Potential Effect of Hive Color on Honey Bee Colony Performance

Abstract

In this study, the objective was to determine the potential effect of hive color on honey bee colony performance. Among the three hive groups, the hives, and their covers in the first group were painted in white; the hives and covers in the second group were painted in blue, and finally, the hives in the third group were painted in blue while their covers were painted in white. Data recorders were placed inside all hives, and temperatures were recorded every 59 minutes between June 27 and July 26 in the hives kept in the open field. In the study, examining the effect of three combinations of two different colors on the hive's internal temperature, average temperature values were calculated for the first, second, and third groups as 22.36 +/- 7.23 degrees C, 24.26 +/- 8.27 degrees C, and 24.93 +/- 8.91 degrees C, respectively, for the entire day. The results of the one-way variance analysis showed that the difference among groups was statistically significant (p<0.001). Considering that ambient temperature might be more effective in-hive temperature at certain times of the day, the data recorded between 10:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. were discussed separately, and the analyses in question were repeated. As a result of the research, it was observed that the white color group had a lower average temperature for both the entire day and the hot hours of the day. Therefore, it was concluded that the white color of the hives significantly contributes to the honey bee colony's performance.