Guilfordbeekeepers.org

Any advice to protect my hives in this week of super heat?

Mine are in full sun and should be fine. I am going to make sure the water supply in my yard does not run out. They are going to need it for bee air conditioning.

As long as your hives are not painted or stained too dark a color, you should be fine. The darker the hive color, the harder the bees will have to work to prevent it from becoming a solar wax melter.

Thanks,

I took a drip irrigation line , had it drip into a small dish with stones at a rate of 1 gal per hour. I also put a few spacers between box and top cover. I hope that will give them more air movement.

This is my reply to the same question on another forum.



I am doing nothing to mine that are in full sun all day. I have no top ventilation, and all have solid bottom boards. The only thing they have to help is a full width bottom entrance. I will let you know tomorrow if they needed more. Today is supposed to match the hottest day on record for this area. Not the daily record, but the all time record for any day of the year.

In this heat my bees are apparently getting to know their neighbors by hanging out on the front porch.