Concerned about the cold

[Poly Hive]

Are you on solid floors?

PH

 

[user 6228]

Are you on solid floors?

PH

is that directed at the OP?

 

[rockdoc]

Last year I made a box out of the material you are talking about and simply slide it over the top of the hive. A horizontal strap helped pull the sides close to the hive and kept the entrance clear. I think the summer will be spent on a bee scrounge around the builders to get ready for next year!
By the way Finman, the temp in the UK is very variable at the moment. Today we are +1c, others are +6 further west. And that's a fine looking Bass Biglongdarren.

 

[drstitson]

i presume he is referring the terryjones above. should be no problem with moisture/condensation if on OMF (with adequate top insulation - ie more than a ceiling tile; 50mm+ PIR).

 

[Poly Hive]

My post referred to the one above as it usually does. If I refer to the OP I try to remember to say so.

So is he on solid floors I enquire?

PH

 

[colin]

cold weather

The bees will withstand cold weather it is the damp conditions which causes them problems ie mould ,fermenting stores.Make sure you move dead bees from the entrance if bees cannot fly on cleaning flights.

 

[rockdoc]

Atmosphere is dry here at present so I'm not too worried about damp. I know this is going to sound a bit bizarre, especially for those on here from the same area as me, but the hives are at the bottom of a field enclosed by a wall, the snow drifted last week and is still piled up to the super level above the brood box. So they are on their own for a bit, and more snow for us seems a possibility for Wed or Thurs next week.

 

[Vergilius]

Arctic weather here for two weeks now... Whilst sledging today - 1st day of half term!!! - the Ashdown Forest felt like the Alps. Could get as low as -8 tonight, and set to continue. Hives still hefting well, and 2/3 have hardly eaten any fondant. Should be tightly clustered at the mo, certainly haven't seen a single bee since mid-Jan.

Ben P

 

[hailtryfan]

I'm a novice and like the op a bit nervous of my bees not making through their first winter. I went to check on them today and was surprised to see that there was no snow on the hive and a foot gap of no snow all the way around the hive. Is this normal?

Very surprised that the hive generated enough thermal radiation to melt the snow that was not in contact with the hive. Well done fellas.... sorry.... girls.

 

[Poly Hive]

Timber hive?

PH

 

[hailtryfan]

Yes. Timber WBC.

Peeked under the crown board and saw bees feeding on fondant placed on the top bars. They've not taken much mind.

 

[Chris Tel]

I'm also a relative newbee and a quick peer under my hives revealed that several of them had many dead bees lying on the OMF. Too cold to count and visualise properly but would estimate probably 100 or so. I'm assuming this is normal...? Is it that it's just been too cold for the bees to dispose of the dead? Checked stores over Xmas and hefting suggests they're not starving. Advice?

 

[madasafish]

100 bees is quite normal. A hive loses roughly half (or more) of its bees over winter..i.e. thousands of deaths.

Last year we cleared out dead bees totally blocking an entrance in one hive... must have been thousands dead. The hive flourished the next year.

When you see no bodies at all start worrying. It suggests there are none left to die...

 

[Davea]

In my winter preparations I removed the crown board and replaced with hessian, put an empty super on top and filled with straw Warre style.This gives insulation and also absorbs condensation.
If you keep and eye on the correx board below, the detritus collected gives an indication of the size and position of the cluster.When fondant time comes I know where to cut a hole in the hessian and place the fondant accordingly. If the cluster moves, I 'm aware of it and I can cut another hole and move the fondant.
The fondant also goes directly on top of the frames.
A wooden crown board with a fixed hole doesn't give the same flexibility.

 

[Chris Tel]

Thanks Madasafish! You've put my mind at rest now!

 

[Finman]

.'
Temp fluctuation on my bee yard district

2 days ago 13:00 -12C
next morning 6:00 -24C

yesterday 14:00 .....-10C
night 03:00......-26C

now -18C 9:30

200 km to west -5C

.

 

[rockdoc]

Good reply Davea
That sounds like an idea many of us could adopt for next winter. I will certainly look at converting my hives, although I'm on brood and a half at present so it may not work as well.

 

[drstitson]

Davea & Rockdoc.

A hive on OMF with adequate top insulation immediately above a solid crownboard shouldn't have any damp/condensation to absorb.

with a transparent CB it is possible to monitor the cluster/fondant situation.

for fondant - either a small eke or thinly rolled sheet (if hive is TBS).

 

[Dishmop]

In my winter preparations I removed the crown board and replaced with hessian, put an empty super on top and filled with straw Warre style.This gives insulation and also absorbs condensation.

I have two Warre hives but have just made two new national hives and fitted them with the same type of "quilt" and roof as the Warre ones, but as stated above this can be done quite easy as a temporary winter time thing with just an empty super and a bit of hessian and some wood shavings/sawdust as per pet bedding, then a crown board on top.
Watching the bees in the observation hive shows that the colder it gets, the higher they move up the frames to get away from the cold air coming in the bottom of the hive, and as (or if) the day warms up they move down again.
Therefore to all those who say that they have lifted the crown board and all the bees were at the top of the frames, I only assume they are up there because its bloody cold downstairs.
One type of insulation I have found to be good for several things such as under the matress in the camper van and for sitting on in the car on cold leather seats is that stuff that you put under laminate flooring... Put your hand on it and it and you can feel the heat reflecting back from it straight away.

 

[Davea]

Rockdoc.
There's nothing to convert.
Just use hessian instead of crown board. Then straw/woodshavings pet bedding on top of that.