BBKA Forum

Mine must all be mixed race/ethnic minority too which hopefully means stronger and adaptable to local conditions ie monsoon weather here today:)

I think adaption to local conditions should be added to the myths and old wife's tales.
Any animal that is housed indoors, fed when needed, inspected regularly and treated for ailments and parasites can hardly be called adapted...... Mollycoddled to their local environment perhaps. /wry grin/

Bees mollycoddled Nigel, you sound like Roger P!

AdamD wrote: ↑

08 May 2021, 17:24

Bees mollycoddled Nigel, you sound like Roger P!

God Forbid ...I'd be twirling twisted coat hangers and siting hives on fictitious lines.

Ha ha, its true re housing, feeding and treating them it sounds like the welfare state for bees!!

Stop me if you have heard this one lol
Bees never die from cold....Yeah ok tell that to the Canadian guys who over winter their bees in climate controlled sheds
I dont think even the hardiest Uk bees would stick out minus 40c for very long and certainly not with just a roll of tar paper around to keep out the draughts .

Bobbysbees wrote: ↑

10 May 2021, 20:07

Stop me if you have heard this one lol
Bees never die from cold....Yeah ok tell that to the Canadian guys who over winter their bees in climate controlled sheds
I dont think even the hardiest Uk bees would stick out minus 40c for very long and certainly not with just a roll of tar paper around to keep out the draughts .

People always think that if the bees are dead with their heads down in the cells then they died of starvation without understanding or considering it may have been down to cold.

Yeah iv heard that one too Mike.
Though I have seen that happen when there are full frames of honey left in the hive.
I figure most winter losses are more likely due to the queen not making it though for what ever reason , be it disease or age or accidental squishing. Then the colony just dwindles away.
Always worth picking through a dead cluster to see if the queen is in the middle or if shes on the floor of the hive.

I heard a winner of a myth today.... though it may be the case I'm not testing it out.
The reason for smoking bees is.......(wait for it)
So the gorge them selves on honey as if they were leaving due to a forest fire or as in swarming. This way they are too full to be able to bend their abdomen and sting you .
Yeah ok after a Sunday dinner I might not be doing any sit ups but there is no chance I'm relying on this one to stop me getting stung.
Thick gloves and a good jacket and vail for me thanks as well as a smoker and or sugar water spray if its just my good girls I'm working.

Yup, it's a myth. Go through a hive without any smoke at all and you will see exactly the same behaviour. It's a reaction to disturbance IMHO. But it's good story we "beekeepers" like to perpetuate.