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Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology

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Subject:
From:
Jerry Bromenshenk <[log in to unmask]>
Reply To:
Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology <[log in to unmask]>
Date:
Thu, 17 Apr 2014 15:41:06 -0400
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Any chance of finding the results you're talking about Jerry?  I woulddefinitely be interested in the reading.JeremyWest Michigan

It's an observation based mainly on 50 thermally and contiuously monitored colonies over 10 years - it's just a footnote from what we learned using electronic (Smart) hives - you'd not find it specifically spelled out in our reports - although I have the data to prove it.  Most of the data appears in our yearly, highly technical, and difficult (sensitive military data) for the average person to obtain.

Bottom line, this temp effect really jumps out when a queen is suddenly lost.  Colonies maintain tight temperature control while open brood is present. As eggs hatch, bees loosen up a bit on how tightly they control temperature.  When all eggs have hatched and all open brood cells (larvae) have transitioned into capped pupae, bees get much more relaxed about tight temperature control.  When only adult bees remain, they more of less stop controlling temperature, except to protect themselves as needed from extremes of low or high temperatures.  

Our electronic hives always had digital weather stations running in parallel.  When the open brood is gone, we see the temperature profiles inside the colony following those of outside ambient air.   With big colonies, they are usually somewhat higher than outside temps, unless its a very hot day.  But, they're not making much of an effort to stabilize the temp. 

Also, in the spring and in the fall, as brood rearing is beginning or ending, we also saw temperatures inside the colony as being more variable and tending to follow ambient.  On the other hand, once there's significant brood in the box, the bees go to work holding the temp constant.  A colleague did 6 years of work with temp probes every 1 inch inside the hive.  He saw the same - unfortunately he suddenly passed 2 years ago, and I've got boxes of reports to try to publish. 

As per the effect of brood nest temperature on development rates, that was recognized and published by others years ago.


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