Do bees need air conditioners?

I get asked a lot about what the bees do during the cold months of winter, but hardly any one asks about the heat in the summer.  Maybe you haven't thought about it.  But, can you imagine living in your house with 50,000 other people during the dog days of summer without air conditioning?  I sure can't.

 

One thing they do to cool the hive is to create a 'swamp cooler' effect.   The nectar being retrieved from flowers can have a moisture content as high as 80%.  However, 'ripe' honey (what we eat) contains only 18% water.  In order to cure the nectar into honey, the bees use their wings to fan the liquid causing evaporation.  This in turn also cools the hive.  Cool? or Cool!