First winter

[Millet]

my first year and had similar question.

Found this link. https://honeybeesuite.com/dead-bees-in-winter/

I did not read that link but in that picture the entrance block is upside down.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

I did not read that link but in that picture the entrance block is upside down.

it's a strangeness 'taught' in certain circles - supposedly stops dead bees blocking the entrance.
Personally I think it just means undertaker bees struggle to remove dead bees as they have to be lifted over the obstruction before dumping them outside

 

[Hivemaker.]

the entrance block is upside down.

...or the downside is up.

 

[Poly Hive]

That is a good piece.

Years ago I had 40 colonies on a concrete floor (ex silage pit) and it was covered in dead bees. Shocked me to the point I was thinking spray damage until I realised it was natural death rate........ but when you see it it really is horrible.

PH

 

[MartinL]

Once again: clear crown boards are fine as long as there is insulation above it - there won’t be any condensation dripping from the crown board onto the bees. So, what is better than that?

A permeable crown board that allows water vapour to pass through?

Is it really necessary to explain (yet again) how condensation forms on cold surfaces and by cutting a piece of insulation such as kingspan to fit inside the edge of the frame, tight to the perspex the perspex is kept warm and thus does not present the conditions for water vapour to condense?

Water can be in liquid state at STP up to 100deg-C.
Therefore, condensation will occur at higher temps as the vapour becomes more concentrated due to the impermeable barrier.

I won't go on about matchsticks but, does anyone know difference in the specific Heat capacity of Perspex & Plywood?

 

[madasafish]

A permeable crown board that allows water vapour to pass through?



Water can be in liquid state at STP up to 100deg-C.
Therefore, condensation will occur at higher temps as the vapour becomes more concentrated due to the impermeable barrier.

I won't go on about matchsticks but, does anyone know difference in the specific Heat capacity of Perspex & Plywood?

Unless you specify the thickness and type of both, you are asking how long is a piece of string...

 

[Eyeman]

Provoking thinking is great and works wonders when your in front of a group showing something or illustrating what your doing in real time but on a forum when there’s new visual prompts to help clarify the short point it’s not so good.

Credentials, well on this beginners point and my ‘what to say’ comment, I run my own sales, design and training company employing 12 full time staff and 3 part time. We right our own training material teaching endusers, sales people, engineers and distributors. I teach from beginners up to OEM manufacturing level to small private business and up to blue chip companies and they all pay for it. I personally teach approximately 25 to 30 people a week, 8 months of the year and have done since 1991 ( slightly more than 300 people ) We’ve never advertised for work or sales and all this training business comes to us.

I am oxford university trained as a technical writer and I also sit on several government recognised technical committees writing end user product documentation and manuals, industry codes of practice, British standards and UK & European regulations - we do not get paid for any of this tech committee work but it all helps recognise what it a help and an inderance to someone who’s new, learning and progressing in thier market sector needs.

Bees wise, I’ve been keeping them for 25 years, lost a few along the way but really enjoy it. I am currently mentoring 15 newbies in the local area ( 50 mile radius from my home ) and for the last 12 years I have worked with the local council as a mentor and training support to thier own pest controllers on honeybees. ( all free of charge as my training day job funds this mentor work )

Hope that clarifies my credentials as it’s the first time I’ve put it all in writing.

Hells Bells- sound like you've been taking tips from Finman! You only need a few more degrees under you belt!

 

[Madge]

A permeable crown board that allows water vapour to pass through? ...

You don't need a 'permeable' crown board. If the roof is the most insulated part of the hive, the condensation forms on the walls. Lots of my colonies have clear polycarbonate crown boards, and definitely no condensation forms there or drops down on the bees.

 

[Erichalfbee]

If you have a permeable? Crown board, and a wooden one had been suggested, if you put a poly roof or insulation on top of it would that render the permeable barrier impermeable?