bees bearding

[colbees]

Its hot here in ny very hot for this time of year is there anything I can fo to help the bees get through the heat

[Sundog]

Make sure they have water nearby and that there are sticks or stones in it for them to climb out on so they won't drown.

Turn your sprinkler on and run through it a few time so they get the idea.  :-D

Have fun!

[AllenF]

I don't sweat it.   Bees can control the temps in the hive.   During the honey flow and it gets into the 90s, I will prop the top up to get the air to flow.  But now since the flow is over and when I pulled the last honey supers, I set the tops down right.   Less openings for the bees to protect during robbing season. 

[BlueBee]

It was 95F here today and a lot of humidity.  15F above normal.  The bees were bearding heavily in my hives today.  My bees beard more when it is very humid outside which makes sense if they're relying on evaporative cooling to cool down the interior of the hive.  Maybe that old proverb: It's not the heat, it's the humidity, applies to bees too  ;)

[tomofreno]

It was 95F here today and a lot of humidity.  15F above normal.  The bees were bearding heavily in my hives today.  My bees beard more when it is very humid outside which makes sense if they're relying on evaporative cooling to cool down the interior of the hive.  Maybe that old proverb: It's not the heat, it's the humidity, applies to bees too  ;)

I think so.  I live in high desert with very low humidity.  It is also very windy (30-40 mph common, 60-80 mph occasionally), so I lined the hive cover with 1" wide, 3/16" thick felt where it contacts the top of the hive to prevent drafts, particularly in winter.  We have had temps in the mid to upper 90's for weeks and I have not seen any bearding at all.  The hive is very busy, lots of bees coming and going, and lots of bees inside - more than two dozen full combs, but it has the same appearance of activity in early, cool, mornings and late, hot, afternoons.  I also covered the top with 1" thick Rmax insulation which has foil facing on each side, and it is a KTBH, so the south-facing sloped side is shaded most of the day by the telescopic type cover.  The hive is painted white.  Just started them this spring so will be interesting to see how they overwinter.  Michael B. is in a colder zone than me, so I'm hopeful they will do ok with a little help.