Hello readers,
Today I want to write an article about temperature and condensation within the hive. I want to point out that I have not done any research to support my claims here, this is all knowledge I read elsewhere and gut feeling.
Introduction
I want to start by stating what I know, which is very little, and I might be wrong.
I believe there are 2 temperatures (Celcius) that are important within a hive.
The first and most obvious number is 35°, the heat needed to sustain the brood and let it hatch.
The second temperature that is of importance is 12°. The lower threshold for bees to remain alive in a comfortable way, when they don’t have brood to take care off. They might survive temperatures below that, don’t get me wrong, but if the cluster drops below 12°, in my opinion, there is something wrong.
These two numbers are what I believe the ‘constant’ values you will see in a hive. Brood cycle = 35; winter cluster = 12. No matter what the outside temperature is, one of these two values will remain more or less constant within the cluster - either the winter cluster (12°) or the cluster of bees that’s nursing the brood (35°).
Temperatures outside that cluster will rise above or drop below the given values this will cause a side effect: Condensation. Looking at the definition of the word condensation we find:
Water which collects as droplets on a cold surface when humid air is in contact with it
The conversion of a vapour or gas to a liquid. (a reaction in which two molecules combine to form a larger molecule, producing a small molecule such as H20 as a by-product - CHEMISTRY) or (the fusion of two or more images or ideas into a single composite or new image, as a primary process in unconscious thought exemplified in dreams. - PSYCHOLOGY)
A concise version of something, especially a text.
For us only the first two parts of the definition is relevant. The forming of water as a result of humid air touching a colder surface.
Now I want to look at what this condensation does within most hives we use, opposed to what’s happening in a tree cavity.
How nature fixes condensation
Now that we know condensation is taking place in our hives, we should ask ourselves what this means, do bees need this condensation?
I think the humidity of a hive has an importance, especially during brood periods. Given that warmer air can contain more moisture it is a given that the humidity during a brood period is going to be higher than outside this period. What the ideal percentage of water in the air inside a hive is during both periods, I have no clue. But do the bees need the condensation? I don’t think so. In fact, in a tree the hot air, generated by the cluster, will rise, touch the ceiling, in this case the inner side of the tree and water droplets will form. I believe that, even when the tree is dead, the texture of the wood, containing capillary channels, will suck up the moisture, preventing those droplets to fall down on the bees, where in most hives we use, the water droplets are not absorbed by the ceiling of the hive, causing a pool of water to be formed on said ceiling. If the roof of that hive is not sloped, and most hives I know are place level on the ground with a flat rooftop, the pool of water will find its way down under the influence of gravity. The droplets are going to fall down more or less where they are formed and start forming a pool. This is above the bees that generate the heat. This means the droplets will land on the bees, making them wet and cooling them off. This works counterproductive, does not happen in a natural bee cavity and should be addressed.
The climate the hive is in also has an effect on condensation inside the hive. Condensation does not appear to be an issue in warmer climates; The air outside is warmer and dryer and as a result the passive circulation of air is more effective. The dry air outside, coming in contact with the more humid air inside the hive, will absorb some of the moisture, preventing condensation.
Effects of condensation in most hive-types
Worst possible effect for your bees? They cool off and die due to the condensation falling on top of them.
Other effects include better conditions for disease organisms, fungi and molds to grow inside the hive.
How do we fix this now
As I am a new beekeeper my knowledge is still limited, and as far as I know, only one main technical solution is applied. The inner cover is made so air can flow through and the bottom of the hive is comprised of a screen. A circulation of air is created to remove the hot air containing the moisture out of the hive whilst attempting to trap the heat inside the hive, not an easy thing to do with the chimney effect at work. The heat is trapped by a barrier of material that has a hygroscopic property as well as some isolation value; Wood shavings, pieces of cloth, newspaper, cardboard clippings, hay …
I am not in favor of this practice. In a natural environment there is no airflow other than what the bees create themselves by fanning or the convection current caused by the difference in temperatures. But I can’t deny it’s an effective method.
Another ‘practical’ solution is to tilt the hive, letting the pool formed on the ceiling slide off to one side before gravity makes the droplets fall and preventing water to form a pool on the bottom of the hive. The direction to tilt the hive is towards the hive entrance, ensuring that if water does pool up on the bottom of the hive, it can flow out.
Can’t we use this condensation to our advantage?
My first thoughts were to create a hive with a roof that let’s the condensation flow out of the hive through an air gap in the walls. I was thinking of a sloped cover with the bottom part, above the air gap, stripped from any insulation, whilst the rest of the roof would be insulated, trapping the warmth inside. Then the water could be guided outside of the hive through the air gap on the bottom of the hive.
But then I thought, bees collect water, so why not keep the moisture accessible to the bees? Of course we would have to keep the water circulating to prevent bad organisms to grow in it. So in draining the water, maybe we could use that water for other purposes? Providing drinking pools for chickens or other creatures? Providing water for plants?
Contemplating further on this, why not make this water provision adaptable so whilst flowing down into a water station it picks up sugar on it’s way down to feed the bees when needed?
I would have to experiment with the following
is a dripping system through a sugar cone actually achievable, or will the water close off the sugar by making it hard on the surface
how much sugar is absorbed by the water, since most beekeepers feed their bees with a solution between 1 or 2 parts sugar to 1 part water.
How long does it take before the solution is spoilt
Does it need an overflow?
Conclusion
Of course all this is dreaming out loud, since this is only my 2nd year of beekeeping and I’m still looking at creating my locally adapted bee, untreated, that can survive without the help of the beekeeper.
So if you see merit in my thoughts and have the experience and time to set up this kind of project, please do so, let me know how it went!
For myself,... I’ll have to keep it in mind for later.
Who knows, maybe this winter I’ll find the time to make some Nucleus hive with this system of feeding built into it.
So that’s what I have on my mind on this topic. And now it’s out here, for you to do with as you please
Bob Out
