How a honey bee colony mustered additional labor for the task of pollen foraging

Abstract

-This study examined how a honey bee colony supplied additional labor for a foraging task, pollen collection, when the demand for this task was increased. When we experimentally raised a colony's pollen need from one day to the next, we found that the colony boosted the labor devoted to pollen collecting (measured in terms of the number of pollen collection trips per day, P) by a factor of 24.8. The number of pollen foragers (N) was increased (by recruiting and task switching) by a factor of 12.4, while the number of collecting trips per pollen forager per day (T) was increased by a factor of 2.0 (note that P = N × T). The increase in number of pollen foragers was produced mostly (73%) by the recruiting of non-foragers to the task and to a smaller extent (27%) by the switching of non-pollen foragers to the task.foraging / pollen collection / recruitment / task switching / work tempo

A scientific note on honey bee foraging activity and airborne pollen flow

“…Most studies on this topic have focused on the colony's response to stimuli located within the nest, principally the amount of brood and stored pollen (Hrassnigg and Crailsheim, 1998;Dreller et al, 1999;Fewell and Bertram, 1999;Rotjan et al, 2002;Vaughan and Calderone, 2002). One area that has not received adequate attention is the relationship between pollen collection and its availability in the natural environment.…”

Inner nest homeostasis in a changing environment with special emphasis on honey bee brood nursing and pollen supply

“…Many studies have shown that honey bee colonies regulate their pollen foraging according to the current colony demand (Moeller, 1972). When the colony is in need of pollen, a greater fraction of foragers collects pollen (Barker, 1971;Webster et al, 1985;Rotjan et al, 2002). With higher amounts of unsealed brood (which cause a huge pollen demand), foraging gets intensified (Filmer, 1932;Al-Tikrity et al, 1972), and there is a positive correlation between the amount of stored pollen and the amount of brood that is reared (Allen and Jeffree, 1956).…”

Influence of environmental and colony factors on the initial commodity choice of foragers of the stingless bee Plebeia tobagoensis (Hymenoptera, Meliponini)

“…In principle, there are three ways in which social bee colonies can change the foraging effort devoted to a particular foraging task; 1) recruit non-foragers to the task (including novice foragers), 2) reallocate active foragers (individual switching), and 3) intensify the activity of foragers already working on the task to work harder (Anderson and Ratnieks, 1999;Rotjan et al, 2002). Honeybee colonies exposed to a sudden decrease in pollen stores provide additional labour for pollen foraging, mainly by recruiting non-foragers (Fewell and Bertram, 1999;Rotjan et al, 2002) and by increasing individual foraging activity (Fewell and Winston, 1992).…”

“…The degree of pollen storage, for example, is known to affect both the number of pollen foragers as the activity of individuals (Biesmeijer et al, 1999;Camazine, 1993;Fewell and Winston, 1992;Rotjan et al, 2002). It is not known, however, if and to what extend this factor influences the initial commodity choice of foragers.…”