Name: Anonymous 2009-06-15 15:34
Sup fellow beekeepers, the last thread went over 1,000 posts so I figured that we could continue here.
Summer is just starting so here are some helpful tips for keeping your bees cool, healthy, and happy during those hot months:
1. Make sure to apply a fresh coat of paint to your hive units. Lighter shades do not absorb as much heat as darker colors. Having a coat of white paint can lower hive temperatures by three entire degrees fahrenheit.
2. Position your hive properly. If you have a patch of trees on your property, place the hive on the edge of them, but not in the midst of them. It would seem to make more sense to place the hive where the most shade is, but being in the middle of a dense wooded area could provide navigational difficulties for the workers, and the hive production may suffer. You do not want your bees in the middle of a field either though. This will be hotter and prone to lightning strikes.
3. If extreme measures are needed, consider a misting machine on its lowest setting. This is only intended as a last resort to keep bees from overheating. Air conditioners and fans are out of the question, however: the wind they create imperils the workers' flight paths, and the sound may agitate your hive.
Hope these help some of you out. If you have any other questions or comments about bees/beekeeping, this is the place to do it!
Summer is just starting so here are some helpful tips for keeping your bees cool, healthy, and happy during those hot months:
1. Make sure to apply a fresh coat of paint to your hive units. Lighter shades do not absorb as much heat as darker colors. Having a coat of white paint can lower hive temperatures by three entire degrees fahrenheit.
2. Position your hive properly. If you have a patch of trees on your property, place the hive on the edge of them, but not in the midst of them. It would seem to make more sense to place the hive where the most shade is, but being in the middle of a dense wooded area could provide navigational difficulties for the workers, and the hive production may suffer. You do not want your bees in the middle of a field either though. This will be hotter and prone to lightning strikes.
3. If extreme measures are needed, consider a misting machine on its lowest setting. This is only intended as a last resort to keep bees from overheating. Air conditioners and fans are out of the question, however: the wind they create imperils the workers' flight paths, and the sound may agitate your hive.
Hope these help some of you out. If you have any other questions or comments about bees/beekeeping, this is the place to do it!