Subject: | |
From: | |
Reply To: | |
Date: | Tue, 21 Sep 2010 18:01:51 -0600 |
Content-Type: | text/plain |
Parts/Attachments: |
|
|
I have had some feed drums out for weeks and the bees were there in fair
numbers even at 5 degrees C. -- not like when it is hot, but pretty
respectable numbers, and they would take a few inches a day.
Yesterday, after all the rain, I had thought I was smart moving the feed
drums under cover to avoid the rain (100 feet from where they had been).
Apparently not.
On cooler days than today, bees were in the drums every day, but today --
and it is warm today, but not really warm -- 9 degrees C -- there was
hardly a bee in the drums.
I was readying the hives for winter and found that today they were much
more difficult to work -- I actually had to put on my veil at one point!
Something changed, and maybe that was it. The foragers were idle.
I guess foragers work in cold weather, but scouts need warmer weather since
their work is more risky.
Foragers are doing a job that almost always brings in more energy than it
consumes, but scouting uses up energy and may result in failure. As a
result, when the feed was not where they expected it, the bees just went
home and stayed, evn4e though it was nearby.
Interesting!
***********************************************
The BEE-L mailing list is powered by L-Soft's renowned
LISTSERV(R) list management software. For more information, go to:
http://www.lsoft.com/LISTSERV-powered.html
Guidelines for posting to BEE-L can be found at:
http://honeybeeworld.com/bee-l/guidelines.htm
|
|
|