On Tue, 24 Feb 1998, Excerpts from BEE-L wrote:
 
> I think we need to remember that bees in the wild don't normally make as
> much honey as properly managed hives.  At least that's what I've been
> told.
 
Here's something to think about.
 
The primary aims of all creatures are survival and reproduction,
in bees -- swarming. Once a colony has sufficient honey for
survival, it sets out on its other primary aim. If we want to
produce honey and avoid swarming, it's in *our* best interests
to try and fool the bees into thinking that they haven't yet
reached that second phase. IMHO, they do much of their estimating
on whether thar are ready to swarm from the congestion levels
in their 'chosen' nest -- IIRC, bees prefer a cavity around 20
litres. By both artificially increasing its volume (supering)
and increasing the ventilation, we go a long way towards creating
the illusion that they still need more stores and are not yet
ready to swarm.
--
Gordon Scott   [log in to unmask]      [log in to unmask] (work)
The Basingstoke Beekeeper (newsletter)      [log in to unmask]
<A HREF="http://www.apis.demon.co.uk">Gordon's Apis Home Page</A>
Beekeeper; Kendo 3rd Dan, retd :-(; Sometime sailor.  Hampshire, England.