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From: "Peter Detchon" <[log in to unmask]>
To: "Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology"
<[log in to unmask]>
Date: Sat, 15 Aug 2009 10:36:37 +0800
Subject: Re: [BEE-L] Breaking the Silence

S'funny, but I always understood that field bees didn't actually
traverse the brood nest and fight their way through the excluder in
order to deposit their collected nectar into the super cells. My
understanding is that they actually pass their load to a house bee
somewhere in the vicinity of the bottom board or deposit it in an
empty cell in the brood area, then whizz off to gather some more. The
house bees then pass that nectar load between themselves, rather like
a chain gang, and in the process add the digestive enzymes (glucose
oxidase) and keep it warm to facilitate the digestion process They
then pass it through the excluder to a receiving bee on the other side
where it is deposited in the outside combs to benefit from air
circulation to reduce the moisture content. As it ripens and
concentrates it is then moved progressively towards the centre of the
honey storage area where the wax producing bees congregate to cap it
off. A very orderly and efficient process, far from the chaos that
Bob's post elicits when comparing to people responding to a fire
alarm!

If what I have described is correct, then what is the real reason that
propping the lid or using Imrie shims benefits the colony in ripening
the crop? Its not a practice that I use, nor have I witnessed others
using it here in Western Australia where it gets pretty hot, honey
flows can be quite intense at times, and bees do "hang out".

PeterD (in the midst of a hailstorm)

P

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