Key findings from a three-year longitudinal study on the health and nutrition of honey bee colonies in the subtropical thornscrub biome of the Sonoran Desert in Southern Arizona, USA

For three years, we assessed the population size and nutrient composition in the tissues of adults and brood in fifty colonies placed in two separate apiaries in Southern Arizona. Colonies were assessed and samples were collected each month. Our initial findings are that the colony adult and brood populations, as well as the amount of pollen that colonies collect each month, vary depending on the year and apiary location. We also observed clear patterns in the amount of protein and lipid that adults and larvae store in their tissues, and the cyclical nature of this pattern correlates with colony expansion and contraction. We discuss the implication of these results as they relate to colony seasonal cycles, overwintering, and how beekeepers can better manage their colonies to prevent overwinter losses.