Should you protect your bees in extreme heat? Honey bees are extremely good at managing their nest temperatures. Afterall, their lives and the lives of their young depend on it! But when thermostats rise above 100°F (especially for prolonged periods), your bees may need your help! In extreme temperatures, your bee colonies could literally melt. Read on for tips to safely help your bees survive the dangers of heatwaves.
How hot is too hot for bees?
The higher the temperature is outside, the harder it is for the bees inside the hive to maintain a steady temperature. The nest must be kept between 93-97F for the brood to suvive and develop normally. So, I typically do not worry about my bees until the temperatures hit the upper 90’s. Most of the time, the bees can fan hot air out of their hives. Beekeepers often see a legion of fanning bees at the entrance on hot days. You may also see a large cluster of bees on the fornt of your hive. This behavior is called bearding and is another way they manage heat. However, when temperatures get into the 100’s it could be too much for them. If the nest temperature goes above 99F brood will begin to die and if it rises to 104F comb can soften and collapse. In high heat, you can lose entire colonies, but there are some things you can do to protect your bees in extreme heat.
Water source
Water is critical for cooling down the hive when it’s hot out. There’s even a group of special worker bees assigned to the task of collecting it. These water-collecting bees fill their honey guts with water instead of nectar. They carry it back to the hive where it is spread on the combs near fanning bees and used for evaporative cooling. Essentially they make they have their own air condirioning system! You can learn more about these amazing bees and other incredible bee behaviors in my new book Heart of the Hive.
If hot weather is in the forecast, make sure your bees have a water source that they like. Bees are notoriously picky about where they get their water. If you are experiencing hot weather, you should see bees on your water source. If they are not there, then, the water source is not suitable and you need to try something else. It’s best to establish a water source before the summer so that the bees can easily find and utilize it when the temperatures get high. You can read more about establishing a water source by clicking here.
Provide shade
One of the simplest ways to alleviate heat in your hives is to provide shade. Simply set up an umbrella or shade tent over your hive. Even laying a piece of plywood on top of the can help!
Proper ventilation
I normally discourage beekeepers from venting hives in hot weather because this can sometimes release the scent of honey and attract robbers, but in extreme heat, it could save your colony. The best way to vent a hive is by creating an upper entrance so the heat can rise through it. I like to drill a one-inch hole in the uppermost super. If the bees are not using this entrance, you can place a piece of screen over it so that heat can be vented out, but robbers cannot get in.
Remove Metal Roofs
Many beekeepers use metal roofs because they are more durable and often look stylish, but metal conducts heat and this could make all the difference in a heatwave. You can help alleviate the heat inside the hive by covering your metal roof with something white (like a large storage bin lid or a piece of white corrugated sheet, or better yet, trade out your metal roofs for wood ones.
Insulation
Another way to help your colony stay cool is to provide insulation. Many beekeepers use insulation in winter to keep colonies warm in cold weather, but it’s also useful for keeping colonies cool in hot weather. Insulation under the roof especially will help to keep temperatures steady inside the hive, even when they have spiked outside. I recommend adding an insulation box.
Ahola ,
Having to leave Hawaii, due to a medical emergency. we are now living in La Masa and with no bees or honey of my own and the AHB’s apart of the San Diego scene, I wonder just safe would back yard beekeeping here ‘Bee’?
We had 220 hives on 40,000 acres of ‘gifted lands from sea level to 6,000 feet altitude when living on the Big Island and 24 types of local honeys, Bees were more than a business, they were for my health as well. Before bees, I found myself sick twice a year, a week at a time. Once my body only had honeys and no refined sugars, gone were my colds.
10 of my hives were to focus on Fresh Bee Pollen. Each day, @ pound per hive was harvested for 1 week and than they were to keep the next weeks harvest for the hives needs[ with No dwindling on the strength of the colonies.
Our bees were All Captured wild colonies that I first evaluated as to health, aggression, Queen’s disposition, comb building, ect..
If they show themselves to be a healthy hive, they were then to be placed out in the needed
You just have to monitor their temperament carefully. If you start with a wild caught swarm, they will be on the defensive side almost always. Some are alright, but you cannot tell until the colony grows for a month or two.