> So what is this question about?

To me it is both a personal and industry ethical question.
I personally do not wish to inflict pain or "suffering" upon any animal
under my care.

And I'm concerned about public perception of beekeepers and the products
that we sell.
So when the Guardian publishes claims that we are abusing our bees to
pollinate almonds, or that using Langstroth hives means that we are being
"cruel" to our bees, this affects our public perception.

I personally abhor the industrial confinement of chickens and pigs in tiny
cages for their entire lives.  This is far different from us providing our
bees a wooden hive from which they are free to leave at any time.

That said, it is clear that when colonies are kept in areas outside the
"natural" range of *Apis mellifera --* in which temperatures drop well
below freezing, or get extremely hot -- they would benefit from being
housed in hives with some amount of insulation (and perhaps additional
ventilation).  It's the details for the specific amounts (specific to local
conditions) that should be of interest to beekeepers, in order to provide
optimal husbandry for the livestock under our care.

Randy Oliver
Grass Valley, CA
530 277 4450
ScientificBeekeeping.com

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