nectar and temperature

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karen
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nectar and temperature

Unread post by karen »

I am interested in how the nectar secretion rate is affected by temperature. We had some really high temperatures with high humidity through June and July though plenty of rain. The rain seemed a lot but the national weather says we are only 1/2 inch above normal, though it seemed to rain for days/weeks. In the heat will a plant reabsorb the nectar? This year there is a lot less honey then last year, though last years season started earlier. On these hot days did the plants reabsorb nectar or is it that my bees spent their time lugging water instead of nectar.
Now we are having cooler than normal weather. The nights are in the 40's F. the days middle 70's F. The goldenrod is blooming, seems early to me, we have a lot of varieties that bloom at different times but more of it is out than I remember for August. So will the goldenrod produce more nectar or less because the temperature is not as it usually is for August? Or is the whole thing all dependent on rain? We have plenty of moisture in the ground.
I have always believed it is a combination of both temperature and moisture. A old farmer here insists the plants in Maine or may be all of New England do not produce nectar if it is above 85 F. I find that hard to believe, none of our summer blooming plants would get pollinated. He says our plants are not adapted to tropical weather so the heat shuts off nectar production.
So is there a cut off temperature where the plants will reabsorb nectar? I assume each plant is different so lets choose white clover since it was in bloom in June and July. One thing about white clover I have noticed is I will not see a bee on it until the bottom peddles of the blossom are brown. When the flower is all white and new the bees ignore it.
Also how will the weather we are having now effect the goldenrod? It has been 45 to 47 F at night for over a week. That is 10 degrees below our normal.
Allen Dick
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Re: nectar and temperature

Unread post by Allen Dick »

I have no real answers. I do know, though, that too cool or too hot will affect the secretion as will the amount of ground moisture. Low ambient humidity, sun and warm temperatures will result in evaporation of water from nectaries, concentrating nectar.

One thing I have observed over the years is that conditions that cause me to be bothered by stable flies in my house seem to be the same conditions that bring on a good honey flow in our area.
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karen
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Re: nectar and temperature

Unread post by karen »

Can't say I have had a fly in the house this year. I am interested in what you call a stable fly. Are they the flies that look like common house flies but they bite? We call them bait flies here since they seem to be where dead fish are so I guess they would not be to attracted to my house but they are usually on our lobster boat. I will have to ask my husband how the flies have been this year. I know the no-see-ems have been wicked he has complained about them.
In June we had record breaking rain and cooler than normal temperatures then record breaking heat in July. This month the nights are cooler than normal 57 F and we are having 10 degrees below that. Day time temperatures have been close to normal.
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Re: nectar and temperature

Unread post by Allen Dick »

"Are they the flies that look like common house flies but they bite?"

They are smaller than a house fly and much faster. My son can snatch them out of the air, but most of us can't catch or swat them by hand. It takes a swatter. I may be misnaming them as the ones we have here do not usually bite. One year they did, and I encountered some in Northern Ontario that looked identical to my eye, and definitely did. Their biggest annoyanbce is the tendancy to land on me while sleeping and tickle me awake, making sleeping in and midday naps difficult unless I eliminate every last one. I should actually study them a bit as should build some fly traps. We used the bottle traps one year but they filled too quickly. That was when we had a feedlot nearby.

"This month the nights are cooler than normal 57 F and we are having 10 degrees below that. Day time temperatures have been close to normal."

I have not compared the year to normal, but know that this year is unusually wet and cool here. Only in recent weeks have I left all the windows open at night and not had to run the furnace occasionally.
Allen Dick, RR#1 Swalwell, Alberta, Canada T0M 1Y0
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PeterP

Re: nectar and temperature

Unread post by PeterP »

Karen, I have an interest in this subject as well. Eastern Ontario has also been experiencing a poor honey year. I am hoping that the fall Golden Rod flow will make up for the poor spring and average summer. I also need to treat for mites but am hoping I can delay for 2 or 3 weeks to gather some GR honey.

I did some google searches and found an old study, 1916, that gives some general insight into nectar secretion and contributing climate factors.

http://lib.dr.iastate.edu/cgi/viewconte ... additional

November, 1916 Research Bulletin No. 37
ENVIRONMENTAL INFLUENCES
ON NECTAR SECRETION
BY LESLIE ALVA KENOYER
AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION
IOWA STATE COLLEGE OF AGRICULTURE
AND MECHANIC ARTS
Botany and Chemistry Section

Summary
1. By increasing humidity, the secretion of water, but not
that of sugar, from nectaries is increased.
2. Excessive water supply lessens the sugar surplus in the
parts of the flower.
3. Dilution and washing by rain causes much of the sugar of
nectar to be lost.
4. Rate of secretion for both sugar and water increases with
temperature up to a certain optimum.
5. Accumulation of sugar in the flower and its vicinity varies
inversely as the temperature.
6. The optimum condition for sugar secretion is an alternation
of low and high temperatures.
7. Variation of atmospheric pressure has no marked influence
on secretion.
S. Sugar excretion is markedly diminished in darkness on account
of limitation of the food reserves of the plant.
Water excretion may or may not continue, depending on the
species. Removal of the leaves has the same deterrent effect.
9. The more favorable all conditions for growth and the more
vigorous the plant, the greater is the amount of sugar
secreted.
10. Nectar is most abundant early in the blooming season, other
things being equal.
11. Accumulation and secretion of sugar is most pronounced
near the time of the opening of the flower.
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karen
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Re: nectar and temperature

Unread post by karen »

> 6. The optimum condition for sugar secretion is an alternation of low and high temperatures.

Our late summer fall flow could be good since we are having nights in the 40's and days in the 80's, F. that is.

I am using Hopguard on my production hives so I can keep the supers on. Last week when I put in the first strips they had a lot of honey, this week they where significantly lighter. I see bees all over the goldenrod and they are packing in pollen. The hives are bubbling over with bees and each hive has at least 8 to 9 frames of brood. Hopefully soon they will stop losing weight and start gaining soon.
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karen
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Re: nectar and temperature

Unread post by karen »

In 2013 I complained about to much rain and this year we are getting no rain. The nectar is evaporating out of the nectaries and the bees are getting grumpy. I may have to break down and feed. Maine is not as bad as California but it is very dry.
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BadBeeKeeper
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Re: nectar and temperature

Unread post by BadBeeKeeper »

Interesting...here, I thought we had a good amount of rain, maybe more than usual and cooler than usual. Apple blossoms have been somewhat delayed, and spread out- trees that usually blossom at the same time are not, and even peculiarities where one part of the tree blossoms before the rest of it.

I haven't checked any 'official' statistics, just working off recollection, official measurements are often different as I live in an area that has some odd, localized conditions. Though I'm only about 20 miles away from Bangor I usually experience higher highs and lower lows for temperatures than what is reported there, and I can be experiencing a storm while just a few miles away it may be clear and sunny. I'm in a bit of a valley with a creek running through and hills around (that funnel the winds to damaging velocities, at times). I also generally tend to have a high water table- even in August a hole dug 12-18 inches deep will fill with water. As of a few days ago my field was still very wet.
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