Effect of the uncapping of combs with winter food stores in early spring on the amount of brood reared in honey bee colonies

摘要

In many areas in Central Europe, rape culture is one of the main nectar flows for bees. The natural spring development of honey bee colonies is too late for the full utilization of nectar plants in May. It is recommended to use spring managements, which increase the amount of brood, reared in March and April, to obtain as many foragers as possible for spring flows. According to many beekeepers, uncapping of combs with winter food is a very good method of accelerating the development of bee colonies in spring. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether the uncapping of winter food affects the amount of brood reared. The research was conducted in April 2007 and 2009 in south-eastern Poland. In total, 54 honey bee colonies were investigated. Winter food was uncapped in half of the colonies, and in the other half no management was used. The comparison of development in both groups was based the measurements of brood areas. It was found that the uncapping of combs with winter food in early spring had no significant effect on the amount of brood reared in honey bee colonies.