Ventilation Studies by Universities World
wide.
Bee
Research Laboratory, U.S. Department of Agriculture Excerpts taken from
Manuscript by W.A. Bruce, G.R. Needham, and W.J.E. Potts. Amer. Bee J. 137:461-63
The Effects of Temperature and Water Vapor
Activity on Water Loss by Varroa jacobsoni(Acari: Varroidae)
Dessication is a critical problem for small
arthropods, especially mites, due to their large surface to volume ratios (Edney, 1977).
...For instance, if females are particularly permeable to water, then reducing
the hive relative humidity for a critical interval may decrease the survival of
mites not attached to an adult bee.
...Because of their small size, they have very little excess water to lose
before becoming dessicated, and, therefore, are
likely to respond behaviorally by seeking a high relative humidity or a new
host to replenish lost water.
Results and Discussion
The need to
conserve and replenish lost water is critical for many terrestrial
arthropods...
Our results suggest that V.
jacobsoni females may absorb water vapor from
unsaturated air, as occurs for some other acarines (Arlian and Vesilica, 1979; Knulle, 1984; Wharton, 1985). Water loss difference,
measured as time to lose 50% body mass was a dramatic 25-fold, at the lowest
temperature and highest av (20 C., 0.97 av), compared to the highest temperature and lowest av (34 C., 0 av)...
...Below 50% moisture loss,
death occurs rather rapidly and recovery is doubtful...
...These insites should hasten the development of novel strategies
for the control of this devastating parasite." ?For full
transcript - Amer. Bee J. 137:461-63
(Shaparew study)
Tests Show Ventilators
Increase Honey Production; Lower Moisture Content
Study:
Consisted of.
80 hives with conventional
inner covers.
54 hives with honey
ventilators
Direct Quote:
Now a few words about external clustering. Nectar gathered by the bees
has a short ?shelf life?. It will start fermenting unless reduces to honey
within a day or so. When the relative humidity of ambient air is at or near
100%, the air will not absorb any moisture, unless warmed up to a higher
temperature. Under such conditions some bees move out and cluster on the front
wall of the hive.
During
a honey flow the bees bring in only as much nectar as they can dry
successfully, be fore it starts fermenting. Thus, the bees drying capability
becomes a limiting factor. The honey drying air supply through H.D.V.?s allows the bees to dry the nectar faster;
therefore they bring in more nectar. This results in additional pollination and
better field crops.
It
has been demonstrated that the following benefits are directly attributable to H.D.V.?s (Honey Drying ventilators)
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Increased honey production.
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Moisture content reduction in honey by about 1%.
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Improved pollination.
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Dryer pollen, when used on hives with pollen traps.
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Substantial and often complete elimination of bees clustering on the
front wall of hive.
Increased honey production
(by ventilation) ABJ Vol no 8 PG 575-576 1995 V. Shaparew also UVM Study 1995 and other studies show
increase.
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(Lenski & Seifert)
The Effect of Volume,
Ventilated and overheating of Bee colonies on the Construction of Swarming
Queen Cups and Cells
Direct Quote:
1.
Experiments were carried out during two swarming seasons to study the
effects of increased hive volume and ventilation, as well as that of colony
overheating on the construction of swarming queen cups and cells, issuing of
swarms and honey yields.
2.
Queen cups were constructed by all colonies, but their number varied
from one year to another. Only one cup, out of 10 or 20, was transformed to a
swarming queen.
3.
Fewer queen cups were transformed to queen cells by colonies maintained
inside large-volume hives (low population density) than by congested colonies.
4.
Increased hive volume and ventilation exerted an inhibitory effect on
the construction of swarming queen cups, cells and on issuing of swarms.
5.
Overheating of congested bee colonies significantly affected the early
construction of swarming queen cups, cells and their swarming.
6.
Although, non-significant at P < 0.05, the honey yields obtained
from colonies in high volume, ventilated hives, were higher than those from
controlled colonies.
Overheated
hives had 15.5 queen cups per colony, with 10.0 queen cells per colony with 2
swarms.
Controlled
hives had 4.0 queen cups per colony and no queen cells also no swarms occurred.
?Optimal internal environment reduces swarming (Hebrew
University Jerusalem, fac. Y. Lenski
& Seifert 1980)
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?Gentle flow of air, egg laying increased.? (University Paris Le Gurgue France 1995 Alteddad Darchen Study 1980.)
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?Bee keeping Residence Inst.,
Rybnoe,
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Chalkbrood
will flourish in humid conditions. (full transcript)
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Chalkbrood is most commonly visible during wet springs.
Hives with Chalkbrood can generally be recovered by
increasing the ventilation through the hive and/or by requeening
the hive. More information.
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Nosema is treated by increasing the ventilation through the
hive. . More information.
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Maintain good ventilation in
hive and honey house. More information.
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Maximum upward ventilation is
also required to evaporate excess moisture during nectar flows. More
information.
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Measures of ambient
temperature and relative humidity correlated to growth of mite populations
among different years. Reduced growth rates were probably the result of diminished reproductive rates by varroa mites during periods of hot and dry weather. (Full transcript)
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Inventer - Would
like to welcome researchers, areas that need to be studied are the effects that
Bee Cool Ventilator has on mites and the hive beetle. Also to continue honey
increase results and on the latest AC unit that runs 24/7. Also if you have any
other studies on ventilation, we would like to post them on this web site.
Contact us at
For complete transcripts of studies contact IBRA.
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Bee Cool Ventilator studies.
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Bee Cool Reviews
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Bee Cool Ventilator testimonial.
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Learn more or purchase a Bee Cool Ventilator.
NOTE ? More
& more bee keeper?s are saying that Bee Cool is paying for it self in the
first year (increased honey production)!