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:
Allen Dick <[log in to unmask]>
Reply To:
Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology <[log in to unmask]>
Date:
Fri, 2 Apr 1999 21:57:55 -0700
Content-Type:
text/plain
Parts/Attachments:
text/plain (46 lines)
> >>> We are about to start an experiment with heating of hives
> >>> in the spring to increase early strength.

> Studies have been done concerning the benefits of heating hives in the
> winter.  In the 60's, commercial firms tried marketing hive heaters.  To
> date, every study that I have seen has failed to clearly demonstrate any
> significant benefit of heating a hive - although there also doesn't appear
> to be any evidence that gentle heating will harm them.

I think Farrar proved that heat tapes in winter packing to moderate the
effects of extreme cold periods were beneficial in Ohio.

But the question is not so cut-and-dried.  As with any bee question there
are a large number of complicating factors.  Some that come immediately to
mind are:

How long have the bees been confined?
What is their nutritional status?
How large is the cluster?
What is the state of their stores?
What breed are they?
How old are they?
Are they healthy?  If not, what diseases are they bearing?
How much heat is to be applied.  How?  where?
What is available to tempt them to go out of the hive?
What has been the weather recently?
What is the relative humidity?
Are they raising brood?  How much?  What stages?

Szabo showed that when the weather warmed relative to previous conditions,
his wrapped bees became active and exited the hives in considerable
numbers.  No matter whether the temperature rise was from below zero to
zero or from zero to 55 degrees F.  The internal hive temperatures were
not above clustering temp in most of the hive.

This is *not* a simple question.

FWIW, we unwrap our hives early so that the bees do not dwindle.  We are
currently 80% unwrapped and will finish in the next few days.  We find
that the bees will fly around and bother neighbours if we don't.

If we do, they are obliged to stay and sit on the brood and they last
longer into spring.

allen

ATOM RSS1 RSS2