I want everyone to understand that this exercise is me trying to apply certain simplified engineering/physics/bee biology principals and yes sometimes ask stupid questions :). The data that I am collecting is a cross-section of the hive as I would need many more data points, front/back, upper/lower parts of the hive to better “model” the information. The challenge with beekeeping is trying to figure what is going on in the hive under normal conditions (not in a lab) and as it is a very complicated system with many possible variables of which many we still don’t know of understand.

Every question or assumption I make leads to many more. Every observation and theory needs additional info to confirm/support it. The neat thing with some of the measurements is you can get a quick understanding of changes (I will be adding a small insulated insert into one of my entrances to see impact on Ts on the lower level of my single brood hive). It has so far had been approximately +10 Deg C higher than the outside temp which is worrisome because at ~-46C (outside) it was -38C about 4" below the lower edge of the frames. However, mortality so far has been really low in my 2 singles.

I am a person from the open source mentality where info/ideas need to be shared to grow and improve.

This exercise with some off list feedback from Randy and a few others is already making me think of next year’s setup and me applying for some funding to do the research but looking for some practical applications (e.g. Sacrificial condensation zones in the hive for major weather events to minimize risk to bees, extra front insulation due to "theorized" preferred location of cluster once brood rearing is done up here)

Hopefully you don’t mind me using BEE-L to bounce some of the ideas and concept off of you. The hive mind is way more powerful than keeping ideas to yourself. There are not very many beekeepers up my way really interested in digging in deeper into some of these questions.
Thank you!!

Randy,
I live in a cabin with potential CO guess from some of the appliances. My CO monitor is setup up in the loft where CO tends to accumulate at higher concentrations (lighter than air) vs the bottom floor. So my brain made a leap about CO2 and the fact that it was heavier and being contained in a small enclosure, that concentrations could build up.

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