- Joined
- May 24, 2020
- Messages
- 2,775
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- Location
- Hampshire
- Hive Type
- National
- Number of Hives
- 20-ish
Normally bees generate moisture in the cluster and this will follow the same principle as above, leading to condensation on the exterior walls which the bees then drink
Amazing how all these ideas proliferate.
I can just see bees leaving the warmth of the cluster to get moisture,from a very cold hive wall, in the middle of winter. Can you provide evidence? Thought not.
Likely result would be another dead bee. Metabolising sugar creates water and carbon dioxide; honey is 15-20% water; even fondant is about 12% water. Bees don’t really need extra water, until brooding starts, as they are either resting or exercising to produce cluster warmth. So nothing ‘normal’ about it at all.
Most condensation, on the inner walls, will either drain away or pool at the lowest point. Bess retain water for cleansing flights - or the effects can be seen from nosemic colonies with dysentry.
Interesting. We agree on the movement and condensation of water vapour around the hive, the issue being whether bees drink any of that condensation (or need to).
I'm willing to stand corrected on the bees drinking condensation from within the hive as there appears to be a lack of published evidence to back this up (caveat: absence of evidence is not evidence of absence). However you appear incorrect in asserting that 'bees don't really need extra water' over winter based on this paper:
https://www.researchgate.net/public...s_Honey_bees_in_Scotland_seek_water_in_winter
So the rather acerbic 'I can just see bees leaving the warmth of the cluster to get moisture,from a very cold hive wall, in the middle of winter. Can you provide evidence? Thought not.' seems a little frivolous. Not only do they leave the warmth of the cluster, but they will even leave the hive to get water from an arguably colder source than a hive wall, which is significantly further.
Metabolising sugar produces water as a by product in every cell of every organism I can currently think of. Most of those organisms still need significant extraneous water sources to match metabolic and homeostatic needs.