Confused Messages at Bee Group

[Samurailord]

I recently attended my local bee-keeping group and the topic for the night was 'Preparing your Hives for Winter'

I sat there and listened as the speaker told us that we needed to take out the varroa board from our hives to allow ventillation (ok so far) and to also make sure the holes in the crown board were fully open to allow a through draft (at this point I wasn't sure I had heard him properly!)

He then went on to say that before open mesh floors matchsticks were used on the crown board, so to make sure of a proper draught you should use them now as well as opening the holes on the crown board.

I wanted to say something but as it was only the second meeting I had been to I really didnt feel able to.

As far as I am aware I should remove the varroa floor but keep the rest closed unless feeding candy through the crown board holes - am I right?

Andy

 

[Firefly]

He then went on to say that before open mesh floors matchsticks were used on the crown board, so to make sure of a proper draught you should use them now as well as opening the holes on the crown board.

On this forum, the mere mention of matchsticks can get you a red card

For the record, I put cardboard or a bit of ply over the feedholes and an old cushion in a super over the crownboard. Matches stay in the bee shed, getting damp ready for lighting the smoker in the spring

 

[Hebeegeebee]

I've never got the idea of cracking open the crown-board when it's too late for the bees to do anything about it! And with the modern new-fangled thing of an open mesh floor too!

How very dare they!

 

[Arfermo]

I recently attended my local bee-keeping group and the topic for the night was 'Preparing your Hives for Winter'

I sat there and listened as the speaker told us that we needed to take out the varroa board from our hives to allow ventillation (ok so far) and to also make sure the holes in the crown board were fully open to allow a through draft (at this point I wasn't sure I had heard him properly!)
As far as I am aware I should remove the varroa floor but keep the rest closed unless feeding candy through the crown board holes - am I right?
Andy

Leaving the CB holes open is optional. I do and have never had a problem of my bees dying from cold. Starvation once -yes, but only once. I now wait for the usual ridicule by the clever dicks on here. Tea-cosying is not mandatory or essential in our climate. North Pole perhaps if they have any bees.

 

[Thymallus]

Its testament to bees ability to overwinter in atrocious conditions that they can survive just about any horror we can throw at them for overwintering.
The question is really about what state and size do you want your colony to be come spring?

 

[REDWOOD]

I don't supose anyone would leave their doors and attic hatch open in the winter unless they were mad as a hatter.

 

[enrico]

To be fair, that is what we all did years ago, how old was the talker? If you are never told to try something different and your bees don't die why would you ever think that it needs to be changed? That is the most important thing about this forum, before I joined it I did what I thought was right, I taught others to do the same. Since joining this forum I have had my eyes opened in many things but most importantly I have learnt to at least try other methods. I still don't know if they are 'the best' but some I now do use and others I have discarded. You tend to use the methods that mean your bees get through the winter.... The question is are these the best methods. I am changing slowly, this winter, for the first time ever I have cocooned two hives in insulation, in the past I have said.....I never use insulation and my bees survive ok.... Maybe, just maybe , I am learning something new after thirty years of keeping bees. Not all on this forum is gospel, but a lot needs looking at and considering!
Thanks
E

 

[Thymallus]

I don't supose anyone would leave their doors and attic hatch open in the winter unless they were mad as a hatter.

Aye, but would you pull out the floorboards as well?

 

[REDWOOD]

Aye, but would you pull out the floorboards as well?

I done that years ago, I now have solid floors

 

[dpearce4]

I don't supose anyone would leave their doors and attic hatch open in the winter unless they were mad as a hatter.

I leave some windows open all winter. About a matchstick width lol. Not really actually about an inch as I find my house gets to stuffy if I don't.

 

[dpearce4]

Do not forget this is the beginners section and even if it weren't those posts were not humorous in anyway.

They might have been if they wernt so rude.

 

[Hivemaker.]

Do not forget this is the beginners section and even if it weren't those posts were not humorous in anyway.

They might have been if they wernt so rude.

Offending posts removed.

 

[dpearce4]

Thanks HM

 

[pargyle]

I recently attended my local bee-keeping group and the topic for the night was 'Preparing your Hives for Winter'

I sat there and listened as the speaker told us that we needed to take out the varroa board from our hives to allow ventillation (ok so far) and to also make sure the holes in the crown board were fully open to allow a through draft (at this point I wasn't sure I had heard him properly!)

He then went on to say that before open mesh floors matchsticks were used on the crown board, so to make sure of a proper draught you should use them now as well as opening the holes on the crown board.

I wanted to say something but as it was only the second meeting I had been to I really didnt feel able to.

As far as I am aware I should remove the varroa floor but keep the rest closed unless feeding candy through the crown board holes - am I right?

Andy

Yeh ... I have the same conversation with a core of diehards in my association every year about this time .. "I've been keeping bees for 20/30/40/50 years in the same way and .... " well you know the rest. No amount of logical argument/science will change their ways.

I tend not to waste my breath on those who won't listen .. a number of people show some interest and I just concentrate on them. Listen to people on here - there's more up to date beekeeping ideas found on here than anywhere else - beekeeping moves very slowly elsewhere.

 

[alldigging]

Yeh ... I have the same conversation with a core of diehards in my association every year about this time .. "I've been keeping bees for 20/30/40/50 years in the same way and .... " well you know the rest. No amount of logical argument/science will change their ways.

Do you ask what their winter losses are?

 

[dpearce4]

Yeh ... I have the same conversation with a core of diehards in my association every year about this time .. "I've been keeping bees for 20/30/40/50 years in the same way and .... " well you know the rest. No amount of logical argument/science will change their ways.

I tend not to waste my breath on those who won't listen .. a number of people show some interest and I just concentrate on them. Listen to people on here - there's more up to date beekeeping ideas found on here than anywhere else - beekeeping moves very slowly elsewhere.

I wonder if Swan Vesta see an increase in the sales of their matches each year at this time due to beekeepers. I can see an advertising campaign for them lol.

 

[For want of a better word]

I recently attended my local bee-keeping group and the topic for the night was 'Preparing your Hives for Winter'

I sat there and listened as the speaker told us that we needed to take out the varroa board from our hives to allow ventillation (ok so far) and to also make sure the holes in the crown board were fully open to allow a through draft (at this point I wasn't sure I had heard him properly!)

He then went on to say that before open mesh floors matchsticks were used on the crown board, so to make sure of a proper draught you should use them now as well as opening the holes on the crown board.

I wanted to say something but as it was only the second meeting I had been to I really didnt feel able to.

I unfortunately am old enough to remember my Grandfather putting little more than a piece of hessian sacking on top of the frames... in a WBC hive... no open mesh or solid crownboard.

I would be surprised to find a beekeeper doing this today.......................... or suggesting such a practice even as an attempt at light humor!

As far as I am aware I should remove the varroa floor but keep the rest closed unless feeding candy through the crown board holes - am I right?

Yes.. best practice

Nos da

 

[pargyle]

Do you ask what their winter losses are?

Yes ... but you rarely get a straight answer - I think that many of the old hands seem to expect some winter losses and nailing down what the actual numbers are is often quite difficult. But ... I've had a recent convert who lost all four of his colonies last winter - he had treated for Varroa in the autumn using MAQS and fed them but had no insulation and (yep - you guessed) open mesh floor, gaping crown board hole AND MATCHSTICKS. So .. he's been a beekeeper for about 10 years and followed the advice of his 'Mentor' who had kept bees for 40 years - he said he thought it was normal to 'lose a couple over winter' as he always had done in the past.

I've given him a couple of slabs of Kingspan and a different perspective on overwintering - we shall see. He's going to do an OA dribble in January - can't persuade him to try sublimation - just a step too far into the future !

 

[BeeJayBee]

Yeh ... I have the same conversation with a core of diehards in my association every year about this time .. "I've been keeping bees for 20/30/40/50 years in the same way and .... " well you know the rest. No amount of logical argument/science will change their ways.

But those same "I've been keeping bees for 20/30/40/50 years" beekeepers have often bought open mesh floors, so have some concept of new ideas, but don't seem to be able to transfer what they've learned about insulating their own homes (to reduce their own energy bills) because they don't seem to understand that a colony's honey stores is that colony's energy supply.

On the other hand, there are some very innovative 40/50 years beekeepers, who are eager to try out ideas. They're the ones that are worth listening to.

 

[Gilberdyke John]

Do not forget this is the beginners section and even if it weren't those posts were not humorous in anyway.

They might have been if they wernt so rude.

I see my response has gone. I still would like to know if the original speaker was "on the circuit" so I can watch out for a possible appearance at one of our meetings.
For what it's worth there was absolutely no humour intended in my comment, just an honest expression of my view.