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Author Topic: will extreme heat shut down queens?  (Read 1433 times)

Offline rober

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will extreme heat shut down queens?
« on: July 22, 2017, 09:21:05 pm »
I have several hives that have little to no brood & I have found queens in the hives. it's been over 100* here for the last week & hit 108* today. if I can't check hives by 7:00 a.m. they're not getting checked. it's too d*#m hot to be in a bee suit.

Offline eltalia

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Re: will extreme heat shut down queens?
« Reply #1 on: July 22, 2017, 10:10:59 pm »
G'day.
Locally we get these extremes of heat for weeks on end, colonies slow down
 mainly from days spent after 10AM cooling the hive body.
Water over coarse sand close by helps with maintaining some production.

Cheers.


Bill

Offline Eric Bosworth

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Re: will extreme heat shut down queens?
« Reply #2 on: July 22, 2017, 11:42:15 pm »
Do you have a flow in the heat? They could be shutting down in a dearth. I don't have heat like that so I wouldn't know but they can shut down in a dearth... Or perhaps it is hot enough that they can't cool and they shut down for that reason. I really don't know but it's a theory.

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Offline rober

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Re: will extreme heat shut down queens?
« Reply #3 on: July 23, 2017, 09:14:20 pm »
the flow is just shutting down plus we're in a draught plus the extreme temperatures. the bees are hitting my bird baths, hummingbird feeders & any moisture on plants when I water. I'm open feeding since it's too hot to suit up & they'll empty a 5 gallon bucket of syrup in 2 hours. I have a lot of bee friendly plants that are blooming & they are working those hard. it's supposed to cool off a little in the next few days so i'll check some more hives & see what those queens are doing.

Offline Eric Bosworth

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Re: will extreme heat shut down queens?
« Reply #4 on: July 23, 2017, 09:46:39 pm »
the flow is just shutting down plus we're in a draught plus the extreme temperatures. the bees are hitting my bird baths, hummingbird feeders & any moisture on plants when I water. I'm open feeding since it's too hot to suit up & they'll empty a 5 gallon bucket of syrup in 2 hours. I have a lot of bee friendly plants that are blooming & they are working those hard. it's supposed to cool off a little in the next few days so i'll check some more hives & see what those queens are doing.
I don't think I could live where it is that hot and dry. Don't get me wrong... I don't like the high humidity either but give me snow over 100 degrees any day.

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All political power comes from the barrel of a gun. The communist party must command all the guns; that way, no guns can ever be used to command the party. ---Mao Tse Tung

Democracy is two wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for lunch. Liberty is a well-armed lamb contesting the vote. ---Benjamin Franklin

Offline eltalia

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Re: will extreme heat shut down queens?
« Reply #5 on: July 24, 2017, 01:43:32 am »
Thing is with cooler climes Eric is one can use all variations of warming and _still_ be uncomfortable, same goes for bees I reckon.
However when it's hot the gear can come off and one can be quite comfortable, I write in my boxers, on the verandah, for a very pleasant 28C day ;-)))
The bees are on a small flow and going like the clappers, loving it!!
The waft of fresh honey being capped fills the air down the back, happy days indeed! :-)

Cheers.

Bill

Offline Acebird

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Re: will extreme heat shut down queens?
« Reply #6 on: July 27, 2017, 10:15:53 am »
Bees love it hot like most insects but a lack of food and water will shut them right down.  Bees that live in the jungle on the equator don't shut down because it is hot.
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