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Weather check

Should I open up today?

A quick read on temperature, wind and pressure before you light the smoker.

Why these four things?

Cold and wind ground the foragers, so the whole colony ends up home at once, defensive and reluctant to be disturbed. Falling pressure tends to put bees on edge for the same reason they get tetchy before any storm you'd notice yourself. None of these alone make or break a day, it's the combination that matters.

Worth knowing: these thresholds assume an established, reasonably strong colony. A small nuc, a fresh split or a spring colony still building up will feel cold and wind more sharply. Go gentler and keep it briefer with anything that hasn't built up its numbers yet.

Set your own conditions

Handy for checking tomorrow's forecast, or a site without a live reading.