Advice for a warm climate

[johnnie1uk]

The temperature here at the moment ranges from night time 15 degrees to daytime 25 to 35 degrees, and later in the year 25 degrees up to 40+ degrees. I have set up my Langstroth with a mesh floor, and as it is a new package a reduced entrance, it is in a position that gets afternoon shade from the intense sun, but I have a sheet of corrugated cardboard on the metal roof and a couple of bricks on top, I have been leaving the removable floor tray off, so there is plenty of air circulation but wonder if I should. maybe its a bit too drafty.
Am I going the right way with this, any opinions please?

 

[MartinL]

The temperature here at the moment ranges from night time 15 degrees to daytime 25 to 35 degrees, and later in the year 25 degrees up to 40+ degrees. . . . . .
Am I going the right way with this, any opinions please?

MMMMM, ?

You do realise, this is a UK based forum!

I doubt that my greenhouse ever gets that hot!

However I think J.B.M. might just be able to help, (he's from Wales you know)!

 

[Cazza]

I can't imagine the hives draughtiness being relevant in those temperatures given that in the UK we use open mesh floors all the time in much colder weather.
Unless the draughtiness dehydrates the bees/honey too much? Is that what you meant? Not exactly a common scenario in Suffolk!
Cazza

 

[johnnie1uk]

The problem round here is that they don't speak any English and I don't speak much Espanol, I cant find any Spanish beek forums and anyway all they seem to do is put out a load of Dadant hives and leave them to get on with it, so that the bees can pollinate the fruit and nut crops, so i thought I would see what you lot thought about it, as regards dehydration I keep a dustbin lid of water a couple of yards from the hive, on my only inspection so far I noticed that all the action seemed to be at the middle to the top of the foundationed frames.

 

[oliver90owner]

More to the point, you should not have anything blocking the OMF. Kinda negates the 'open' bit, shirley?

Prolly doesn't matter so much there, later in the year, but currently it is a detritus trap.

As Cazza, I don't even think about closing any of mine, even partly, until the temps get to around -5.

Not sure whether the cardboard does anything much. What temperature difference does it make to the roof metal, or more importantly the crownboard? Wouldn't last long in our climate and my roofs have an insulating air gap between them and the crownboard.

 

[johnnie1uk]

Okay, well, you could fry an egg on the roof when the suns on it but there is a gap between the crownboard and roof, s'pose I'm just a bit worried about my new bees getting too hot.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

It's fine to leave OMF floors open throughout the year - only time I have inspection boards in is when I want to inspect (Apiguard, Oxalic and maybe mid summer out of curiosity) never close up regardless of how cold it becomes and don't have a problem.
As regards heat. 30 degrees centigrade early autumn In Lesotho - gets a tad bit warmer in spring and summer (wet at times though) all 'our' hives are either TBH - no OMF, or Langstroths, again with solid floors. Most have a sheet of corrugated iron on top (held in place by the usual stone) Bees seem to cope fine with that - they were doing it long before we came on the scene!

 

[BeeJayBee]

The cardboard might help reduce the solar gain, but why not put some insulation underneath the roof to keep the heat out of the brood box?

 

[johnnie1uk]

The cardboard might help reduce the solar gain, but why not put some insulation underneath the roof to keep the heat out of the brood box?

I was wondering if that would stop any inside heat escaping.

 

[BeeJayBee]

Think about a well insulated building, it's warm in winter and cool in summer.

 

[MartinL]

Think about a well insulated building, it's warm in winter and cool in summer.

Depends on thermal mass, timber framed houses, (with little thermal mass) can be unbearably hot in the summer!

 

[REDWOOD]

Advice for a warm climate

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Depends on thermal mass, timber framed houses, (with little thermal mass) can be unbearably hot in the summer!

Especially if they'e on fire

 

[MartinL]

Especially if they'e on fire

Meibion Glyndwr?

 

[Dishmop]

Might be best to just copy what the locals are doing ith their bees..

although a friend of mine who live in Portugal says the older generation dont seem to have an understanding that insulation also keep heat out as well as in, and they couldnt understand why he insulated the roof of his house.

 

[johnnie1uk]

"Might be best to just copy what the locals are doing with their bees.."
That's just it, they don't do anything, when I asked a guy with some hives he told me best he could with our language difference "they look after the trees" they move the hives round from crop to crop to pollinate.

 

[BeeJayBee]

Have you thought of asking if you can see his bees, then you'll know the setup and will be able to compare it with your own.

 

[alldigging]

David Cramp has worked in Spain a lot I think. Been a while since I'd borrowed his book from the library. there were snippets in there relating to things.

http://www.davidcramp.net/contact-us/

A Practical Manual of Beekeeping: How to Keep Bees and Develop Your Full Potential as an Apiarist [Paperback]
is the one I read.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

David Cramp has worked in Spain a lot I think.

Until his whole new apiary was razed to the ground in a forest fire (and he hadn't renewed the insurance!)
There was a bit on Spanish beekeeping in there if I recall (which is probably why it would be more useful out there than I found it in this country!)

 

[YorkshireBees]

Personally I would be tempted to try poly hives in a hot climate as others have said, cooler in the Summer and warmer in the Winter.

+ you can paint them light colours.