Hi,
We have two, treatment-free nationals, both populated from local swarms. We
don't feed the bees. So, following the advice of the group, we have
super-insulated the hives with cork.
Both are doing well, and the bees have been flying throughout the winter on
warmer days.
However today, both hives had quite a large number of dead bees on the
ground in front of them.
I have sniffed the hive entrances (my test for everything!) Both smell as
they should, so I don't suspect anything too serious. A guard bee even
popped out of one to take a look at my nose!
But, if I wondered if anyone had any thoughts on what is happening. (I have
ask out of interest, rather than any intention to intervene.)
My hypothesis is that the attrition rate has perhaps increased inside the
hive because of the recent, severe cold snap we have had here (Leamington
Spa), and the bodies have simply been cleared out of the hive. Is that
plausible?
Best regards,
Mick and Kathryn King
On Sat, 26 Jan 2019, 14:37 Gareth John, <dmarc-noreply@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
For those of a technical bent, here
<https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/pdf/10.1098/rsif.2018.0879> is
Derek Mitchell’s new paper on hive thermal efficiency and honey yield.
The take home message is the better insulated the hive, the greater the
honey yield, which is good for the bees as well as humans who want to
harvest honey. To quote:
-
Desiccation of honey takes a significant percentage of the energy
delivered to the hive in the form of nectar for A. mellifera, particularly
in the northern part of their range where nectar is lower in concentration.
Typical values show that over 50% of the delivered energy may be used in
the process of honey ripening and even in exceptionally favourable
circumstances for temperate climates, do not use less than 25%
Gareth
