3 Months Evaluation

[Psycad]

Salaam fellow beekeepers.

So, after installing 3 months ago a hive in Dubai port, surrounded by desert, a short evaluation.

Although in full honey flow : no honey yet. 3 frames are full of capped honey for 75 percent. But that’s maybe because I started with a Nuc and had to add blanc frames. So maybe bees needed the honey to produce the wax.

Could not find the queen yet but she is there

Hive was attacked by honeybird, death heads hawk moths, wasps and ants. No trace of varroa yet.

Bees bring in nice pollen. Virgin White, flaming orange, egg yellow.

Hive was open 4 times, got stung probably by a sick bee, must provide daily water. I choose eucalyptus as smell around the hive and wear some when I open it.

What a success.

All people in office interested. Everybody shares bee experience from his/her country (India, Pakistan, Belouchistan, Afghanistan, Kerala etc)

Seems they keep bees everywhere or harvest in the wild.

People start noticing when trees flower in the port and mention it. The facilities manager vilified now for having destroyed bee-nests on the premises in the past.

People discussing the absurd theory that world would collapse without bees.
Entered the hive as a green initiative and scoring good points

Now the problem will be to get the bees through the summer. Seems like most of them die in July/August/ when temperatures reach 50 degrees

Its very positive and a great experience so far. If we get them through summer, I buy a second one.

 

[B+.]

Now the problem will be to get the bees through the summer. Seems like most of them die in July/August/ when temperatures reach 50 degrees

You're charting completely unexplored waters Psycad. I can't imagine how you'd keep them alive in that heat (lots of shade?).

 

[Brigsy]

What an interesting story.

 

[must_dash]

Could you put a wooden 'shed' over the hive with a wind tower like the old buildings in Bur Dubai? Gentle sprinkling of water to cool them?

Being Dubai maybe aircon and electric doors..........

 

[Psycad]

The heat is on

Fellow beekeepers
Salaam

My hive is in the shadow. obviously or the comb would melt. There is a tin roof on the hive and that is getting VERY hot.
In August one does have frequently 50 degrees celcius (that is 120 Fahrenheiss)

As you suspect, we have AC here. And AC condense water. Since we are at few meters from the sea, all AC leak condensation water full day.

I consider diverting a water channel from an AC condensor and leak it on top of the hive. It will evaporate immediately and as such cool the hive.

There are in the hive huge circles cut out (with mesh to prevent intrusion) bees are full day fanning around.

Oh and I keep water under the hive to keep ants away. Bees take water from there a rato of 1/3 of a liter every day. Thats about half an imperial pint per day.

 

[Psycad]

Location

Beekepers asked me the location of the hive.
As it is difficult for me to imagine green meadows with fat sheep in it, it might not be obvious to imagine a hive in the desert.

My hive, is located in Jebel Ali. Meaning the mountain of Ali. Its Dubais port, roughly 40 km from old town.

Since UAE is desert, all source for food is artificial. Mainly landscaping around the business in port. So yes, a good biodiversity. Bad for the propolis (I think there is none unless bees take gum from the gum accacia)

But July/August is too hot for flowers.

So our honey flow starts as early as January and Ends July
It restart October November.

 

[Psycad]

Honeys In Arabia Peninsula

Another question is the honeys.

There are two honeys here.
The Sidr and the Samar. Both trees flower in different season, so its easy to have pure honey from 1 plant.

Pure Samar honey is pungent and believed to be aphrodisiac

Its priced around 75 Euro per kg. The one collected by local bees is extremely expensive since these bees dont collect much

Sidr
Ziziphus spina-christi (obviously we dont call it Christ thorn)

Samar
Acacia Tortillis

Here in port, bees live from nectar from landscaping. There are lots of feral local bees who live in landscaped areas. Reason is simple : lots of water, lots of flowering plants and higher biodiversity. Maybe enough to sustain my colony of Carniolans

 

[Brigsy]

Interesting!

 

[charlievictorbravo]

In the UK,some of us protect our hives from the COLD weather by covering them with a deep roof made of rigid polyurethane foam (various trade names - Kingspan, Recticel, etc.) to retain the HEAT inside. Something similar could be done in UAE to help the bees keep the HEAT out. They could still fan through the entrance or through an open mesh floor to draw in cool air at night and expel hot air during the day but it might give them some small advantage over a metal or wooden roof.

DerekM is the acknowledged expert on heat transfer in beehives but a 50˚C outside temperature is probably outside even his experience. He might be along shortly to offer his views.

CVB

 

[Psycad]

Thank you all for feedback help and suggestions

 

[drex]

Or you could use a roof designed as in the Warre hive, where there is a considerable space underneath the roof, and above the colony, which is open on two sides to allow free circulation of air. This prevents the solar heating of the hive from the roof.

 

[Psycad]

Or you could use a roof designed as in the Warre hive, where there is a considerable space underneath the roof, and above the colony, which is open on two sides to allow free circulation of air. This prevents the solar heating of the hive from the roof.

A great plan Drex

Since the local bees dont live in hives but make the comb in the open (might be for heat) fresh air circulation sounds like a good plan

Thanks

 

[deanrpwaacs]

Do you have a solid or open mesh floor ?

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[Psycad]

Salaam Dean Rpwaacs

I have a solid floor.
I have never seen a hive here with a mesh floor.

I was thinking about drilling 10 cm holes in the bottom and covering with mesh.

But we have lots of wasps here and they are constantly around the hive

If I cover the holes with small mesh : there will be very little air. And will the bees like this ?

I like the Warre roof. Its also very decorational.

 

[Zante]

Maybe a large feeder in the roof full of water, to act as a heatsink and to provide plenty of water for the bees themselves?

 

[deanrpwaacs]

If you could build an under floor entrance with a mesh floor it would help stop wasps entering and give good ventilation to the bees . Google Kewl or Dartington underfloor enterances ?

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[Psycad]

Thank all of you fellow beekeepers for the help.

Will open the hive next weekend and see how the bees are coping with the heat.

Salaam

 

[oGri]

Psycad, I'd love to see some pics of your Bees and the locale. I spent some time in Brasil and they managed heat with mesh floors and large air spaces in deep vented roofs. though nothing like the temperatures you are taking about

 

[user 6228]

There is quite a lot of research into Honeybees on the arabian penisula (1) . They even have there own subspecies of Apis Mellifera Apis mellifera jemenitica,
beware of large top vents as they need to preserve humidity in the hive(2).

1. Alqarni AS, Hannan MA, Owayss AA, Engel MS (2011) The indigenous honey bees of Saudi Arabia (Hymenoptera, Apidae, Apis mellifera jemenitica Ruttner): Their natural history and role in beekeeping. Zookeys 134:83–98
2. Abou-Shaara HF, Al-Ghamdi A a., Mohamed A a. (2012) Tolerance of two honey bee races to various temperature and relative humidity gradients. Environ Exp Biol 10:133–138

 

[MartinL]

Or you could use a roof designed as in the Warre hive, where there is a considerable space underneath the roof, and above the colony, which is open on two sides to allow free circulation of air. This prevents the solar heating of the hive from the roof.

Defenders destined for Africa had a double roof system similar to what the Doc describes.

I wouldn't bother with a mesh floor, (it's more likely to let the heat in) you're trying to keep them insulated against the heat + it might attract the ants / wasps. If you can't get Kingspan try wrapping the sides with tinfoil, shiny side out.
Some sort of well shaded vent towards the roof, (match-sticks come to mind)? Then a 25-40mm gap above the roof with heavily insulated overlapping shade cover. Again if kingspan [phenolic board] isn't available try polystyrene.

Then just ensure they have a plentiful supply of water to evaporate and cross your fingers!