Feed hole. To cover or not?

[oliver90owner]

Finman,

You, too, noticed the term nectar, rather than honey or sugar? An easy way to express results as a much larger numerical value.

Of couse, nectar can vary greatly in water content, and so in sugar content, so a 20% sugar content is not exactly a standard unit of measurement.

Basically, it seems like this 'paper' will be little more than a simple physics application/calculation wrapped up in lots of cotton wool. More of a tutorial for the lay-man than any new information.

 

[rolande]

Do you keep the trap-door to you loft open during the winter?
If so how much more energy will you use heating the unlived-in part of your house?

Building regs for homes are based on the measured thermal properties of the materials used, they do not need you to be at home for valid measurements, and therefor comparisons, to be made.

Fair point Elaine, if that's the aspect that you're interested in.

My question had nothing to do with how much extra food consumption a colony might get through. Neither was I asking for details on increased attrition rates (which is probably just as well as there were no live bees used in the experiment).

I asked what effect, if any, having a feed hole left open had on the colony the following year. Of course, as there was no colony involved all I've actually learnt is that a box with a hole in the top looses heat through the hole... Nothing to do with bee keeping, no mention of different build up rates in the spring or starkly obvious differences in crop returns at the end of the following summer.

Just to be totally clear on this, I don't have a dog in this fight having used both kinds of board over a long period with basically the same outcome.

 

[user 6228]

Finman,

You, too, noticed the term nectar, rather than honey or sugar? An easy way to express results as a much larger numerical value.

Of couse, nectar can vary greatly in water content, and so in sugar content, so a 20% sugar content is not exactly a standard unit of measurement.

Basically, it seems like this 'paper' will be little more than a simple physics application/calculation wrapped up in lots of cotton wool. More of a tutorial for the lay-man than any new information.

The experienced beekeepers at Eastleigh seemed to be genuinely surprised, and interested by what I presented, enough for me to get 4 enquiries to talk at BKA meetings. Perhap they were just being polite

 

[rolande]

Such a book might enlighten someone on how one can analyse an apparently complex systems in a simple manner and yeild useful conclusions as to how the basic thermal properties of a box impact the bees.

I already have a very simple method. I put bees in my boxes and keep an eye on how they're doing. I look forward to reading more of your research once you've taken it to that level.

 

[user 6228]

Fair point Elaine, if that's the aspect that you're interested in.

My question had nothing to do with how much extra food consumption a colony might get through. Neither was I asking for details on increased attrition rates (which is probably just as well as there were no live bees used in the experiment).

I asked what effect, if any, having a feed hole left open had on the colony the following year. Of course, as there was no colony involved all I've actually learnt is that a box with a hole in the top looses heat through the hole... Nothing to do with bee keeping, no mention of different build up rates in the spring or starkly obvious differences in crop returns at the end of the following summer.

Just to be totally clear on this, I don't have a dog in this fight having used both kinds of board over a long period with basically the same outcome.

I cant answer you directly.The answers you are looking for take years of research and lots of effort to be significant and worth having. However, in terms of heatloss a polyhive is in the other direction and from ILTD a polyhive is a definitely good thing. What can I tell you is that if wooden hive is 0 on a scale then a polyhive is +10 and hole in the crown board is -2. Does that help?

If you are looking for anecdotal evidence about bee behaviour and holes in crownboards, I dont have any because our bees are in hives further up the scale than polyhives.

 

[Finman]

.
I do not mind if they use 1 or 2 kg sugar during winter. It is only 2 euros.

But I mind, how much they bring honey when I take hives to outer pastures.
60 kg, 80 kg or 120 kg. the same hive and different yields in different places. And all depends on me were I drop my hives. Landscape is mine.

In money those honey yields are 400 euros, 560 and 800 euros.

 

[Ely]

Fair point Elaine, if that's the aspect that you're interested in.

My question had nothing to do with how much extra food consumption a colony might get through. Neither was I asking for details on increased attrition rates (which is probably just as well as there were no live bees used in the experiment).

I asked what effect, if any, having a feed hole left open had on the colony the following year. Of course, as there was no colony involved all I've actually learnt is that a box with a hole in the top looses heat through the hole... Nothing to do with bee keeping, no mention of different build up rates in the spring or starkly obvious differences in crop returns at the end of the following summer.

Just to be totally clear on this, I don't have a dog in this fight having used both kinds of board over a long period with basically the same outcome.

I don't know why people are over complicating and wanting in depth explanations.
Holes in roof = colder hive
Colder hive=harder working bees,energy loss, more food consumption

Sealed roof with insulation = cozy bees and an effiecient hive and avoids the above. End of argument surely?

 

[Swarm]

Just to be totally clear on this, I don't have a dog in this fight having used both kinds of board over a long period with basically the same outcome.

I don't know why people are over complicating and wanting in depth explanations.
Holes in roof = colder hive
Colder hive=harder working bees,energy loss, more food consumption

Sealed roof with insulation = cozy bees and an effiecient hive and avoids the above. End of argument surely?

It doesn't look so, if he's witnessed no noticeable difference, which is why I suspect he has asked for more info?