Cliffe Castle Bee Blog #4 2023
Today (Monday 24 April) is far too cold to attempt an inspection of the
colony. With the forecast predicting a “feels like” temperature of 4C, it is
not a day to disturb them. Imagine if you were snug and warm indoors on
a chilly day and the BFG came along and ripped off the side of your house
to peer inside and lift you out for a closer look! So, we need to be
patient and hold off until next week to make our first check of the
Observation Hive this new season.
How do honey bees keep warm when it’s cold outside?
When the temperature begins to drop (from about 18C), the bees in a
colony act together to protect the eggs and larvae in the nest
against the cold. To do this, they gather, between the combs (or the
frames of the hive) around the nest centre and raise the temperature
using the heat from their bodies. The chillier it gets, the closer they
huddle (a bit like penguins in the Antarctic). If the temperature rises,
they can move apart to let some cooler air reach the nest centre. In the
spring, when the queen has begun to lay more eggs to help the colony
build up in size, the honeybees need to keep the centre of their nest at a
temperature of 30-35C. This is the Goldilocks Zone (not too hot/not too
cold/just right!) to raise their young successfully.
You can get an idea of how a cluster looks in a regular hive from the
picture below.
Linda
