Heating the Beehive
Beekeeping Wywiady
Heating the Beehive
Sebastina Górecki
Does heating hives bring real health benefits to bees, or is it just a myth?
Honeybees (Apis mellifera) are not only the foundation of sustainable agriculture, but also a key element of the global ecosystem. One of their most important evolutionary achievements is the ability to precisely thermoregulate the hive, which allows the temperature in the brood zone to be maintained at around 35°C, regardless of external conditions (Southwick and Heldmaier, 1987). However, modern hives, unlike natural bee habitats, such as tree hollows, do not provide equally effective thermal insulation (Jarimi et al., 2020). So can thermoregulation of the hive environment, e.g. by heating hives, help bees survive difficult weather conditions and improve their productivity? Or is it just a costly interference that disrupts their natural life cycle and another myth?
We will look for answers to these questions by looking at scientific research and the experiences of Polish beekeepers who have experimented with this technology. We will leave the verdict to you!
Motivations and needs
One of the key challenges in maintaining healthy bee colonies is protecting the brood from cooling down. Studies have shown that even a short-term decrease in temperature in the brood zone can lead to significant biological losses, negatively affecting the development of the bee family (Southwick, 1983; Heldmaier, 1987). In response to these challenges, some beekeepers decide to use artificial heating systems that allow them to maintain optimal thermal conditions in the hive.
Additionally, climate change and the associated shifts in the nectar calendar
make the possibility of an earlier start of bee activity in spring increasingly desirable (Jarimi et al., 2020). Increased hive productivity and reduced winter losses are benefits that attract the attention of both enthusiasts and professional beekeepers.
Technology and its application
Heating systems currently used in apiaries include heating mats and self-regulating cables that adjust their heat output to external conditions (Jarimi et al., 2020). Studies on the hive microclimate emphasize that effective thermoregulation requires not only appropriate heating, but also controlling parameters such as humidity and air flow.
An example of a technologically advanced solution are hives equipped with sensors monitoring temperature, humidity, and the weight of the hive. Thanks to this, beekeepers can manage heating more precisely, minimizing both costs and the risk of colony overheating (Southwick and Heldmaier, 1987).
Despite promising results, the scientific literature still lacks long-term studies on the effects of artificial heating on bees' health and their adaptive abilities. The need for standardization of heating techniques and development of guidelines for beekeepers on their effective use is also indicated (Jones and Oldroyd, 2006).
Impact on bees and productivity
Studies indicate that heating hives can significantly improve apiary results. Heated hives are characterized by lower bee mortality in winter - the decrease in colonies is less than 2%, compared to 10-20% in traditional hives (Southwick and Heldmaier, 1987). In addition, bees in such hives show faster spring development, which translates into higher honey yields, reaching up to 90 kg per hive in the season, compared to the average of about 15 kg (Jarimi et al., 2020).
Additionally, bees from heated hives are more active on cold days and are less aggressive towards beekeepers, which makes them easier to handle.
Controversy and criticism
Despite promising results, the technology of heating hives still arouses mixed feelings in the beekeeping community. Critics argue that artificial heating can disrupt natural biological processes, such as wintering, and lead to unforeseen health consequences for bees. Traditional beekeepers also often express concerns about high investment costs and the potential risk of equipment failure (Southwick and Heldmaier, 1987).
However, supporters of this technology emphasize that properly implemented heating systems allow for a significant increase in apiary productivity and better adaptation of bees to changing environmental conditions. According to experts, the key to success is, however, proper education of beekeepers and broader scientific research on the effects of long-term use of this technology (Jarimi et al., 2020).
Interview with a Polish beekeeper promoting the idea of heating hives
Beekeeping is an art in which tradition meets innovation. One of the most discussed topics in recent years is the use of heating technologies in beehives.
To better understand the benefits and challenges of this practice, we talk to Mr. Stefan Jerzy Siudalski – an experienced beekeeper who has been testing various methods of heating hives for over forty years.
drawing 1 Photo in Mr. Stefan's apiary
Mr. Siudalski worked at the Institute of Physics of the Polish Academy of Sciences, when, among other things, he published a number of articles on managing the microclimate of the hive. His apiary became a testing ground for modern solutions, such as self-regulating heating cables and systems for monitoring hive parameters.
In the interview, he will talk about his motivations, experiences and experimental results, and will also address the controversy surrounding this technology.
Good morning Mr. Stefan, first I would like to ask how long you have been involved in beekeeping and what prompted you to take up this passion?
There were several reasons for my interest in bees. When I was a child, a bee sting resulted in such swelling of my hand that I wore it in a sling for a week – this should have put me off running an apiary. But it didn't scare me away - I don't like being afraid, so I had to replace fear with neutralizing it. The second reason was that I realized how complicated the mechanisms function in the bee family - that is, a huge field of knowledge.
I built my first hives, and they were ordinary Warsaw hives, in 1970 in the countryside near Garwolin.
Under the guidance of a local beekeeper, I learned how to operate them. After a few years, I obtained the title of master beekeeper.
And what inspired you to experiment with heating hives?
I realized quite quickly that one of the keys to success with bees is the temperatures in the hives and their correlation with the seasons. At that time, I was the head of the design and production of scientific equipment at the Institute of Physics. I knew all the methods of measuring temperatures perfectly and was able to solve problems with stabilizing temperatures even in very complicated environments. At that time, I even collaborated with the Institute of Apiculture in Puławy, creating a non-invasive temperature measurement system for them using very thin thermocouples [published by Jerzy Marcinkowski in 1987].
My apiary, which had grown to 80 hives, was located in a place where "freezes" occurred, i.e. 2 km away it was plus two degrees Celsius and in my apiary minus two degrees Celsius. So the question arose - how to support bees. Maybe provide heaters for hives with temperature stabilization?
If temperature is so important for bees, what problems or challenges in maintaining the health of bees did you want to solve by heating hives?
I knew how dangerous brood cold is and that was actually the first and only goal at that time.
I quickly realized that there are also additional benefits from heating, such as noticeably faster development of colonies, and consequently higher honey yields.
I have also observed that in heated hives:
▪ the abandoned hive effect does not occur,
▪ nosema symptoms disappear,
▪ the possibilities of combating varroa are expanded.
Personally, I do not understand the "weather" in recent years, do you think that climate or weather changes have influenced the need to introduce such solutions?
One of the arguments for heating were changes in both crops in the area and weather changes. There was a shift in the time of nectar flows, some nectars disappeared: buckwheat, clover. New nectars appeared in late autumn, e.g. goldenrod and buckwheat hay as a catch crop for ploughing under.
It turned out that very early nectar flows are worth the effort, because they can give 12-18 kg of yield, which is not possible for apiaries run classically due to weak colonies at that time.
And is it only the maintenance of brood temperature that is important? Personally, I have noticed a lack of maintaining stable heat in some hives, e.g. in winter. Are there specific times of the year when heating hives is particularly necessary?
Yes, heating can be very useful:
▪ at the end of wintering, when the cluster approaches the ceiling and there is no food there, but there is food nearby - in the past, heated bricks or roof tiles were used in such cases,
▪ at the end of wintering, when we want to use very early nectar, e.g. willows and maples - then you can fumigate the bees about a month earlier than with classic farming and support early brooding,
▪ to prepare strong colonies, e.g. on 50 frames for the main nectar - note - fumigation is not very effective with hives of this size, ▪ to save weak colonies, but with good queens - then we sometimes heat them all winter, but usually such weak colonies in September, when we heat them until about the end of November / sometimes shorter and turn on the heating for them at the end of February / sometimes earlier /, then they occupy even 50 frames in the middle of their life - I have this documented in films,
▪ when we notice symptoms of nosema – heating does not cure, but heating eliminates the negative effects of nosema, ▪ as an intervention, for a short time – for feeding very late in the fall,
What types of hive heating systems are you using in your apiary?
Over 40 years ago, I used a system of collective heating of many hives according to one hive - I described it in ”Pszczelarstwo” no. 8 from 1985. Now, after many trials, I decided that it is easier and more effective to use some types of self-regulating heating cables for heating today. First, for one winter, I carried out tests in an empty hive, i.e. without bees, on the balcony of my house in Warsaw [balcony as a refrigerator and creating conditions on the apiary - 2017]. After determining the necessary parameters for the cables, the following year I installed systems based on these cables in several of my hives. Because the effects were sensational, in 2020 I convinced 20 beekeepers in Poland and they installed heaters in about 200 hives. The results were similar.
Do you use any intelligent systems for monitoring the temperature in hives?
For several years, the "Intelligent Hives" installation has been providing me with a lot of data. This is a fantastic
system that opens up new horizons in beekeeping, not only in terms of research, but also increases profits from bees.
What parameters (e.g. temperature, humidity) do you take into account when setting up a
heating system?
The self-regulating heating cable system does not require adjustment - after switching on, the cables themselves adjust the power given to the hive depending on the temperature. On the other hand, I get information from the "Intelligent Hives" system, based on which I turn the heating on or off, starting or ending the heating season. I spend the winter in Spain and control the activities with the bees remotely, i.e. I decide whether to turn on the heating and provide water. I come to Poland in April and until then the bees do not require any interventions apart from refilling water.
I will list in order the measurements that provide the most important data for me from the "Intelligent Hives" installation:
- air temperature reading and selected points in the hive - especially in spring,
- hive weight - a very useful but underestimated parameter both during nectar flow and winter feeding,
- hive volume [sound amplitude] and to a lesser extent the main frequency in hives and the least useful parameter in heated hives,
i.e. humidity, because this is not a problem in heated hives.
How do bees react to additional heat sources in the hive?
In my opinion, they use this perfectly and immediately and at many levels of their lives.
Have you noticed any changes in their behavior, health or productivity after the introduction of heating?
- Heated hives are definitely less aggressive towards people and cope much better with wasps that attack them,
- even during hot weather, bees in heated hives do not ventilate the entrance - sometimes there are a few ventilating bees, when at the same time there are hundreds of them in unheated hives,
- o bees from heated hives fly out about half an hour earlier in the morning and fly longer than those without heating.
- in the first few days, heated hives have 40 to 50 frames.
Has heating hives affected the reduction of bee mortality in winter?
In heated hives, the winter decline of colonies is at the level of about 1% and the winter fall in hives is at the level of half a glass of bees, when in the area usually 10 to 20% of bee colonies fall.
What are the benefits of heating hives from your experience?
In short:
▪ in an area where the average hive weight is around 15 kg, I get from around 40 to even 90 kg,
▪ there was no abandoned hive syndrome,
▪ a significantly extended time range of possibilities for fighting varroa – around two months in autumn and the same in spring, and this in the period without brood or with a small amount of brood,
Have you encountered any difficulties or problems when using these systems?
Yes – power outages lasting more than two days, shorter outages do not matter, but the losses are negligible although noticeable.
What are the costs associated with installing and maintaining a heating system compared to traditional beekeeping?
- The heater costs PLN 140, the thermometer with the probe costs around PLN 10, which means we invest PLN 150 in the equipment,
- and now let's calculate the monthly heating costs - a month is 30 days, a day has 24 hours, so there are 720 hours in a month, the average power consumption is 20 W, which means that the monthly consumption reaches 14,400 W/h, or 14.4 kW/h. At a price of 1 kW/h equal to PLN 1.1, we get an energy cost of around PLN 16, or 1/3 of a jar of honey, let's assume an extreme case of heating from mid-February to mid-October, which will come out to around PLN 110, or a little more than two jars of honey, but in reality it comes out to less because the electricity consumption in the summer months is definitely lower than I calculated. If we only get an additional 10 l of honey thanks to heating, our profit is still - counting the energy alone - 8 l of honey. Subtracting the costs of the heater and thermometer as 3 l of honey - the profit in the first year is 5 l of honey, but in the next year there is equipment and we only count the electricity. In reality – in my case, the profit from heating calculated in honey in the worst case is not 10 l but about 25 l.
Do you think that heating hives can be a sustainable solution in the long term?
People have been interfering with the lives of bees and the nectar base for centuries – I counted about thirty types of such interference – heating bee colonies is a necessary adaptation to the changes in the weather and nectar, What are the alternatives to heating hives in difficult weather conditions?
For me, there is no alternative, but it is worth supporting the bees:
▪ keeping them in well-insulated hives, ▪ making sure that there is no airflow in the cover, ▪ adjusting the nest to the size of the family [Tombacher's rule, but it does not apply to heated hives], ▪ minimizing both the time and number of inspections - there are other methods of inspecting hives without digging in the nest.
Do you use renewable energy (e.g. solar panels) to power heating systems?
No - because the demand for electricity is most often at night - photovoltaics are useless then and windmills are too unpredictable. Until cheap, capacious, efficient energy storage devices are developed, there is no point in counting on renewable energy to be used for heating bees.
Do you think that heating hives will become standard in beekeeping?
I have no doubts about it. It will be funny how the widespread use of my heating method with self-regulating heaters will be implemented first by other countries and only at the end by Poland.
What other technologies do you consider to be future-proof for beekeeping?
Intelligent hives have a future and fit perfectly into hive heating. Such a first example from the beginning, which determines the yield - every year [according to Leon Bornus - research conducted for several years in the fifties throughout Poland in state-owned farms] - there is at least one sudden burst of honey - at that time it was about 9 kg per day. Without remote weight control, these honeys may not even be noticed and require immediate reaction from the beekeeper. Additional yield thanks to this can range from 5 to about 15 kg from one hive.
Do you have any advice for other beekeepers who are considering introducing hive heating systems?
Just one - try to heat at least one hive by following the rules I propose. All those who turned on the heating and followed the rules are already heating all their hives.
Heating requires a completely different approach to running an apiary, which interestingly reduces the time required to run the apiary.
What do you think is the most important lesson you have learned from using hive heating systems?
When using heating, you need to completely change your approach to running an apiary. The lack of success of those who have tried different methods is due to the fact that they focused only on heating. In the book, I included procedures for handling heated hives in an apiary, and they are completely different from those in a classic economy.
What are your plans for the future in terms of innovation in beekeeping?
I have several directions:
▪ determine whether there are really three groups of bees on the comb - warming, neutral and cooling,
▪ determine how many leading frequencies there are at the same time - I already know that there may be several,
▪ determine whether the bees heat in several ways, i.e.: - only the top of the body and sides, - also the bottom of the body, - also the head or part of it,
▪ transfer acoustic recordings from hive to hive to confirm to what extent bees can be artificially stimulated to change their behavior with sound,
▪ whether it happens that bees fly out of hives in packages with the leading bee, ▪ check communication at the level of infra and ultrasound, ▪ confirm my observations that sound stimulates bees to fly for food, ▪ confirm the observed phenomenon of calling the beekeeper to the apiary and for a specific purpose,
Is there anything that Would you like to mention on this topic?
“For a herd of elephants to function, it is enough for the elephants to perform about ten activities for the benefit of the herd – for a swarm to function, bees have to perform about 110 activities.”
Bees are much more intelligent than is commonly believed – they try to communicate with us in many ways. I described this in my book on heating bee colonies.
Has heating hives increased your profits from beekeeping? If so, how?
This is a completely different economy, because not only is there a profit from each heated hive, but it is also much less time-consuming.
Have you noticed an increase in the production of honey, pollen or other bee products thanks to heating hives?
Those who are starting to use heating reported obtaining up to 70 kg of honey.
Do you think that heating hives can be economically viable for small, medium and large apiaries?
Of course - in large apiaries too. Let's assume that a beekeeper has 5 heated hives and will only get 50 kg of honey from each hive. And this is more than three times more than the average, i.e. this is how much honey is obtained from 15 hives.
Could the introduction of such systems reduce the costs of treating bees or maintaining their health?
Heating will not change the costs of treating varroa, but it visibly increases the effectiveness of the fight against varroa - you can even perform the last fumigation in the fall two months later and at least a month earlier, but you should not listen to those who claim that fumigation in the presence of brood is ineffective - it is less effective, but you should not wait for the complete disappearance of brood in the hives.
Have you encountered criticism or skepticism about heating hives in the beekeeping community?
Personal, non-substantive, mocking attacks dominate – if there is a substantive question, I answer and usually another candidate for heating appears.
What are the most common concerns or arguments against using such solutions?
There are a lot of concerns reported by people who have never heated. I have collected these concerns in my book on heating – the questions and answers to them take up 9 pages. There is also a collection of wrong actions and wrong opinions of beekeepers.
Do you think that heating hives can disrupt the natural processes in the lives of bees?
Don't worry – it is as if bees were moved to Bulgaria, for example, where the development of bee families begins much earlier.
How do more traditional beekeepers react to the idea of using such technologies in apiaries?
As I have already mentioned – very distrustful, but those who have tried have not given up heating and there are those who already heat all the hives in the apiary. Of course, I am talking about heating using my method and according to my recommendations.
Do you know of any scientific studies on heating hives and its effect on bees?
I have read a lot of studies, both from the past and present - the same mistakes were made everywhere. I managed to solve all the problems, because I had a lot of knowledge about measurements and methods of temperature stabilization.
Is there any evidence that heating hives can improve the health of bees or reduce the risk of disease?
A few years ago [2020] I organized a heating campaign for about 200 hives in Poland, in which 20 beekeepers participated. Zero colonies fallen during wintering, very rapid spring development, zero abandoned hive phenomenon - is that enough?
What are the main conclusions from the research on this technology? Do they suggest benefits or potential threats?
The threats are such as working with a drill outdoors - the electrical side of heating, i.e. safety and the possibility of electric shock at the same level.
Do you think that there is a lack of sufficient research on this technology? If so, why?
The level of research is low. Can this be overcome? Of course, and at minimal cost – let scientific institutions contact me. Let them allocate five hives for heating and five hives standing next to it without heating. I will conduct the experiment remotely by contacting you via the Internet – the condition is that they do not introduce any of their own modifications, but do exactly what I will recommend.
Why, in your opinion, is heating hives not more common in beekeeping?
There are several reasons for this, starting with historical ones. When I invented the heating system in the early eighties, there were 850 members in my beekeeping club. After the introduction of sugar and fuel coupons, 45 remained. The reconstruction of apiaries in Poland took years – so I was involved in activities in a completely different field - property protection and published 370 articles in this field and wrote several books. For many years, beekeeping was not a field of professional interest for me, so I did not promote heating. It was only after I retired that I returned to the subject. I know that research on heating was conducted in two institutes, but both made the same mistakes. Jerzy Tombacher talked about this. Firstly, water was not supplied to the hives, and they need about 3 liters per week - the bees flew out for water and died during unsuitable weather for them. Secondly, the hive environment is exceptionally unfavorable for artificial heating - without extensive knowledge about temperature stabilization, there will only be losses.
Do you think that the reason may be a lack of knowledge, technological limitations, or perhaps financial concerns of beekeepers?
Lack of knowledge at every decision-making level from the individual beekeeper through Beekeepers' Associations, Associations and professional journals in this field to the Ministry.
What barriers stand in the way of popularizing hive heating - technical, economic or perhaps cultural?
Very low level of knowledge of beekeepers and I know this based on my surveys that I post on FB where, after all, there are those with more knowledge and those who are more resourceful. If they have gaps in their knowledge, those less "worldly" know even less.
Are there any organizations or institutions that could support the development of this technology among beekeepers?
Yes - the Ministry, but I have already contacted them and the problem has definitely exceeded them, as can be seen from their response to my letter. I am seriously considering seeking support outside of Poland.
What are the biggest challenges that need to be overcome to make heating hives more accessible and widespread?
Increase the knowledge of beekeepers - the heating system itself does not require adjustments. It is maintenance-free and failure-free. The only thing that needs to be done additionally in the apiary is to install thermometers, check them and refill the water in the feeders.
Summary
We would like to thank Mr. Stefan for sharing his knowledge, experience and passion.
His approach to beekeeping inspires thinking about the future in a bold and creative way. We hope that this conversation will also inspire our readers to seek new solutions in caring for bees and their place in the ecosystem.
Is heating hives the future of beekeeping or just an interesting experiment? After talking to Mr. Stefan, it is hard not to notice the potential of this technology. As it turns out, heating hives can not only improve the comfort of bees, but also significantly affect the efficiency of the apiary.
Higher honey yields, healthier bee colonies and lower winter losses - all this sounds like every beekeeper's dream.