Exo- and Endogenous Water in the Honeybee Body (Apis mellifera, Hymenoptera, Apidae)

Abstract

The exo- and endogenous water content in the honeybee body was studied in relation to age, season, and the physiological state of the bee colony. The water content in the carbohydrate food consumed by the bees was shown to affect brood production in the colony. The behavior of the bees supplying the colony with water was investigated and the amount of water used for larval food dilution and nest cooling was estimated. Seasonal interruption and resumption of the reproductive functions of the queen were shown to depend on the dynamics of the water content in the digestive tract of worker bees.