Hive Observations

[user 6228]

They fried in the sun if they looked over the top bars when the crown board was lifted, any kind of hive,yes local bees....still had varroa problems though.

Hypothesis: Stressed bees are more likely to succumb to Varroa, and other pathogens... just its "too much heat" stress in this case as opposed to our ussual " heat lost" stress

I dont know, but my argument is that these simple dogmas that are taught are not universally applicable if at all.

 

[Hivemaker.]

So if they are too hot they may have less varroa, but the heat stresses them and they die from varroa infestation, because the heat does not kill enough mites, but only when they pop their heads above the frames.

 

[Anduril]

The all year use of an open wire mesh floor should result in a reduced reproduction of Varroa due to an earlier stop of brood rearing in autumn and a later start in spring. This is what I was told during my first beekeeping course in Germany back in 1988.
If strong colonies are overwintered on double brood boxes temperature regulation should not be a problem. The bees are 'heating' the cluster, not the 'hive'....

Regards
Reiner

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/m/pubmed/14581592/?i=2&from=/17976654/related
If they had to heat the hive more stores would be consumed. Heating the cluster is more efficient. Research 2003 and 2008

 

[user 6228]

So if they are too hot they may have less varroa, but the heat stresses them and they die from varroa infestation, because the heat does not kill enough mites, but only when they pop their heads above the frames.

I think the upper temperature limits to the increases in bee hygiene and the temperature related reductions in mite reproduction are not directly applicable to one the most Northerly natural ranges of the honey bee. i.e. the British Isles

 

[beekeeping4you]

Hi,
Is it too early now to take the insert out from the OMF?

Hi Carmel,
When did you put it in?

Regards
Reiner

 

[Hivemaker.]

I think the upper temperature limits to the increases in bee hygiene and the temperature related reductions in mite reproduction are not directly applicable to one the most Northerly natural ranges of the honey bee. i.e. the British Isles

The higher temperature does certainly not seem to have much effect on reduction of mites in hot countries, cold winters here do though, not that varroa is that much of a problem anyway, managed quite well with them for over 20 years now.

 

[user 6228]

The higher temperature does certainly not seem to have much effect on reduction of mites in hot countries, cold winters here do though, not that varroa is that much of a problem anyway, managed quite well with them for over 20 years now.

which hot countries make extensive use of polystyrene hives

 

[user 6228]

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/m/pubmed/14581592/?i=2&from=/17976654/related
If they had to heat the hive more stores would be consumed. Heating the cluster is more efficient. Research 2003 and 2008

No it depends on the relative thermal conductance of the hive to the bees. if the hive is has a low enough conductance they dont need to cluster at all,

This research you are citing does it refer to highly insulated hives,wooden one or fixed temperature environments?

 

[Hivemaker.]

which hot countries make extensive use of polystyrene hives

Quite a lot use them nowadays, depends on what you mean by extensive, everyone.

 

[user 6228]

Quite a lot use them nowadays, depends on what you mean by extensive, everyone.

Can you direct me to some internet resources on this

 

[Hivemaker.]

Can you direct me to some internet resources on this

Yes, ask Norton, he uses them in Cyprus, they are also used by some in Australia,there is a thread on this forum which talks about them.

 

[beekeeping4you]

This research you are citing does it refer to highly insulated hives,wooden one or fixed temperature environments?

What is a "fixed temperature environment"....?

Regards
Reiner

 

[user 6228]

What is a "fixed temperature environment"....?

Regards
Reiner

where the ambient temperature is under the control of the experimenter

 

[Hivemaker.]

This research you are citing does it refer to highly insulated hives,wooden one or fixed temperature environments?

where the ambient temperature is under the control of the experimenter

Why don't you just simply read the full text, and then you would know.

http://jeb.biologists.org/content/206/23/4217.long

 

[beekeeping4you]

Why don't you just simply read the full text, and then you would know.

http://jeb.biologists.org/content/206/23/4217.long

Had a look at that and found that I've seen it already some time ago, but to me so far this was the interesting part:

"...We report here an additional, newly observed heating strategy where heating bees enter empty cells between sealed brood cells and remain there motionless for periods of up to 45 min."

The above led to a new interpretation of empty brood cells as not being an indication/effect of inbreeding or low quality of the queen bee.

Regards
Reiner

 

[Hivemaker.]

The above led to a new interpretation of empty brood cells as not being an indication/effect of inbreeding or low quality of the queen bee.
Regards
Reiner

I understand what you mean Reiner, but it would obviously depend on the degree/extent of inbreeding i would say, as a daughter raised from the inbred line, but mated to a wide selection of different drone lines, or inseminated with homogenized semen from many drones, could have nearly solid frames of brood, with very few empty cells.

 

[itma]

...
The above led to a new interpretation of empty brood cells as not being an indication/effect of inbreeding or low quality of the queen bee.

Isn't the modern idea that having some empty cells (for 'heater bees') is perfectly normal, but that one possible cause of extra empty cells in the brood pattern can be due to inbreeding?

 

[beekeeping4you]

I understand what you mean Reiner, but it would obviously depend on the degree/extent of inbreeding i would say, as a daughter raised from the inbred line, but mated to a wide selection of different drone lines, or inseminated with homogenized semen from many drones, could have nearly solid frames of brood, with very few empty cells.

Good to hear, this means I can counteract possible effects of inbreeding with my Schley-equipment and a tube of homogenized semen from Juergen Brausse? There's light at the end of the tunnel for some guys here in Ireland!
We are going , there is another forum for this type of talk...
Regards
Reiner