Heatwave

[wessexmario]

brood temperature is 37C, so they'll be perfectly happy up to that, I doubt we'll get anywhere near that this week.

I'd suggest you check your source on that!

As long as the bees are on a nectar flow, there'll be lots of (cooling) evaporation going on. But nevertheless, no harm in ensuring that your bees do have access to a water supply.

my source was the old memory which is proving to be getting less reliable than the old internet-thingy.

ok, somewhere in the 33-35C range, depending on your source.

 

[itma]

As the forecast temperatures for Southern England ARE about honeybee brood temperature, this matters.


Bees generate a bit of heat from their normal metabolic processes - its part of how they stay warm in winter.
So the brood needs cooling BEFORE the external temperature gets to even 33.

Now, normal nectar evaporation takes up some heat (provides a cooling effect), so, as long as there's plenty of nectar coming in and its not too too hot, they'll manage fine.

However, if nectar evaporation isn't enough for cooling, the bees will switch to foraging for water to evaporate.
They can load up with water faster than nectar, and the load is all for cooling (no sugar) so water foraging can get them more cooling from the same beepower.

In hotter parts of the world, hives are often put in shade and/or painted white.
By reducing the need to divert beepower to cooling, more beepower remains available for foraging.

Our temperatures are (briefly) hitting the range where this sort of thing starts to matter.
Hence, during a heatwave like this (definitely not in winter) is one time when a bit of top ventilation CAN actually be a good thing. Evaporation plus top & bottom ventilation = cooling tower! So, if you were ever to raise your crownboard on matchsticks, it might actually be a good thing during a 30C+ heatwave. Me? I'm not bothering ... yet.

 

[beeno]

Make sure there's some insulation beneath a metal roof so there's not too much solar gain.

My thoughts exactly. Put a wet sheet over the roof of one hive yesterday as bees were hanging outside. They went back in after a while. No work gets done hanging around outside!

 

[Teebeeaitch]

When temperature gets to over 30 deg, with hives in full sun, I opt for the matchstick option (or larger) for my Warre hives. It really is not that silly if you think about it and pretty much standard practice with a Warre in those temperatures.

 

[user 6228]

As the forecast temperatures for Southern England ARE about honeybee brood temperature, this matters.


Bees generate a bit of heat from their normal metabolic processes - its part of how they stay warm in winter.
So the brood needs cooling BEFORE the external temperature gets to even 33.

Now, normal nectar evaporation takes up some heat (provides a cooling effect), so, as long as there's plenty of nectar coming in and its not too too hot, they'll manage fine.

However, if nectar evaporation isn't enough for cooling, the bees will switch to foraging for water to evaporate.
They can load up with water faster than nectar, and the load is all for cooling (no sugar) so water foraging can get them more cooling from the same beepower.

In hotter parts of the world, hives are often put in shade and/or painted white.
By reducing the need to divert beepower to cooling, more beepower remains available for foraging.

Our temperatures are (briefly) hitting the range where this sort of thing starts to matter.
Hence, during a heatwave like this (definitely not in winter) is one time when a bit of top ventilation CAN actually be a good thing. Evaporation plus top & bottom ventilation = cooling tower! So, if you were ever to raise your crownboard on matchsticks, it might actually be a good thing during a 30C+ heatwave. Me? I'm not bothering ... yet.

The issue in this weather is the very high solar gain of poorly insulated wooden hives. This is where the outside of the hive gets very hot (e.g 40C+ with 27C in the shade) in the direct sunshine and this heat is conducted into the hive.

 

[itma]

... So, if you were ever to raise your crownboard on matchsticks, it might actually be a good thing during a 30C+ heatwave. Me? I'm not bothering ... yet.

Just been for a walk round.
One hive (this one IS one of my few wooden ones, Derek), which will be in full sun for another couple of hours, had a small gang outside, fanning. Nose to tail on the alighting board, in a few lines radiating from the entrance - team fanning - "washboarding"?
Anyway, once I remembered that they are on the odd/old floor with no provision for an inspection board (so a full 'skirt' beneath the mesh), I did remove the entrance reducer to make their air exchange task easier.
And its only about 27 in the shade here, with thin high cloud to reduce the solar gain.

 

[daroco]

Had a walk around myself. No signs that they are finding it too hot (although temperature should peak at 4, so may look again later) but there is definitely significantly less activity that there was yesterday

 

[Erichalfbee]

Make sure there's some insulation beneath a metal roof so there's not too much solar gain.

Mine's left in all year round

 

[itma]

Had a walk around myself. No signs that they are finding it too hot (although temperature should peak at 4, so may look again later) but there is definitely significantly less activity that there was yesterday

Did you have a listen to any of your hives?
Most of mine "have got the aircon running". Not on full, just running ... but that does imply less beepower for foraging.

 

[Tremyfro]

Everyone can stop worrying now....it is much cooler today...dull and overcast...some raindrops...possible thunder in the air...heat wave....Huh!

 

[B+.]

it is much cooler today

You should move house. Its 31 and sunny where I am

 

[Hivemaker.]

Everyone can stop worrying now....it is much cooler today...dull and overcast...some raindrops...possible thunder in the air...heat wave....Huh!

Same here, been out inspecting hives since six this morning, thunder/lightening and raining much of the time, cool and no sign of the sun yet today.

 

[Tremyfro]

I am not moving again! I have moved house 20 times ...and I am staying put! I have made so many gardens that I have run out of steam! So now my garden is just grass...my daughter...who lives next door has made a lovely garden full of bee friendly plants...so I am off the hook. Although I did buy some shrubs for the Bee Yard....hoping OH will soon plant the last ones I bought! My beehives look so pretty...they are like flowers.
Nope....I will just have to put up with...incredible views across the Severn estuary towards Minehead in England. Still it doesn't deter my bees from making honey. I think the wind blows them back up the hill when they have a full load. I don't know where they were going yesterday but it was amazing watching them stream away from the Bee yard...and the constant streams of bees returning. I was wondering if there were beans somewhere.
One thing I did learn was that there is nowhere quite like 'home'.....wherever that is....family is the firm anchor.

 

[user 6228]

31C here... The bee are very active and still not bearding

 

[Erichalfbee]

Raining here

 

[Suzi Q]

Sweltering here, if my foundation had stayed any longer in the delivery van it would have melted. Had a tricky job getting it into the frames.

 

[beecology]

its sweltering here in derbys - no air at all, close and far too hot to be comfortable. wouldn't even want to think about getting in a bee suit today.

Amazing sight during a brief storm earlier, hail stones melting in mid air as they fell

 

[alldigging]

You should move house. Its 31 and sunny where I am

It's baking hot in Oldham today. Only second time I have ever been up to Oldham centre without needing a coat. I did have a cardi in my bag though just in case it started snowing.

 

[snelgrove]

hot and sunny morning, sea fret threatening offshore, then a violent thunderstorm bout 4pm, that's north east england if I had any to pull

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Had a tricky job getting it into the frames.

I'm lucky - I have a fridge in the shed where I make my frames. I just pop the foundation in there for five or ten minutes and it's perfect (do the same, but with a warming cabinet if I'm making up frames late wintertime).............have to be careful though - last time I did the fridge trick I popped my hand in there and came out with a bottle of beer - before I realised it, I'd opened it, poured it into a glass and poured half of it down my throat