yards of bees
are moved from one low elevation to a high elevation (and vice-versa), have
noticed that colonies suddenly moved from an area with little income into
an area with a sudden surplus of income often swarm almost immediately.

   For example, a high percentage of colonies moved from the California
Sacramento Valley (very low elevation) in late May or early June (long
after the swarming season in that area) up to the 5000 foot level would
often begin to prepare for swarming.

   That behavior permits us to eliminate photoperiod as a stimulus (same
photoperiod each place) and too little room (they have not yet began to
become too short of room).  MANY years ago I suspected that a sudden
ACCELERATION of income could be responsible for the initiation of swarming.


   As I understand matters, the Central Valley of California often has two
swarm periods during the season, a major one in early spring, and a minor
one late in the summer.  Both times coincide with the rather abrupt
appearance of nectar flows.

                                                        Adrian

Adrian M. Wenner                    (805) 963-8508 (home phone)
967 Garcia Road                     (805) 893-8062  (UCSB FAX)
Santa Barbara, CA  93106

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*     "We don't see things as they are, we see things as we are"
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