# Fat Bees



## BWrangler (Aug 14, 2002)

Hi Guys,

I'm just getting around to reading about 6 months worth of bee mags after my move from Casper, Wy to Boynton Beach, Fl.

Randy Oliver's articles about 'Fat Bees' in both US bee mags are well worth the reading. The distribution, storage and use of protein inside a colony has been know intuitively by most beekeepers, especially queen rearers, for some time.

But what I find most interesting is how fast the vitellogenin levels can decrease. And how long it takes the bees to recover when depleted.

A top bar hive(tbh) has only a limited capacity for bee management and almost no vertical management potential. Depending on flow conditions, the total amount of honey can be reduced when compared to Langs.

But a tbh's limited vertical management potential also has a positive side. The bees stay in balance with their resources. See my tbh observations at 

http://bwrangler.litarium.com/seasonal-bee-size/

Colony strength and effort isn't stimulated beyond what the colony needs to thrive and reproduce. Except under the worst conditions, I suspect the bees are fatter. And really get fat when preparing for winter, as they shut down sooner, with smaller clusters, regardless of flow conditions.

It appears hives designs and management, that stimulates foraging beyond that point, only deplete vitellogenin levels and negatively impact colony health and survival.

My tbhs would shut down by mid August. That's almost two brood cycles before the killing frost.

My small cell Langs would shut down by the third week of October, almost two brood cycles after the killing frost.

Balanced colony nutrition could be a primary factor along with clean comb and a proper broodnest structure, why my top bar hive bees are essentially disease free, overwinter great, are survivors and have fewer queen problems than my Langs. 

If you are pushing your hives beyond that natural shut down point, it's probably necessary to supplement their protein levels or colony health will suffer.

Regards
Dennis


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