Distribution of Food Reserves in “Model” Honeybee Swarm Clusters

Abstract

“Model” swarm clusters, which display behaviour typical of natural swarm clusters, were used in the study of swarm food reserves. The food reserves of a “model” cluster were unevenly distributed among workers of two behavioural modes: active workers, which rapidly consumed food in their scouting activities; and quiescent workers, which acted chiefly as reservoirs for food storage. The absence of the queen from an unfed cluster affected the distribution of food, and also resulted in a more rapid decline of food reserves in the quiescent workers; feeding the queenless cluster negated that effect of queenlessness. The depressed flight activity from a fed cluster suggests that the amount of food reserves may influence the proportions of bees in the cluster that display active and quiescent behaviours.