>
> Seems if there is evidence that bee behavior can be contradictory with
> some external cyclic conditions, it may all be tied to
>  smell rather than diurnal or temperature differences. It also occurs to
> me  the variability could be genetics or epi-genetic response to the
>  traditional external triggers.


You're absolutely right Roger!  It's obvious that the bees respond to more
than the single triggers of day length, daily change in photoperiod, or
ambient temperature.
All of the above can be superseded by the occurrence of a good nectar and
pollen flow.  And the volatiles from the pollen could well be acting as
allomones.

And yes, there would be plenty of epigenetic responses, some perhaps left
over from previous generations.

The most puzzling to me is the cue for midwinter initiation of
broodrearing, during the period when day length is at its shortest (or
absent), photoperiod change is minimal (or absent), temperature is
consistently low, and there is no incoming pollen or nectar.

-- 
Randy Oliver
Grass Valley, CA
www.ScientificBeekeeping.com

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