Skip to Content.
Sympa Menu

ocba - Re: [ocba] Moisture

ocba AT lists.ibiblio.org

Subject: Orange County, NC Beekeepers

List archive

Chronological Thread  
  • From: Randall Austin <ra41717 AT gmail.com>
  • To: Just Bee <marty AT justbeenc.com>, ocba AT lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: Re: [ocba] Moisture
  • Date: Fri, 07 Feb 2014 17:25:39 -0500

On 2/6/2014 2:54 PM, Just Bee wrote:
Bees make heat...bee heat comes from honey so they have to go through more honey to keep the brood warm. It's simple thermal dynamics.

But it is not informed beekeeping. Bees in a tight cluster consume less honey than bees in a loose cluster or not in cluster. It is better, resource-wise, for bees to be somewhat cold in winter than to be somewhat warm. That's simple apiculture.

The proof of the pudding is in the eating. My average winter losses over 10 years are near zero, and my average honey crop is near 100 pounds per production colony. So sealing off screen bottoms isn't detrimental to the objectives of beekeeping, and it helps reduce moisture build-up.

Randall Austin






Archive powered by MHonArc 2.6.24.

Top of Page