On 14 Apr 97 at 15:00, Gert-Paul Walter wrote: Re: temperature > at lower temps. Also the inside of the hive must be much warmer than > outside at that temp range. As the temp goes down, do bees have less > flying time. Are they "warmed by the cluster" and are they then able to > fly for a short distance for cleansing flights etc. At what temp does > their flying activity fail to keep them warm enough so they don't make > it back to the hive? Gert Walter It always amazes me at the low temp at which bees will fly. Only today I was in the yard, topping up the pollen feeders. It's a bright sunny day, no cloud, but a real cold wind out of the North. With the wind chill factor I bet it was minus 2 maybe colder, yet there were bees in the feeder, and not just one or two. If the returns are good enough, then the bees seem not to care, or was it the sun which warmed them up? ********************************************************* The Bee Works, 9 Progress Drive Unit 2, Orillia, Ontario, Canada. L3V 6H1 David Eyre, Owner. Phone/Fax 705 326 7171 Dealers for E.H.Thorne & B.J.Sherriff UK http://www.muskoka.net/~beeworks *********************************************************