Finman
Queen Bee
- Joined
- Nov 8, 2008
- Messages
- 27,887
- Reaction score
- 2,023
- Location
- Finland, Helsinki
- Hive Type
- Langstroth
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We just handled the issue and the result was that a hive gets 240 kg honey.
Then I saw Canadian Honey Coulcil's calculations. Their bee makes 1.5 teaspoon honey.
But Council did not make difference, did a bee bring the honey from distance 0.5 km or 3 km. Or even 5 km.
My experience is that
- if a rape field is at the distance of 1 km, the yield will be half.
- if the rape field is 2 km away , and weather is moist (low sugar content), it will be no honey in super.
- Travelling takes time but much honey will be consumed as fuel
xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
A bee flyes 20 km/h. 1 km trip takes 3 minutes and another minute back. 6 minutes.
xxxxxx
When a bee goes to the distance of 3 km, traveling takes 9+9 min =about 20 minutes.
Propably the bee takes some rest minutes. And what kind of wind it has on its voyage and what temperature.
You can see that bees take last rest minutes beside the hive. They are more tired in cold weather. And working in flowers is slow.
xxxxx
5 km takes 15+15 min = over 30 minutes.
If the bee makes 10 trips, the tarvelling takes 3 hours. If foraging hours are 6 per day, half of the day goes in travelling.
xxxxxxxxxx
It has been researched what foragers do in the hive daily. They sleep there during day and rest quite much. We can imagine that if the working trip is long, a bee gets tired and it needs more rest.
xxx
We can assume what ever and imagine what ever, but these do not make calculations real. Too many factors and assumptions.
But you can see the result in honey yield. Honey in supers come in a shorth periods and those we call "flow". Bees' active period may be 5 months but honey in super comes perhaps in 3 weeks.
But finally, it does not harm what you calculate.
We have maximum 6 weeks period when surplus foraging is possible. Active period, when the colony has brood, is 15 weeks.
.
xxxxx
Working time in flowers compared to travelling
The more bees on field , the less nectar in flowers. How much it takes time that a bee gets it stomach full, and then back to home.
I have seen much flying that bees go out vigorously, but when it is not warm enough, they return home quickly. The balance hive tells, what they bring to home.
.
.
We just handled the issue and the result was that a hive gets 240 kg honey.
Then I saw Canadian Honey Coulcil's calculations. Their bee makes 1.5 teaspoon honey.
But Council did not make difference, did a bee bring the honey from distance 0.5 km or 3 km. Or even 5 km.
My experience is that
- if a rape field is at the distance of 1 km, the yield will be half.
- if the rape field is 2 km away , and weather is moist (low sugar content), it will be no honey in super.
- Travelling takes time but much honey will be consumed as fuel
xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
A bee flyes 20 km/h. 1 km trip takes 3 minutes and another minute back. 6 minutes.
xxxxxx
When a bee goes to the distance of 3 km, traveling takes 9+9 min =about 20 minutes.
Propably the bee takes some rest minutes. And what kind of wind it has on its voyage and what temperature.
You can see that bees take last rest minutes beside the hive. They are more tired in cold weather. And working in flowers is slow.
xxxxx
5 km takes 15+15 min = over 30 minutes.
If the bee makes 10 trips, the tarvelling takes 3 hours. If foraging hours are 6 per day, half of the day goes in travelling.
xxxxxxxxxx
It has been researched what foragers do in the hive daily. They sleep there during day and rest quite much. We can imagine that if the working trip is long, a bee gets tired and it needs more rest.
xxx
We can assume what ever and imagine what ever, but these do not make calculations real. Too many factors and assumptions.
But you can see the result in honey yield. Honey in supers come in a shorth periods and those we call "flow". Bees' active period may be 5 months but honey in super comes perhaps in 3 weeks.
But finally, it does not harm what you calculate.
We have maximum 6 weeks period when surplus foraging is possible. Active period, when the colony has brood, is 15 weeks.
.
xxxxx
Working time in flowers compared to travelling
The more bees on field , the less nectar in flowers. How much it takes time that a bee gets it stomach full, and then back to home.
I have seen much flying that bees go out vigorously, but when it is not warm enough, they return home quickly. The balance hive tells, what they bring to home.
.
.
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