Closed OMF and no Ventilation

[Natureboy44]

Anybody overwinter with a closed OMF and no Ventilation apart from hive entrance?

I put insulation on top of beehive and have had the OMF closed up until now but when I took it out today the bees didn't like it, they were nicely tucked up and quiet but after I slowly removed it and we had a lot of upset bee noises loads of buzzing and they even came out of the front of the hive in a large cluster. So I put it back in and they calmed down again. Tempted to listen to the bees and leave it in as the hive is on a bee stand with open sides, front and back so I guess loads of cold air coming in under them when I removed it.

 

[Beefriendly]

Yes, that is what I do.
Many do the opposite and leave it out.
Bees seem to survive either way but perhaps need to create more heat with it out.
Advisable to remove and clean the insert at least once a month as debris builds up in it.

 

[enrico]

Anybody overwinter with a closed OMF and no Ventilation apart from hive entrance?

I put insulation on top of beehive and have had the OMF closed up until now but when I took it out today the bees didn't like it, they were nicely tucked up and quiet but after I slowly removed it and we had a lot of upset bee noises loads of buzzing and they even came out of the front of the hive in a large cluster. So I put it back in and they calmed down again. Tempted to listen to the bees and leave it in as the hive is on a bee stand with open sides, front and back so I guess loads of cold air coming in under them when I removed it.

It would have been the sudden flood of light that disturbed them. But I have left them in for a couple of years now. I like to look at the debris to see where they are in the hive!
E

 

[The Poot in Somerset]

Similar to Enrico - i leave mine in. I think you can learn a lot about the state of the colony and what the bees are up to by checking the tray.

 

[Erichalfbee]

Sometimes I leave mine in if there isn’t a nadired super
My inspection trays sit 2/3 inches below the omf and they are open at the back.

 

[Curly green finger's]

I leave mine in all winter but clean regularly.

Some say to put a super under the floor as a buffa from the wind or as I've done an old solid floor on some hives.

 

[drex]

Mine are out all year round unless monitoring mites or bee activity. Mind you, I am in southern half of country and my site is very sheltered from wind but open to the sun. I believe the choice is dictated by your situation

 

[madasafish]

Leave in during winter.. Survive better and build up quicker (test)

Local conditions and weather are all important.

 

[tonyofarr]

Leave in during winter.. Survive better and build up quicker (test)

Local conditions and weather are all important.

I agree. I have a couple of apiaries that have had the varroa trays blown out repeatedly over Winter and it has really knocked the bees back; I use solid floors at these apiaries now and I don't have to go mountaineering into the field ditches to retrieve the trays.

 

[gmonag]

Interesting that the consensus seems to be "leave them in". I have just searched through a few posts from here, 5+ years ago where the consensus was just the opposite. Some of the posters are still here.

Anyone?

 

[Poly Hive]

I suspect it depends on your stands.

I leave mine out but they are on very low stands which are now surrounded by grass so not at all drafty.

When I see the two foot high stands I do wonder.

PH

 

[madasafish]

I suspect it depends on your stands.

I leave mine out but they are on very low stands which are now surrounded by grass so not at all drafty.

When I see the two foot high stands I do wonder.

PH

300mm high stands but exposed to northerly winds and lots of swirling gusts
(rising land from woods 0.25miles away, then drops down into the garden hives )

 

[bingevader]

Interesting that the consensus seems to be "leave them in". I have just searched through a few posts from here, 5+ years ago where the consensus was just the opposite. Some of the posters are still here.

Anyone?

Dunno!
But anecdotally, I've also found that the nationals we have do better in the spring if the boards are left in during the winter.
Local climate probably has something to do with it.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

I have just searched through a few posts from here, 5+ years ago where the consensus was just the opposite. Some of the posters are still here.

I never leave drop boards in over winter (don't have one per hive for a start) all my stands are 18" high (essential with a knackered back), my bees are off to a flying start in the spring and excellent survival rates.
However, I find that the OMF floors sold by all the manufacturers don't instil me with confidence, flimsy with but a few mm wood beneath the mesh.
The underfloor entrance OMF's that I use have four inch sides below the mesh.

 

[Angularity]

I leave mine out all winter, but my stands (about two foot high) have sides that go down about 10 inches, to act as a windbreak.

 

[Murox]

I never leave drop boards in over winter (don't have one per hive for a start) all my stands are 18" high (essential with a knackered back), my bees are off to a flying start in the spring and excellent survival rates.
However, I find that the OMF floors sold by all the manufacturers don't instil me with confidence, flimsy with but a few mm wood beneath the mesh.
The underfloor entrance OMF's that I use have four inch sides below the mesh.

Was that an intentional design or did it arise from the timber you happened to use ? I imagine that makes for a useful 'still air' zone ?

 

[Ian123]

I once took over a site with about 12 hives and an old pile of painted half rotten boxes, I also had a pile of very bad mesh floors. Simple mesh with batten. I placed these on to boxes to poor to reuse and then onto a slab. These colonies wintered very well dry and crap and debris free. I quite often do something similar now with 8x2 timers and it works well. The amount of debris that accumulates is impressive!!

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Was that an intentional design or did it arise from the timber you happened to use ? I imagine that makes for a useful 'still air' zone ?

Intentional - for various reasons

 

[Beefriendly]

I never leave drop boards in over winter (don't have one per hive for a start) all my stands are 18" high (essential with a knackered back), my bees are off to a flying start in the spring and excellent survival rates.
.

Might be interesting to compare with and without and see if the withs have an even more flying start.
My observations suggested that the overwintered colony size with a enclosed floors was larger in the spring. But as I didn't count all the bees before and after difficult to know if this was accurate. I'm trying a couple of hives without this winter on similar sized colonies to reassess.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Might be interesting to compare with and without and see if the withs have an even more flying start.
My observations suggested that the overwintered colony size with a enclosed floors was larger in the spring. But as I didn't count all the bees before and after difficult to know if this was accurate. I'm trying a couple of hives without this winter on similar sized colonies to reassess.

I've had colonies on OMF sharing a stand with ones on solid floors,on one of my coldest higher up apiaries - no noticeable difference