What are the temperature limits a bee colony can survive at

[BKF Admin]

I was reading a book that spoke about the author seeing a beehive in an old oil drum with a 3 inch hole in the top that the bees used as an entrance and exit,the drum was in egypt so it must of got damned hot during the summer.

Whats the maximum and minimum a bee colony can survive at?

 

[iombeeman]

heat

not sure, but as long as they had good ventalation and plenty of water
they could stand the african heat.don`t think you would get much honey
the bees would spend so much time fanning and getting water!
iombeeman

 

[Finman]

.
One bee researcher wrote from Australia that they had 40C in shadow.
Mating nucs died all. Some big hives died or absconded.

In jungle it is wet and 30C. European bee cannot live in these areas.
Apis cerana like to have open hives. In Japan 20% of cerana lives inside holes. Cluster keeps 34C temp over whole winter.

Cold depends how long it lasts. Can bees move onto food to some other site in the hive. Food will be finish in their site and they die even if in some another corner they have capped food. Between individual fremes bees can die if food is finish.