> In particular, I'd like to know if any of you have witnessed times when 
> the queen has laid eggs (drone or worker eggs) but the colony failed to 
> rear some or all of these eggs to the adult stage.  Under what conditions 
> did this happen?  Was it during a time when there was a nectar dearth? 
> When colonies had precious little resources?  Right after a swarming 
> event?  Why do you think that this happened?

Thought I would reply via Bee-L as I would like to see what others have 
experienced and what they have observed.

In Australia, I have seen beehives go out to a honey flow on Caley's 
ironbark (Eucalyptus caleyi) and within a week cannibalise all the brood 
both unsealed and sealed.  This was because Caley's ironbark is renown for 
having no pollen and plenty of honey and it was a dry year with no 
understory plants flowering.  The bees must sense that they have no protein 
source so cannibalise the brood to conserve their own body protein.  This is 
in our autumn (fall for the northerners) come winter.  The yield per colony 
can be good, up to 100kg per colony.  If going to Caley's ironbark, most now 
feed with protein patties and the hives will maintain about 3 to 4 frames 
with brood on them.

Trevor Weatherhead
AUSTRALIA
Coming to Apimondia in Australia in 2007? 

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