Inspection temperature

[Beefriendly]

Are there deleterious effects to thermal shock ?

Depends what you mean or how you define thermal shock.....
Cooling down to ambient temperature takes a long time for a frame of bees...considering it is usually quickly examined and replaced back inside hive with attendant "warming" bees covering it.
Insect development is regulated by temperature....within limits the development time varies according to temp, lower = longer. Although subtle differences do occur when insects develop at lower temps. i.e winter bees....but this is a controlled lower temperature over a three week period, not a 10 minute lowering caused by an inspection.

 

[For want of a better word]

Depends what you mean or how you define thermal shock.....
Cooling down to ambient temperature takes a long time for a frame of bees...considering it is usually quickly examined and replaced back inside hive with attendant "warming" bees covering it.
Insect development is regulated by temperature....within limits the development time varies according to temp, lower = longer. Although subtle differences do occur when insects develop at lower temps. i.e winter bees....but this is a controlled lower temperature over a three week period, not a 10 minute lowering caused by an inspection.

Hence grafting in a nice warm room with the kettle on the boil.....

Time for a cuppa!!!

Cheers... or Yeghes da as they say in these parts!

 

[Murox]

Depends what you mean or how you define thermal shock.....
Cooling down to ambient temperature takes a long time for a frame of bees...considering it is usually quickly examined and replaced back inside hive with attendant "warming" bees covering it.
Insect development is regulated by temperature....within limits the development time varies according to temp, lower = longer. Although subtle differences do occur when insects develop at lower temps. i.e winter bees....but this is a controlled lower temperature over a three week period, not a 10 minute lowering caused by an inspection.

Definition from Merriam-Webster "a large and rapid change of temperature considered especially with respect to its effects upon living organisms or structural parts"
Personally I do find the rather cavalier attitude to opening up the brood nest rather concerning; then I might be a bit of a 'dinosaur' considering the nest as a "sacred" area and not wishing to cause stress or harm to a living organism.
You or I can quite happily be in a chiller for a few minutes in a T-shirt. Over time we recover from the temp. drop and our skin repairs itself. What is big if you are larval sized ?

 

[Beefriendly]

You or I can quite happily be in a chiller for a few minutes in a T-shirt. Over time we recover from the temp. drop and our skin repairs itself. What is big if you are larval sized ?

Same happens for larvae eggs etc, they all survive and develop into bees. Think about it....35C to any other lower temperature occurs whenever you inspect. The difference between say the "recommended" 14C and 10C is pretty small.
It has no detrimental effect on the bees, other than you get some adults snuggling up to you for heat. That is where problems can occur..... if you open up hives at much lower temps, like say around freezing....as one often does when adding fondant
My general rule of thumb is if bees are flying it's warm enough to inspect...many of mine where flying today at 8C with wind chill lowering temp to 4C....

 

[Beefriendly]

Hence grafting in a nice warm room with the kettle on the boil.....

Or as I often do... on the tail gate of the truck in whatever the weather happens to be on the day.

 

[Murox]

..... That is where problems can occur..... if you open up hives at much lower temps, like say around freezing....as one often does when adding fondant
My general rule of thumb is if bees are flying it's warm enough to inspect...many of mine where flying today at 8C with wind chill lowering temp to 4C....

A fool might add fondant like that. A beekeeper might have ensured appropriate levels of stores were available to the colony beforehand. Well its 8C today up here with a 35-40mph wind and it feels very cold and the bees were trying to fly earlier - but Im not going to open a hive up let alone inspect it in those conditions.

 

[Beefriendly]

A fool might add fondant like that. A beekeeper might have ensured appropriate levels of stores were available to the colony beforehand. Well its 8C today up here with a 35-40mph wind and it feels very cold and the bees were trying to fly earlier - but Im not going to open a hive up let alone inspect it in those conditions.

Murex, few (if any) beekeepers can judge which of his/her colonies are going to use up their autumn feed in brood rearing into the winter and then require fondant to prevent them starving. Perhaps a proper "beekeeper" should leave them to die because they weren't frugal enough?
Living where you do I suspect you might get your first inspections around late August time.

 

[Murox]

Murex, few (if any) beekeepers can judge which of his/her colonies are going to use up their autumn feed in brood rearing into the winter and then require fondant to prevent them starving. Perhaps a proper "beekeeper" should leave them to die because they weren't frugal enough?
Living where you do I suspect you might get your first inspections around late August time.

Carry on trolling.

 

[Beefriendly]

Carry on trolling.

Suggest you use some applied reason, rather than resorting to insulting people because they have questioned your "beliefs".

 

[Murox]

Suggest you use some applied reason, rather than resorting to insulting people because they have questioned your "beliefs".

Asking a question in order to solicit an answer for which you have absolutely no use or that is intended to waste time is the essence of a trolling. I can accuse someone of engaging in questionable behaviour without resorting to actual name-calling.
But does the troll ever realise that they have been duped by themselves ?

 

[Beefriendly]

Asking a question in order to solicit an answer for which you have absolutely no use or that is intended to waste time is the essence of a trolling.

The answer to the question I posed is very useful to those prepared to listen to logic rather than outdated dogma, mantras and erroneous opinions.
But as you appear to find the concept of not opening a bee hive until the mercury hits your magic number....perhaps best that we leave it there.

 

[Murox]

The answer to the question I posed is very useful to those prepared to listen to logic rather than outdated dogma, mantras and erroneous opinions.
But as you appear to find the concept of not opening a bee hive until the mercury hits your magic number....perhaps best that we leave it there.

Your original post was thought provoking. I have been shocked at how backward thinking many are.
I was referring to your later post(s) which i am sure you know.
I have no belief in magic numbers nor of twisting words so I look good.
A spade remains a spade.

 

[Beefriendly]

Asking a question in order to solicit an answer for which you have absolutely no use or that is intended to waste time is the essence of a trolling. I

I was referring to your later post(s) which i am sure you know.

I wasn't aware that I had asked any further questions.

 

[Murox]

You didn't .

 

[Beefriendly]

Asking a question in order to solicit an answer for which you have absolutely no use or that is intended to waste time is the essence of a trolling.

I wasn't aware that I had asked any further questions.

You didn't .

I'll say nothing, I think the hole is deep enough.

 

[Murox]

I see you have missed the point.

 

[simonforeman]

So all back to the original post, I have a question.....

I am away Monday to Friday this week.... last weekend when I checked my hives 3 were building up well and my plan was to check today before going away. It's going to be around 9 degrees and sunny and my hives are out of any wind.

I could leave 3 of the 4 alone as I think from what I saw last week they will be ok. The other is a 14x12 and was on 7 frames of brood mostly capped and bees across all frames. It had filled around 1/2 a super. With the temps going up this week while I'm away and the OSR already found by them my plan is......

Open and check quickly for QC and add another super to just this hive and leave the others alone as I can see through clear crown boards they are ok.

Am I ok doing this quickly in these temps?

Thanks

 

[Beefriendly]

Yes, fine.
I have some hives on rape that where exploding with bees...Will be quick inspection regardless of weather to assess any actions needed.