Indoor Storage of Colonies in the Spring and the Effects on Brood Rearing and Swarming Behavior
Interest in the practice of indoor wintering has been progressively increasing. New purpose-built buildings are being constructed each year; spurred on by reports of improved winter survival. The main focus for the use of the buildings have been for storing bees during the winter months prior to almond pollination. There remains a big potential for use of those same refrigerated spaces for colony storage at times other than the wintering period. One exciting potential use is the forced reduction or cessation of brood rearing to improve varroa control. Preliminary data suggests it is possible with little or no reduction in colony performance. However the timing and specific effects on colony metrics remains to be studied. This report focuses on the manipulation of storage time after almond pollination and the effects on brood rearing and swarming behavior.
Brandon Hopkins is an Assistant Research Professor at Washington State University in the Department of Entomology. Initially working on the development of cryopreservation of honey bee germplasm for breeding and conservation, work that enabled the establishment of the world’s first honey bee germplasm repository at WSU and inclusion of honey bee semen in the USDA National Animal Germplasm Program. He also administers the WSU Disease and Diagnostic Laboratory, a facility that provides beekeepers with timely information on the health of their colonies. His research efforts have been focused on developing practical solutions for the beekeeping industry ranging from bee breeding to Varroa control.