djg
House Bee
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I do the same as luckydunny - a light vaseline rub all over the bee-side of the crownboard, with special attention to the rim.
Crownboards
- Thread starter Red Bee
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richardbees
Queen Bee
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As for matchsticks.....did they have them on the Ark?
probably not, but it's even more unlikely that they had polystyrene!
probably not, but it's even more unlikely that they had polystyrene!
Re matchsticks and draughts
Just today, Finman wrote this on a thread re a windy site: quote The hives on the hill got 30% less honey than smaller hives in a valley.
I am inclined to disagree a little, as usual, with the way the facts are presented but it does go to show the difference between draughts - whether they may be through or around the hive - and draught-free.
The bit I would alter was a minor one, in that I would be confident that the larger colonies did collect far more than the smaller ones but needed to consume more to keep warm. We would be considering nectar, not honey - but with the same end result.
Think about it, people - more draught through the hive in winter equates to more stores being required for the cluster to keep warm, equates to the cluster breaking just that little bit later in the spring, etc.
All these 'minor differences' are additive, in that the colony is more likely to run out of stores later in the winter, has those fewer freshly-brooded bees in early spring to subtly change that point where the colony changes from dwindling to expanding (even less risk of 'isolation starvation', too).
It is these small additive factors which make poly hives the preferred choice for most of the commercial beekeepers amongst us. More foragers at the right time and more honey stored because less of the nectar collected is required to keep the place warm. (It may not go unnoticed that the brood nest is nearly always much warmer than ambient in the UK and so will be likely losing heat to the exterior rather than needing to be cooled). Yes, think about it. Avoid matchsticks propping up your crownboards as far as possible. In fact, just don't do it - find an alternative!
RAB
Just today, Finman wrote this on a thread re a windy site: quote The hives on the hill got 30% less honey than smaller hives in a valley.
I am inclined to disagree a little, as usual, with the way the facts are presented but it does go to show the difference between draughts - whether they may be through or around the hive - and draught-free.
The bit I would alter was a minor one, in that I would be confident that the larger colonies did collect far more than the smaller ones but needed to consume more to keep warm. We would be considering nectar, not honey - but with the same end result.
Think about it, people - more draught through the hive in winter equates to more stores being required for the cluster to keep warm, equates to the cluster breaking just that little bit later in the spring, etc.
All these 'minor differences' are additive, in that the colony is more likely to run out of stores later in the winter, has those fewer freshly-brooded bees in early spring to subtly change that point where the colony changes from dwindling to expanding (even less risk of 'isolation starvation', too).
It is these small additive factors which make poly hives the preferred choice for most of the commercial beekeepers amongst us. More foragers at the right time and more honey stored because less of the nectar collected is required to keep the place warm. (It may not go unnoticed that the brood nest is nearly always much warmer than ambient in the UK and so will be likely losing heat to the exterior rather than needing to be cooled). Yes, think about it. Avoid matchsticks propping up your crownboards as far as possible. In fact, just don't do it - find an alternative!
RAB
