TooBee...
Field Bee
- Joined
- Aug 11, 2017
- Messages
- 583
- Reaction score
- 2
- Location
- Ireland
- Hive Type
- National
- Number of Hives
- 2+ nucs
Over the northern hemishere in 535 to 536AD the sun was obscured and temperatures did not rise above 9c, with frost occurring during summer! That’s over two and a half years of effective winter!
Scientists broadly believe this phenomenon was caused by a massive volcanic eruption resulting in a Volcanic Winter (think Nuke Winter without the Nukes).
The climate would have been worse the further north you went, with freezing conditions during these non-summers, with it being less severe nearest the equator; there is some evidence that eastern / equatorial Africa was little affected – where the bees could have survived.
I’m no expert by far on bees overwintering abilities, but could someone here please explain to me how a colony could have survived this Long Winter; if they could not have, then it is safe to conclude that in the upper northern hemishere they did not survive.
Assuming one accepts the occurrence of this long winter in 535 to 536AD, explained below from Wiki
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Extreme_weather_events_of_535–536
am I correct in my conclusion that the bees died here in the islands of Britain and Ireland?
Here is a more complete documentary from YouTube, there are many other sources and even other explanations as to the cause of the extreme weather events of 535-536AD – the Long Winter, but broadly speaking it’s occurrence is not disputed, I’ve been aware of published scientific papers on this going back to the 80’s.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cKUz5Vjq9-s
and
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0JBdedLx-GI
Some bees probably could have survived for one extra year (this is before varroa), robbing other weak hives would have helped, and lucky colonies may have found a very warm hive in someones roof; with no beekeepers feeding them, only feeding on them, surely even Super Frugal Overwintering bees could not have survived for over two years (essentially three bad winters and two non-summers) under such conditions, could they?
On a less than scientific closing note, there is an Irish Legend of St. Modomnóc of Ossory coming over from Wales around the 540’s AD, and bringing with him bees, something which would not seem strange if the Irish Bee population had been wiped out! Monks with their ‘network’ would have been able to import / trade the bee skeps amongst themselves after the Long Winter had ended, presumably being brought from France / the Mediterranean, and up through England and into Wales?
Scientists broadly believe this phenomenon was caused by a massive volcanic eruption resulting in a Volcanic Winter (think Nuke Winter without the Nukes).
The climate would have been worse the further north you went, with freezing conditions during these non-summers, with it being less severe nearest the equator; there is some evidence that eastern / equatorial Africa was little affected – where the bees could have survived.
I’m no expert by far on bees overwintering abilities, but could someone here please explain to me how a colony could have survived this Long Winter; if they could not have, then it is safe to conclude that in the upper northern hemishere they did not survive.
Assuming one accepts the occurrence of this long winter in 535 to 536AD, explained below from Wiki
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Extreme_weather_events_of_535–536
am I correct in my conclusion that the bees died here in the islands of Britain and Ireland?
Here is a more complete documentary from YouTube, there are many other sources and even other explanations as to the cause of the extreme weather events of 535-536AD – the Long Winter, but broadly speaking it’s occurrence is not disputed, I’ve been aware of published scientific papers on this going back to the 80’s.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cKUz5Vjq9-s
and
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0JBdedLx-GI
Some bees probably could have survived for one extra year (this is before varroa), robbing other weak hives would have helped, and lucky colonies may have found a very warm hive in someones roof; with no beekeepers feeding them, only feeding on them, surely even Super Frugal Overwintering bees could not have survived for over two years (essentially three bad winters and two non-summers) under such conditions, could they?
On a less than scientific closing note, there is an Irish Legend of St. Modomnóc of Ossory coming over from Wales around the 540’s AD, and bringing with him bees, something which would not seem strange if the Irish Bee population had been wiped out! Monks with their ‘network’ would have been able to import / trade the bee skeps amongst themselves after the Long Winter had ended, presumably being brought from France / the Mediterranean, and up through England and into Wales?
