Studies On Nest Temperature Of Apis Cerana Cerana Fabricius

The temperature (T) in Apis cerana cerana colonys was measured systematically, when they were in natural state and was disturbed. The results were as follows:(1) In the period of spring brood rearing , the ambient temperature (Ta) was 10~20℃, the points' T of the verge bee spaces wave and increase according to the Ta , and gradually reach to suitable temperature for brood development (32. 0~36. 0 ℃) . T of points A1, A2, A5, B1 and C1 in the inner bee spaces also increased when the Ta did , but the other points were influenced little .maintaining in 32. 2~35. 5℃ .(2) Dispelling bees from comb with 10 minutes when Ta in range of 16-28℃, T of all points descended , they did slower when the Ta increased. The descent extent of the upper points was larger than the middle' and under points . within 10~15 minutes after the covers were recovered, the T of the upper points increased firstly until it was steady or variable , and the T of middle and under parts all increased to the T of before dispelling bees .(3) After extracting honey when it was 16℃, the T of the colony increased directly to 33.0~35. 0℃ after 15~20 minutes , this T was much higher than that of before extracting honey (26.5~34.0℃) , and maintained during the next 40 minutes. Extracting honey when it was 20~26 , the T of colony was steady after 10min .nearly the same as the T before extracting honey (32.5~35.5℃ )(4) Opening the cover when it was 10~14℃ , the T of verge points increased before it descended, when the middle points' T all descended. The vary extent of the verge bee spaces was larger than the middle bee spaces', but it grow smaller when the Ta increased. Opening the cover when it was above 16℃, the T of all points of verge bee spaces descended and the descent extent was larger than that of middle points; the T of verge points of middle spaces descended too, but the middle point' T didn't change, only the upper points of the verge spaces descended when opening .