Here's a copy of a mail I sent to my pal, the late, great, Dave Cushman, that is self explanatory.  


Hi Dave,
 
Can you help me please?  Today I was at a BKA convention and one of the speakers was Dr James Cresswell of the University of Exeter and his subject was the latest research on neonicotiniods. He showed a slide of maize with a drop of guttation fluid and commented that, although it contained neonics, it would be of absolutely no interest to  honeybees. I pointed out that some strains of bee collect dew at dawn and, in the break, he asked me if I could provide him with scientific references.  
 
I have it in my mind that non-collection is a characteristic of Amm while others from warmer climes do collect, presumably for hive cooling during the day, but I can't remember where I read this. I think it might have been Ruttner, but I can't find my copy.
 
Are you able to provide this information please?
 
Regards,
 
Chris

The answer was, of course, Beowulf Cooper, author of The Honeybees of the British Isles.  Quoting from page 22, that I have before me: "NON-COLLECTION OF DEW AT DAWN. Bees can drink from puddle margins or dewdrops at considerably lower temperatures than they can forage for nectar or pollen.Strains of bee from sunnier climates than our own get busy very early on a summer morning gathering dew, well before sunrise.. This behaviour is presumably related to conditions in their country of origin where water for cooling the hive as well as for brood rearing is likely to evaporate quickly as the sun rises and as the daytime winds rise. ......"

From this it would appear that those who favour bees of Italian or other southern European extraction are at greater risk than those who use bees from more northern climes.

Chris



 

 

 



 

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