BEE-L Archives

Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology

BEE-L@COMMUNITY.LSOFT.COM

Options: Use Monospaced Font
Show Text Part by Default
Show All Mail Headers

Message: [<< First] [< Prev] [Next >] [Last >>]
Topic: [<< First] [< Prev] [Next >] [Last >>]
Author: [<< First] [< Prev] [Next >] [Last >>]

Print Reply
Subject:
From:
Peter L Borst <[log in to unmask]>
Reply To:
Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology <[log in to unmask]>
Date:
Sat, 5 Jan 2013 10:51:49 -0500
Content-Type:
text/plain
Parts/Attachments:
text/plain (34 lines)
Sechrist, Sechrist. I remember him from the 1970s. Of course, he was dead by then,  he was born in the 1870s. This guy was off the deep end. He had this idea of increasing honey production by using electric heaters on the hives. The whole apiary would be wired up. Some folks took the idea seriously, too.

In 1940 claims for the advantages of electric hive heaters were
being made without data. Therefore, studies were conducted at
Madison, Wis., for 5 years to determine the effects of hive heaters
on bees. Three commercial hive heaters were tested against unprotected
hives and against protected hives without heat and
against hives heated by heating tape.

All hives consisted of three modified Dadant hive bodies. All
packed and heated hives were insulated on all sides with 2 inches
of insulation. Hives were also placed in heated boxes to determine
the effects of storing hives at various room temperatures. The use
of commercial hive heaters was discontinued after 2 years because
they were inefficient or had adverse effects on the cluster. 

Five years of tests show that colonies of bees in good condition
will winter at Madison, Wis., without packing or heating. Clusters
respond to changes in air temperature according to the degree of
their protection, but supplementary heat reduces this response.

ELECTRIC HEATING OF HONEY BEE HIVES
UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
In Cooperation With Wisconsin Agricultural Experiment Station
C. L. FARRAR, apiculturist

             ***********************************************
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

ATOM RSS1 RSS2