It’s just a little too hot, don’t you think?
Is this the first time in history that beekeepers have been worried about how to do sf50 for their bees. It seems we can never escape talking about or worrying about the weather and our bees. This week saw us improvising to tray and sort out shade and protection. Certainly there was some discussion about keeping hives under trees which is generally avoided or closer to hedges to get wind and sun protection.
Perhaps we should have had a competition for the best on hoof shade protection.
Cardboard shade over a beehive by Steve Brown
Swarms continue though less frequent. Perhaps the most unusual one of the year for us was a swarm in a wheelie bin that was being used as a firewood store. The lid was down but a small area of damage leaving a small entrance was apparently just right for the swarm.
Frustratingly some of our swarm catchers learnt the lesson of putting a qx under the new brood box as they lost a newly housed swarm who did not like their new accommodation. Another conversation revolved around roofs. One beekeeper has some roofs covered with roof felt rather than metal. It is noticeable in the winter that the snow does not melt over the cluster as with the metal roofs. So less heat loss in winter, but what about in the summer. There would be less heat loos in general but what about extremes of sun, they do not heat up like the metal but what about heat retention. No one knows the answer.
We have had talks from beekeepers who raise the temp of the hive to high levels to treat varroa. Did the temperatures inside the hives this week give us a natural varroa treatment? As always with beekeepers like the words of the song “more questions than answers”.
Steve Brown