Brood-Rearing Efficiency and Absconding in Indian Honeybees

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Abstract
Summary The population of colonies, and their honey production, depend very much upon the efficiency of brood production. Brood of Apis cerana indica in India was very scattered. An irregular pattern of egg laying by the queens was a contributory factor, but the main cause of the scattered brood was that the number of eggs laid gave rise to more larvae than the bees could rear. During the main period of nectar flow about 95% of larvae were sealed. During a moderate intake of nectar and pollen the bees reared about 70% of larvae to 4 days, but only 50% were sealed. During a dearth of nectar and pollen the queens continued to lay, but the worker bees ate all the larvae, and no brood was reared. Absconding colonies left viable eggs in the combs. Because of these low and variable levels of brood-rearing efficiency, it is impossible to calculate the daily oviposition rate of a queen from the amount of brood present in a colony. Observations in brood rearing in Apis florea and Apis dorsata are included.