![]() ![]() They position themselves in layers with the outside layer of bees oriented inward toward the middle of the cluster. To most effectively conserve heat and maintain the brood nest temperature, bees will start to cluster around the brood area when the ambient temperature drops down to around 57☏ (14☌). This often includes adding propolis around the entrance to reduce the size of the opening to cut down on drafts and make it easier to defend. The propolis is used it to plug up cracks and holes where air and light passes into and out of the nest cavity. ![]() cottonwood, poplar, birch and beech) and form it into propolis. In a similar manner, bees will gather the resins from deciduous trees (e.g. Weatherizing a home for optimum efficiency provides the biggest bang for the buck when it comes to cold weather comfort. For larger gaps we often use spray foam insulation. Our heating bills can be greatly reduced with the well-placed application of caulk or weather stripping around windows, doors, plumbing pipes and other cracks in a building’s envelope where air leaks through. Just like humans, during extreme cold temperatures honey bees rely on several heating strategies to thermoregulate their dwellings at the optimum temperature. Research has demonstrated that a honey bee cluster must maintain a temperature within a range of about 90☏-97☏ (32☌-36☌) to ensure brood survival (Heinrich 1981). Unlike solitary native bees that hibernate, the Western or European honey bee (Apis mellifera) has evolved to be able to thermoregulate the hive interior in order to survive extreme cold weather. First, let’s take a look at how the bees prepare for Winter. This all sounds reasonable as long as you don’t consider the issue too closely. ![]() The thinking is that the bees need help retaining heat inside the hive in order to survive the cold since wild bees that survive harsh Winters are often found in hollow trees with thick walls that provide more insulation than our typically thin-walled bee hives. Many beekeepers believe that bee hives should be insulated during Winter. This is the time of year when beekeepers throughout North America start preparing their colonies for Winter. ![]()
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