Yes, Hive Insulation Is Good Year-Round – A Deeper Dive
Introduction The honeybee (Apis mellifera) displays advanced regulation of the nest climate, in summer as well as in winter. Thermal homeostasis (thermoregulation) of the colony is especially important for the brood, because honeybee larvae and pupae are extremely stenothermic (surviving only within a narrow temperature range). A brood nest temperature of 93–95 °F/32-36 °C guarantees […]
Is Moisture Normal…In a Hive?
Introduction Water plays a critical role in honeybee biology and overall health. Honeybees rely on water for various purposes, from maintaining their internal temperature to diluting food sources and supporting the growth of their brood. In regulating the internal temperature of the hive, honeybees use water to cool down the hive by using evaporative cooling […]
Thermal Energy Efficiency and Honey Desiccation
Energy-Intensive Process Honey ripening or desiccation of nectar to produce honey by honeybees is an energy-intensive process, as it involves a change in the concentration of sugars in the nectar from typically 20 to 80% by vaporization and its modification by the secretion of enzymes. After collection from numerous flowers, sometimes at the considerable distance […]
Langstroth’s “Intelligent Cultivator” Part 7 of 7 – Helping Honey Bees Thrive
What will you do to help honeybees thrive? During the last decades, the beekeeping industry has seen very few changes and improvements on the widely used Langstroth wooden hive. The recent development of new insulation materials with higher proprieties compared to wood could provide better alternatives for the beekeeping industry. For example, a study of […]
Langstroth’s “Intelligent Cultivator” Part 6 of 7 – Humidity and Varroa Mortality
Humidity Regulation and Varroa Destructor Mortality The thermofluid physics in the production and removal of water vapor binds the behaviors of the honeybee colony. Honeybees must produce and dispose of considerable quantities of water vapor to convert nectar into honey. This is typically 4 to 7 times the weight of the honey and as warm […]
Langstroth’s “Intelligent Cultivator” Part 5 of 7 – Summer Heat
Summer Heat The worldwide distribution of honeybees and their fast propagation to new areas rests on their ability to keep up optimal ‘tropical conditions’ in their brood nest both in the cold and in the heat to achieve thermal constancy of 34–36°C/93–97°C. Honeybee colonies behave like ‘superorganisms’ where individuals work together to promote reproduction of […]
Langstroth’s “Intelligent Cultivator” Part 4 of 7 – Spring Brood and Dead Outs
Early Spring Brood Rearing and Dead Outs To save resources, honeybee colonies in the northern states stop brood rearing during winter. Brood rearing is resumed in late winter to build up a sufficient worker force that allows the exploitation of floral resources in the upcoming spring. The timing of brood onset in hibernating colonies is […]
Langstroth’s “Intelligent Cultivator” Part 3 of 7 – Clustering A Stress Response
Clustering – Stress Response (Heat Sink) Most research today is done using man-made wooden enclosures 19mm/3/4” thick which as we mentioned in a previous blog have 4 to 7 times more thermal conductivity than tree nests. So, are honeybees forced to cluster in man-made enclosures or is it a benign reaction? Is clustering a form […]
Langstroth’s “Intelligent Cultivator” Part 2 of 7 – Tree nest vs. Man-made Enclosures
Thermal Conductance: Tree nest vs. Man-made Enclosures Thermal conductance is the ability of a material to allow the flow of heat from its warmer surface through the material to its colder surface. This transfer of heat energy continues until all the material comprising the solid is at thermal equilibrium, meaning the temperature throughout the material is the same. Also, the […]
Langstroth’s “Intelligent Cultivator” Part 1 of 7 – Thriving vs. Surviving
Thriving vs. Surviving For well over a hundred years the Langstroth style hive, patented in 1852 and named after its inventor Reverend Lorenzo Lorraine Langstroth (1810–1895), has become the most iconic and widely used hive design in the world. Its modular design made today from ¾” pine, ease of transportation for migratory pollination, and beneficial […]
