Great quote Dick!  Thanks!

Even with surface temperatures of 70c, it would still be a very hot 
environment for a colony to cope with.  Here’s a feral colony in the link 
below that was situated on a black top driveway.  The homeowner reported 
that the bees  were in a massive frenzy all over her bird feeder that was 
covered an inch thick with water foragers.  The water foragers efforts 
failed and the colony did suffer a catastrophic meltdown.   IMO, a lava 
field or a black top driveway would be an extreme environment for any 
colony of bees to cope with. 

http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/naturebee/detail?.dir=d450&.dnm=722c.jpg&.src
=ph

Most quotes on this subject are similar to the one found in Apis-UK Issue 
No.33 March 2005 (quoted below), where they state “air temperatures”.  It 
does seem unreasonable that air temperatures would be that high, but 
that’s not really an essential part of my point anyhow.

My point is that “a colony of bees needs water for brood rearing, 
liquefying stores and cooling the colony, I really don’t have a desire to 
quibble about the details, or the validity of other peoples quotes.  But 
thanks again, that's some nice research!

Apis-UK Issue No.33 March 2005 :
"Lindauer in 1954 placed a beehive on a lava field where air temperatures 
reached 70°C. The bees were able to maintain a brood nest temperature of 
35°C."

Joe 

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