Why Comb Rotation IsImportant:Tke Blacker It Is, Tke Worse It Is. Here s Wky.

摘要

Whenever beekeepers report problems such as premature queen failure, sick brood, or excessive and repeated colony losses, one of the first questions they should ask themselves is: "How old is my comb and what has it been exposed to?"Research has shown that old comb, especially old brood comb, contains significant levels of contaminants including pesticides, heavy metals, fungi, bacteria, and viruses. Any of these can be detrimental to a colony's wellbeing and large amounts will produce all of the symptoms listed above and more.Additionally, the cell diameter in old, heavy, black, brood comb can shrink from an accumulation of these materials along with fecal matter and cocoon silk left behind by each emerging bee. In a three-year field study at the University of Georgia, Jennifer Berry compared new comb to old, dark, heavy comb for brood rearing.1 It was shown that, "On average, colonies with new comb produced a greater area of brood, a greater area of sealed brood, and higher weight of individual young bees." Also, "Bees reared in old comb may weigh up to 19% less than bees reared in new comb" (Berry, 2001).