The effect on the foraging behaviour of honeybees of the relative locations of the hive entrance and brood combs

Abstract

Hives were provided with upper and lower entrances. When a hive entrance opened directly on to the brood area of a colony, a greater proportion of bees using it collected pollen than when it opened on to an area of the hive with storage comb only, and the proportion of pollen gatherers could be diminished or increased by moving brood combs near to or far from the entrance. Relatively more bees left than entered by an entrance near the brood, particularly when the brood was adjacent to the lower entrance. On return from foraging, bees tended to remain faithful to one entrance only, but the presence of a queen excluder obstructed the movement of foragers within the hive and, as a consequence, there was a greater tendency for the bees to change entrances in accordance with a change in the position of the brood. By manipulating the size and shape of the hive entrance it was possible to direct returning foragers to the brood combs, and hence to increase their tendency to collect pollen and thus their pollinating efficiency. A series of ten experiments is described.