SEASONAL BROOD REARING ACTIVITY ACCORDING TO BEE COLONY STRENGTH UNDER ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITION AT MANSOURA DISTRICT, DAKAHLIA GOVERNORATE

The present work was carried out to study the seasonal activity of honeybee colonies in brood production (from March, 2007 – Feb 2008) at Mansoura district, Dakahlia governorate Summarized data are as follow.
The highest brood rearing activity was recorded during spring season, as sealed brood area attained 1219 and 1842 in²/colony, representing 36 and 38 % of the total brood production allover the year. While the least brood area was measured during Autumn, forming 13 and 10 % of the total annual sealed brood area in weak and strong colonies, respectively.
Two annual peaks of brood rearing activity were detected. The first and higher peak (473 and 744 in² sealed brood weak and strong colonies, respectively) was in April to be coincided with the flowering period of citrus trees and winter crops. The minor peak was detected in August to be coincided with cotton and maize flowering period.
The r value between brood rearing activity and both air temperature and relative humidity was less than 0.5, while that with photoperiod attained 0.614
Strong colonies reared significantly higher brood area (4596 in²/colony/year) than weak ones (3289 in²/colony/year).