Summary
The reproductive rate of unmanaged European honeybee races was studied in Kansas, U.S.A. Colonies produced a mean of 3.6 daughter colonies per original queen during one year. This high reproductive rate was largely due to the frequent occurrence of afterswarms, a factor not adequately considered in previous studies. The rate of afterswarming was influenced by at least two factors: the amount of sealed brood (pupae) in the colony and the season when swarming occurred. Factors which may influence the survival and subsequent reproduction of prime swarms and afterswarms are discussed.
Resume
Le taux de reproduction d'abeilles de races européennes non domestiquées a été étudié dans le Kansas (U.S.A.). Chaque colonie avec la même reine a produit 3,6 coloniesfilles en moyenne pendant un an. Ce taux de reproduction élevé est essentiellement dû à des essaims secondaires; ce facteur n'a pas été suffisamment considéré jusqu'à présent. Le taux d'essaimage secondaire est influencé par au moins deux facteurs: la quantité de couvain operculé dans la colonie et la saison où l'essaimage se produit. Nous discutons aussi les facteurs qui peuvent affecter la survie et la reproduction des essaims primaires et secondaires.
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Contribution 1735 from the Dept. of Entomology, University of Kansas, Lawrence, Kansas 66045 U.S.A.
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Winston, M.L. Swarming, afterswarming, and reproductive rate of unmanaged honeybee colonies (Apis mellifera). Ins. Soc 27, 391–398 (1980). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02223731
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02223731