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Author Topic: Bees flying at 38F  (Read 1782 times)

Offline Light

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Bees flying at 38F
« on: January 02, 2009, 05:03:14 am »
The weather has been warm lately 50-60F until the last couple days.  I was surprised to learn my lighter Italians were out flying in 38F and doing fine as before the feeding only my darker feral Italians could fly at those temperatures.  They seem a lot more active since the feeding and warm temperatures.  I think they are fine but I wonder if the warm weather and cold weather snap could be a harm to them?

Oh this same hive when bees tried to fly out at 40F fell to the ground so maybe the food has made them stronger because the report was they flying with no problems after the feeding.

Offline BjornBee

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Re: Bees flying at 38F
« Reply #1 on: January 02, 2009, 09:37:33 am »
I think there are many "sightings" of bees flying at this time or that time. Sometimes it may be a last ditch effort to die outside the hive, other times they are fooled by the warmth of the sun on the landing board even though it really cold out, and other times maybe they just push the envelope and try thing just to try things and get caught beyond their normal safe parameters. They are afterall, insects.
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Offline hardtime

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Re: Bees flying at 38F
« Reply #2 on: January 02, 2009, 01:37:35 pm »
well i know  last year i bought a hive of bees from a man that lives on to of graysons  hightlands nation park .i do not know how hight up that mnt.  is but i brought  them bees down on the lowlands know thay will be flying when my other bees are not even off . are some bee user to colder weather than other?
your frend   hardtime

Offline bassman1977

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Re: Bees flying at 38F
« Reply #3 on: January 02, 2009, 01:51:28 pm »
Quote
are some bee user to colder weather than other?

Sure.  I always hear about how better it is to get bees from your area because they are more acclimatized to the weather.  The breed can make a difference too.  Russians for instance are good cold climate bees.  From Wikipedia about Russian Honey Bees "The Russian honeybee from the Primorsky Krai, a region in the southern extreme of the Russian Far East, belongs to the species Apis mellifera.

The Russian honeybee has evolved traits of resistance to natural mites owing to heavy selection pressures. It has lived for more than 150 years in a region that is home to the varroa mite and the tracheal mites (Acarapis woodi).

In 1997, the USDA's Honeybee Breeding, Genetics & Physiology Laboratory in Baton Rouge, Louisiana imported [1]Russian bees to North America.

The Russian bees resemble the dark Carniolan strain. They use less propolis than typical Italian honey bees. They are not prone to sting. The bees show exceptional winter hardiness, hibernating in small winter clusters, and produce a high nectar haul per bee. They are more apt to building queen cells throughout the brood season and may have a higher tendency to swarm."
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