Artificial ventilation of the hive. Minuses more than pluses?
So, let's discuss this topic. And we start this discussion with the biological characteristics of bee life. 1. If there is a choice, then the bees always build a nest in the place with only one entrance. This is not only a safety issue. 2. Bees are adapted for living in such conditions. They know how to maintain their own microclimate. The optimum temperature for bees life is 22-28C (72-82F), outside the hive. 3. Bees accurately maintain temperature in the brood part of the nest. Accuracy reaches tenths of a degree. Overheating and overcooling of brood lead to its damage and death. The optimum temperature for brood 35-36C (95-97F). 4. In the process of thermoregulation, bees are actively using water. Therefore, this process should be called not ventilation, but some kind of "air-conditioning"*. Let's now consider how the artificial ventilation - natural and mechanical works... 1. The system of forced ventilation is unnatural for bees, as it creates a flow of air as such, that is absolutely not necessary, and is not natural for the bees. In addition to creating the air flow, such flow is directed in the direction opposite to the natural direction of ventilation of the bees 2. The flow of air in the hive - "tube" have the temperature of the street, that, during the heat close to 40-45C (104-113F) degrees, means that you simply fry bees and their nest. 3. You are fully disorganize microclimate in the hive, which the bees carefully maintained, causing them to produce extra work on "plugging holes" and covering up the nest with their bodies, that just is not conducive to an increase in the number of working bees on honey collection. 4. The flow of air in the hive - the "tube" makes completely senseless attempts of the bees to cool the hive by hanging water to cells of the combs. Wind blow out all cooled air from the hive. Bees fly without any benefit, bringing water to the hive and trying to cool it. Most of these bees could collect honey. 5. Violation of the air-conditioning system, which is used by bees, leads to even more powerful overheating of the brood part of the nest. The optimum temperature for growing brood 35-36C ( 95-97F) . When blown by a stream of air in the nest, the bees have to create a "crust" of their bodies, to protect the brood from cold or heat, which such air bring, spending honey and their life forces for this job. If you are blow into the hive with air having temperature 40-45C(104-113F) , that often happens in Texas and Oklahoma, then you are actually trying to fry brood. Bees actively counteract for this. Bees maintaining the temperature in the brood part of the nest with accuracy of tenths of a degree. The larvae are very delicate and hot air is just dry them. Trying to cool the nest, bees hang drops of water on the cells of the combs, but doomed to failure - the result of their work simply blown out from the hive. The only salvation is to create alive shield on the way of air flow and try to ventilate the hive, in the same way, bees are doing in case of overheating, but it does not help, since the airflow can be stronger than they are. All these bees, struggling with the hot wind in the hive, could collect honey. Furthermore, this leads to deterioration of the state of a large number of bees. 6. Forced ventilation system turns your hive in the outdoor air-cleaner. 7. In addition, electric ventilators, powered by solar battery, needs sun rays for its normal work. This means that it is necessary to put beehive in the sun without shading. And this is the main cause of overheating! So, to cool the hive, it is necessary at first to overheat it ... Strange method of cooling ... And what we are offered in the form of a plus - just a little faster maturation of honey. I think that all beekeepers should think a little about this question.
Keywords
beekeeping, apicultura, apiculture, apicoltura
Countries
Spain, United Kingdom, United States