What factor directly links to the overall predatory rate of the yellowjacket colony's worker force?
Answer
The number of female workers flying out each day dedicated to foraging
The efficiency and volume of predatory hunting performed by the colony are directly tied to the operational strength of its foraging force. Since the worker force is composed of sterile females entirely dedicated to foraging—which includes both hunting for protein and gathering sugars—the overall predatory rate scales with the number of these female workers actively flying out on any given day. If the worker force is smaller due to bad weather or population constraints, the delivery of protein to the growing brood will necessarily decrease.
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