>Could be as simple as dark colors are warmed in spring resulting in a week or two earlier brooding resulting in better populations for the spring flow.

Dark colours are also better radiators, so a dark hive should, in theory, also lose heat more quickly.



While this is 100% correct,  there is the detail of starting point of the day.  In cooler climates (below hive temps)  dark hives in full sun will get bees flying sooner in the day.  That correlates to a lot of extra hours of flight time.

Just got back from CA,  cool weather in the almonds, very cool  bees not moving till noonish.  Bees in full sun were okay,  hives deeper in the orchards or on the shade sides were pretty much all light on stores.   Sample of a few thousand,  trend was very obvious.


Charles

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