The effect of the age of the honey bee (Apis mellifera L) queen on worker population, swarming and honey yields in a subtropical climate

Abstract - In a study carried out in the subtropics, we found that brood areas, worker populations and honey yields were higher, and less swarm queen cells were constructed, in colonies headed by 7-to 10-month-old queens than in those headed by up to 20-month-old queens during the nectar flow season. There was a significant effect of seasonal conditions on the number of queen cups constructed but not on that of swarm queen cells. Neither brood area nor worker population affected construction of the 2 kinds of cells in uncongested colonies. The queen's age and the season affect honey yields through the population level of workers.