HIVES UNSUITABLE FOR BEES: CONVENTIONAL MODERN HIVES AND OVERWINTERING: Honeybees Suffer Unnecessarily in Human-Made Hives, Study Finds.

A study has found that conventional modern hives used by beekeepers may be unsuitable for bees, causing them to suffer in cold temperatures. The belief that clustering together provides insulation for bees has been fundamental in hive design and beekeeping practice for over a century. However, the study shows that clustering is actually a distress behavior, and deliberately inducing clustering may be considered poor welfare or cruelty. The study also highlights the importance of providing substantial insulation in hive walls to protect bees from the cold. [Extracted from the article]