Water droplets

[Tommy]

Morning all. Last week I wrapped my hive in tar paper and added some sugar on the top bars of the frames
 (Mountain Cap). After I finished wrapping I pulled my Bolton board out (screened bottom board) and noticed the bees were tossing out the sugar. I read up on this and it appears to be normal. With the warm temps the bees are apparently being bees and cleaning house. So I kept an eye on it over the last week and a pile is slowly accumulating on the bottom board. What is even more interesting is there are water droplets scattered around on the bottom board. Any idea where the water is coming from?  I don't think it's condensation, it hasn't been cold enough yet and there's a moisture quilt on top to boot. Could it be too hot in the hive considering the warm temps, or it just melted sugar crystals perhaps. As always your insight is appreciated. 

[tecumseh]

this is likely the product of the bees collective respiration.  hot air rises and this will move upwards until it hits a cooler surface and then form droplets if the quantity is large enough.  you can see this quite often during spring time manipulation of a hive especially if you are feeding syrup.  with them eating honey the quantity of water is less but still present. 

one problem with feeding plain sugar (unaltered...ie still table sugar) is the bee MAY see this as trash and remove this from the hive. 

[rwlaw]

When the hive cools in the nights, it'll cause condensation on the warmer parts. The biggest concern is that it's happening at the top of the hive and not dripping on the bees. I would make sure the venting at the top of the hive is not blocked, sometimes it's something as simple as the outer lid is pushed against the inner, maybe the tarpaper is blocking it etc.

[Chip Euliss]

Tec is right in that carbon dioxide and water (in the form of vapor) are the main products of respiration of bees or any other animal; same process when we burn things, either with a match or metabolically.  One of the lessons I remember the most from organic chemistry is that any compound that has carbon will always give off carbon dioxide when it is burned.  When we digest food, our bodies are basically burning food for energy and releasing carbon dioxide and water as waste products.  The bee cluster is warm and the underside of the lid is cool so that's where the primary place where condensation will occur.  If it is freezing outside, that water will form ice and will drip back on the bees when the weather warms and your bees will get an ice water shower.  The main reason to vent hives at the top in winter is to let the carbon dioxide and water vapor escape and a productt like buffalo board will absorb some of the excess moisture so you don't get ice and cold water dripping back on the cluster.  In winter here when it's way below 0F, ice will form on vehicles downwind of the exhaust pipe; engine is burning an organic compound and releasing carbon dioxide and water.  It's a visual way to see the process and an increases our understanding of why we have elevated levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.  Biggest difference between a car and a bee is that bees run on honey and cars run on gas

[Tommy]

Thanks for the replies. I understand the concept and principles behind it. What I don't understand is why it is happening.  The hive consist of a large colony of bees with a weaker colony of bees on top. They are separated by screen. On the too of the hive is a moisture quilt filled with lots of wood chips. Each hive has an upper entrance.  Last week I added some sugar to each of the colonies. The paper on which it was sitting is soaked. 

Humidity has been high, and temps are above normal for this time of year. I'm wondering if I should remove the wood chips to allow more ventilation and or open the bottom board up until the temps drop in an effort to dry out the hive. Any thoughts on this? Thanks again for your replies.

[Jen]

Tec ~ while the bees are packing out the sugar, is there a chance that they just may use some of it as well?

And would drivert sugar be a better alternative?

[Tommy]

Update for anyone who may be in a similar situation.  Having the weaker hive stacking on the strong hive may have created more moisture than the one moisture quilt box could handle. I put a second moisture quilt box between the two hives (less wood chips than the top one) and the hives are dry now. We'll see how things go over the winter. When the temp dros down to consistently below zero, I think I may tape off a couple of holes in the middle moisture quilt box to cut down on the drafts. I'll have to keep an eye on the moisture to see what happens.