Development of honey bee colonies initiated from package bees on the northern Great Plains of North America

Seasonal changes in the growth and development of honey bee colonies initiated from 0.9 kg packages with mated queens were assessed in south central Manitoba, Canada, at twelve day intervals from late April until early December over two consecutive years, using the Harris Population Estimation Methodology (Harris, 1985). Changes in brood production, worker bee populations and colony demographics were monitored and related to the environmental factors most likely to be responsible for producing the observed changes. In addition, particular emphasis was given to the timing and development of colonies to be over wintered. Only workers emerging after the last week of August formed the over wintering colony population, with most of these workers emerging in September and early October.