It's Hot, Let's Hang outside for a While!

See all the bees on the outside! ( picture R. Wondra)

A few days ago, it was warm and humid in Chanhassen and the Russian honeybees were too hot inside their hive. They decided to go outside to get some fresh air!

This phenomenon is called: bearding, supposedly because it looks like the hive has a beard! This happens when it is hot, and humid, some bees beard more than others. This has more to do with the elevated temperature inside the hive, the number of bees present, and the space available.

When the temperature decreases the bees go back in the hive. 

It is like us, when it is hot we go on the porch and sit there with a cold lemonade to cool ourselves.

The bees fan their wings, bring back droplets of water to cool the hive, but sometime it is really to warm. If the temperature in the hive is excessive it could kill the brood. The average temperature in the hive is 90-95F (32-35C) anytime of the year!

Ventilation box on top of hive

To help them, I built a "ventilation box". It is a shallow wooden box 6 inches deep, and I drilled few holes around each side of the box , and stapled 10 square of mesh screen. This make some aeration for the bees!

I hope the bees like this new box, and let the air go through, and not put propolis to block the ventilation holes!