Pics: heat and bearding,

van from Arkansas · July 17, 2019, 07:11:34 PM

5:00pm: Currently 95F with a heat index of 112F, calm, blue skies. Location: Northern Arkansas, mid July 2019. Let me begin with a statement by Ace about 2018 regarding honeybees and temperatures. Ace stated: cold stresses honeybees but heat kills. A very accurate statement, short and sweet so I remembered what Ace texted on Beemaster. Just look at the pics and see for yourself. All my hives are shaded. However your area may prosper with full sun.

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van from Arkansas · July 17, 2019, 07:12:12 PM

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van from Arkansas · July 17, 2019, 07:13:30 PM

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The bees are fanning profusely, roaring on other hives. Each hive pictured has a metal circular vent on back or sides. The single nuc with the vent on the front was due to my error, vent was meant to be on the back of the hive, that is, the hive body should have been rotated with vent in the back.
Blessings

FloridaGardener · July 17, 2019, 07:33:54 PM

Van, I got a laser thermometer for $17 on Amazon. Since the June heat wave, I check temp of hive bodies, listen, look for bearding. I was using layered shade sails overhead, to diffuse the sun through spring, but I realized it wasn't enough in our summer temps at my new apiary location.

So I got pink R-5 foamboard from Lowes. One sheet was $20. It's enough to shade 8 Langs and a TBH.
It was a transformation! Bees got quiet. They quit bearding in any significant amount. Queens who seemed to have stopped laying, started again. Temp gun registers 93 on exteriors of hives again.

The 4'x8' R-5 foam is scored in sections. I snapped it in half lengthwise (24" wide) to get it home in an SUV.
I cut it a few inches oversized, and it shades the top entrances.

It's rainproof. Sits right on top of the cover. Has held down through blustery winds by a 2'x4' piece of leftover tile (chic!)
And best of all, I'm not worrying.

van from Arkansas · July 17, 2019, 08:52:32 PM

6:51 pm temp 92F
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FloridaGardener · July 17, 2019, 10:55:53 PM

Van, this type of beard is a bee goatee!

cao · July 17, 2019, 10:57:51 PM

I've got the same problem.
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I do have some friendly neighbors though. They are sharing the beard.

BeeMaster2 · July 17, 2019, 11:29:11 PM

I have been having a little bearding on really hot evenings. Most of the time I have very little bearding. I have 2 insulation boards in the top of most of my hives. One directly on the screen of the screen top board and and one in the top board.
Jim Altmiller

van from Arkansas · July 17, 2019, 11:49:01 PM

Cao, that bottom left hive is loaded with bees. Impressive to say the least.

van from Arkansas · July 17, 2019, 11:51:13 PM

Quote from: FloridaGardener on July 17, 2019, 10:55:53 PM
Van, this type of beard is a bee goatee!

Gardener: I like the art work. That is a good good one. I wish I had artistic talent.
Blessings

herbhome · July 18, 2019, 05:50:03 AM

Van, your hives look like mine. Think they're related?

cao · July 18, 2019, 11:11:18 AM

Quote from: van from Arkansas on July 17, 2019, 11:49:01 PM
Cao, that bottom left hive is loaded with bees. Impressive to say the least.

That one is at the end of a long row of hives. There could be a little drifting helping out the population some.

I think it is interesting that the bee beards in my first picture are connected and the bees are free to wander back and forth between hives.

jtcmedic · July 18, 2019, 11:15:04 AM

Wow that is some bearding. Thanks for sharing

Beeboy01 · July 18, 2019, 11:25:57 AM

Looks a lot like my hives, they are bearding up to the second deep even with screened bottom boards. Heat index is up around 104 last few days, whew it gets hot quick with a veil on.

jtcmedic · July 18, 2019, 11:29:24 AM

Yes it is hot with that veil on. I did my splits the other day and was wore out after 5.

Anonimo22 · August 24, 2019, 01:02:36 AM

Quote from: FloridaGardener on July 17, 2019, 07:33:54 PM
Van, I got a laser thermometer for $17 on Amazon. Since the June heat wave, I check temp of hive bodies, listen, look for bearding. I was using layered shade sails overhead, to diffuse the sun through spring, but I realized it wasn't enough in our summer temps at my new apiary location.

So I got pink R-5 foamboard from Lowes. One sheet was $20. It's enough to shade 8 Langs and a TBH.
It was a transformation! Bees got quiet. They quit bearding in any significant amount. Queens who seemed to have stopped laying, started again. Temp gun registers 93 on exteriors of hives again.

The 4'x8' R-5 foam is scored in sections. I snapped it in half lengthwise (24" wide) to get it home in an SUV.
I cut it a few inches oversized, and it shades the top entrances.

It's rainproof. Sits right on top of the cover. Has held down through blustery winds by a 2'x4' piece of leftover tile (chic!)
And best of all, I'm not worrying.

Can you post more on what you did with the foam board to make something to reduce heat? This seems like such a neat idea. A lot of us are worried about heat to. Its great to hear how creative many of you are also.