Chill-coma and cold death temperature of Apis mellifera

Worker bees have a lower chill‐coma temperature than drones or queens, which is influenced by their acclimatisation temperature as is their food consumption at a given temperature. Most bees die after 50 hrs. in chill coma, and survive longer at 5° C than at 0 or 10° C. Cold death occurs between −2 and −6° C and is unaffected by acclimatisation. Winter bees have lower chill‐coma temperatures than summer bees but after acclimatisation to 35° C there is no difference. The chill‐coma temperature of summer bees decreases with age irrespective of acclimatisation. RESP-4368