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Subject:
From:
"Alden P. Marshall" <[log in to unmask]>
Reply To:
Discussion of Bee Biology <[log in to unmask]>
Date:
Tue, 3 Mar 1998 15:11:50 -0500
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On Sat, 28 Feb 1998 14:14:13 -0600 "Excerpts from BEE-L"
<[log in to unmask]> writes:
>Reply-to:      Discussion of Bee Biology <[log in to unmask]>
>From:          Gordon Scott <[log in to unmask]>
>
>> I think we need to remember that bees in the wild don't normally
>make as
>> much honey as properly managed hives.  At least that's what I've
>been told.
>
>Here's something to think about.
>
>The primary aims of all creatures are survival and reproduction, in
>bees --
>swarming. Once a colony has sufficient honey for survival, it sets out
>on its
>other primary aim. If we want to produce honey and avoid swarming,
>it's in
>*our* best interests to try and fool the bees into thinking that they
>haven't
>yet reached that second phase.
>
>IMHO, they do much of their estimating on whether thar are ready to
>swarm
>from the congestion levels in their 'chosen' nest -- IIRC, bees prefer
>a
>cavity around 20 litres. By both artificially increasing its volume
>(supering) and increasing the ventilation, we go a long way towards
>creating
>the illusion that they still need more stores and are not yet ready to
>swarm.
>
        Perhapsthe removal of surplus in advance would be a considerat
part of this equation?
 
Alden Marshall
B-Line Apiaries
Hudson, NH 03051
[log in to unmask]
tel. 603-883-6764
 
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