We are experiencing some record days of heat here in north Mississippi this June. We even had a few record breaking days in May this year. Not only am I trying to make sure I stay cool and hydrated, but I am also looking out for my honey bees as well as all the native creatures and plants around my home. You might be wondering… how do honey bees keep cool on these long hot days? Bees are highly intelligent and highly adaptable creatures. They like to keep their colony inside the hive around 95 degrees.
There are several ways they maintain this temperature, which is very important for the gestation of baby bees and the immune system of the hive. Bees keep their hive cool by allowing certain bees to gather around the entrance of the hive and take turns flapping their wings to usher cool air into the hive. This process becomes more like an air conditioner when other bees venture out of the hive to carry back water to cool the air that enters the hive. On a hot summer day, you can listen closely to a beehive and it sounds almost like an air conditioner running with all the humming bees working hard to cool down the hive for their sisters. Bees will also gather outside the hive to reduce the heat on the inside. They will hang around on the front of the hive and sometimes hang underneath. Some people refer to this as bee “bearding”, but as many southerners know, this is just hanging out on the porch to stay cool!
Next month we will talk about ways you can help keep your honey bees cooler or help out the local native bees.