autumn downsizing

[Finman]

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Last winter i had a four frame colony wintering in fire wood shelter. It was -20c outside and i want to look do they have condensation?

The bee cluster took a half part of the hive and all free space was full of snow. Snow had became from bees' respiration. The gap between bees and snow was about an inch.
Next time when i looked inside, the snow and moisture was gone.

Normally in late winter i see a thick layer of ice on floor and ice sticks are hanging from frames.

That tells that lots of condensation exists inside but when it happend on suitable surfaces, it mens nothing to bees.

Theoretical calculations? Nonsence.

 

[drstitson]

Water vapour freezing in-situ so to speak is not a problem as Finman attests in wonderful style as always - lovely to think of a ball of bees, buried in "snow" with just a couple of bee spaces between the cluster and the ice pack!!!!

Our UK climate with loads of damp and only relatively slightly cool conditions (relative to finland) will obviously not be conducive to freezing within the hive but instead will just cause a constant drip drip drip of water onto the bees as anyone with c**p single glazed windows at home will know all to well.

 

[Finman]

will just cause a constant drip drip drip of water onto the bees as anyone with c**p single glazed windows at home will know all to well.

i noticed that too. I took a photo when droplets are on frame bar on inner surface of the cover.

I wondered it when i told it to my engineering friend. He said that condensation happens onto coldest surfaces. He said that put more insulation up and condensation is directed onto sidewalls.

I wondered that too and i noticed that i had 20mm polystyrene board as inner cover but walls were 30 mm thick.