What is the optimal temperature for bees to overwinter?

Honeybees are social insects and can adjust the nest temperature through group activities. For example, the bee colonies in the honeycomb in winter and depends on honey to produce heat and overwinter. High or too low is not conducive to the wintering of bees. Let ’s take a look at the optimal temperature for bees to winter!

1, the optimal temperature

The optimal temperature for bees to overwinter is -2 to 8 ° C, but this temperature may vary depending on the species of bee. For example, Italian bees stop nesting when the temperature is below 14 ° C, and gradually become stiff when the temperature is below 12 ° C. When the temperature is lower than 7 ℃, the isolated individuals will be frozen to death, and the middle bee can go out as long as the temperature is higher than 7 ℃, and the normal temperature can be collected when the temperature is higher than 12 ℃. A little lower.

2, high temperature heat

Insulation is the core of bee management in the wintering period, but excessive thermal damage to bee colonies is greater than low temperature. For example, if the nest temperature is continuously higher than 8 ℃ during the wintering period, the activity of bees will also increase, which will eventually lead to overwintering Bees age too quickly and die prematurely. Therefore, it is necessary to keep a good degree of warming the bee colony during the winter. In general, as long as the outside temperature is above -5 ° C, it is not necessary to artificially keep the bee colony warm.

3, low temperature protection

Honeybees have strong resistance to low temperature after they clump. The reason is that overwintering bees can increase their food intake and generate heat energy through activities when the temperature is too low. The overwintering bee eats honey to produce heat and not only increase feed consumption, but also accelerates the aging rate of the overwintering bee and causes the overwintering bee to die prematurely. Therefore, the beekeeper should keep the beehive in time when the temperature is continuously below -5 ° C.

4, matters needing attention

1. The optimal temperature for bees to overwinter depends on the species of bees. The optimal temperature for overwintering of Italian bees is approximately -2 to 8 ° C, while the optimal temperature for overwintering of medium bees is slightly lower than that of Italian bees.
2. Bees should not blindly keep warm during the overwintering period. Actually, excessive heat is more harmful to the bee colony than low temperature. Therefore, bee colonies must be insulated according to the actual local conditions.
3. Bees must ensure adequate feed in the nest during the wintering period. Low temperature may not be fatal to the colony of swarms, but if there is insufficient feed in the hive, they will be easily cold or frozen to death.