Brood cycle observations.

[Curly green fingers]

Hi folks, over this season I've paid particular attention to my brood cycles in my hives . Even to the point of opening hives on the exact day and seeing bee's breaking the cappings .. To me it's been a proper way of understanding my honey bees and it's been a lovely experience watching it happen . It's been an average of 3 weeks for each cycle . And this coinsides with my young bee's taking orientation fliets..
I have a question when autumn bee's are raised will the brood cycle take longer colder conditions ect ..
I hope I'm learning something as I love this hobby...
Cheers mark.

 

[Walrus]

From egg to new bee:

workers = 21 days
drones = 24 days
queen = 16 days

same for all weather.

What can happen depending on weather, time of year, forage etc is that the queen can increase/decrease the number of eggs laid each day. Doesn't change the brood cycle timings but it does change how much brood you see in the hive.

 

[drex]

Timings can change by a day or two dependent on temperature. Can sometimes be seen if you lift a frame of brood above the QE.

 

[Walrus]

Thanks, Drex - that prompted a bit of extra reading for me

I have now learned that the timing of the brood cycle does indeed vary with the temperature inside the brood nest but bees are pretty good at regulating this.

An early thesis by the legendary CL Farrar referred to this https://scholarworks.umass.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1890&context=dissertations_1 (pages 29-30). Farrar went on to become Chief of the Apiculture Research Branch of the Entomology Research Division, U.S. Department of Agriculture.

It was found that worker brood frames at the edge of the nest, next to the hive wall, where it is cooler, took longer to be sealed (sometimes 9,10,11 days) but that once sealed they still took the same 12 days until emergence. So although the majority of worker brood emerged after an average of 20.5 days some took up to 24 days where brood nest temperature was lower than ideal.

 

[Curly green fingers]

Thanks for the replys . I was talking about worker brood I should of been more clear opologies...
I'm on day 23 with one hive there's still sealed worker brood and the young bee's orientating has been not like I've seen this season this has got to be good ?
Thanks again drex and walrus