[Overwintering and size dynamic characters of Apis cerana cerana]

A systematic observation and research was conducted on the overwintering and size dynamic characters of Apis cerana cerana at south and west mountaneous area of Anhui Province in 1998-2003. The results showed that the center temperature of overwintering bee flock changed synchronously with the outside temperature. With the decrease of overwintering bee colony, its center temperature and relative humidity ranged widely, and stably descended. Overwintering flocks fed by old method had a high stability than that fed new one. Among overwintering bee bred in Autumn, the glands of work bee were in initial stage, the descending rate of colony was low, the bee colony kept in quiet, the forage consumption was small, and the colony kept in high stability. Cutting off offspring by imprisonment improved the quantity and quality of right age overwintering bee, and the age structure of each bee population was variable. Under new feeding method of Apis cerana cerana seasonal management, the skill of breeding right age overwintering bee flock and the cutting off offspring by imprisonment should be undertaken.