EFFECT OF SHADING AND VENTILATION ON THE AMOUNT OF WATER CONSUMED FOR COOLING BEEHIVE DURING SUMMER SEASON

Al-Rajhi, M. A.

doi:10.21608/mjae.2017.96196

EFFECT OF SHADING AND VENTILATION ON THE AMOUNT OF WATER CONSUMED FOR COOLING BEEHIVE DURING SUMMER SEASON

Document Type : Original Article

Author

M. A. Al-Rajhi

Res., Ag. Eng. Res. Inst., Ag. Res. Center, Dokki, Giza, Egypt.

10.21608/mjae.2017.96196

Abstract

This study was conducted to investigate the effect of apiary shading and ventilation of beehives on the amount of water consumed for cooling beehive, L/d. Ninety hives from Langstroth type were used containing honeybee colonies of equal strength from the species of hybrid carniolan. To study the effect of shading, hives were divided into three groups. The first group were shaded at a height of 2 m from the ground surface. The second group was covered with shaded material. The third group was un-shaded. To permit hive ventilation, four screened hive openings were studied [two holes (6 cm) at the bottom board; an opening with dimensions of 25 x 25 cm at the bottom board; two openings at the lower north side and two openings at the upper south side; two openings at the upper north side and another two opening on the same line; and all were compared with the un-opened hives]. The experimented hives were insulated inside with foam and compared with the un-insulated hives. It was observed that the minimum internal hive temperature (25.5 °C); the minimum internal relative humidity (36 %); the minimum amount of hive water consumption (0.220 L/d); high flight activity (216 workers per 5 minutes); the maximum amount of extracted honey per hive (8.2 kg/hive) and the minimum cost of production were achieved by using a ventilated hive with two screened holes (6 cm) at the bottom; shading height of 2 m and foam insulated hive. It is recommended to use a ventilated hive with two screened holes (6 cm) at the bottom; shading height of 2 m; and foam insulated hive to achieve best measurements.

Keywords

Main Subjects

Agricultural Constructions Engineering

References

Al-Qarni, A. S., 2006. Tolerance of summer temperature in imported and indigenous honeybee Apis mellifera L. races in central Saudi Arabia. Saudi J. Biol. Sci. 13: 123–127.

Blazyte - Cereskiene L., G. Vaitkeviciene, S. Venskutonyte and V. Buda, 2010. Honey bee foraging in spring oilseed rape crops under high ambient temperature conditions. Zemdirbyste - Agriculture 97: 61–70.

Cetin U., 2004. The effects of temperature changes on bee losts. Uludag Bee J., 4 (4): 171-174.

CHAPPELL M. A., 1982. Temperature regulation of carpenter bees (Xylocopa califomica) foraging in the Colorado Desert of Southern California. Phys Zool. 55, 267-280.

Jones J. C., and B. P. Oldroyd, 2007. Nest thermoregulation in social insects. Advances in Insect Physiology, 33, 153-191.

Kleinhenz, M., B. Bujok, S. Fuchs and J. Tautz 2003. Hot bees in empty brood nest cells: heating from within. J. Exp. Biol. 206, 4217-4231.

Nylin S. and K. Gotthard, 1998. Plasticity in Life-History Traits, Annul Rev. Entomol. 43, 63-83.

Ojeleye, B., 1999. Foundation of Beekeeping in the tropics. CEBRAD press Ibadan Nigeria: 1-225.

Petz Stabentheiner, M. A., and K. Crailsheim, 2004. Respiration of individual honeybee larvae in relation to age and ambient temperature. J. Compar. Physiol. B 174: 511–518.

Southwick, E. E. and R. F. A. Moritz, 1992. Bees as Super organisms: an Evolutionary Reality. New York: Springer-Verlag, 395p.

Tautz J., S. Maier, C. Groh, W. Rossler, and A. Brockman, 2003. Behavioral performance in adult honeybees is influenced by the temperature experienced during their pupil development. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 100: 7343–7347.