Do you mean close the crownboard with porter bee escapes and insulate?
No. I mean cover the holes and then cover the crownboard with insulant - 25mm, or more, of expanded polystyrene (EPS)would do. Any good appropriate insulation would do. A lot use kingspan; mine are normally covered with 50mm EPS. Some don't use insulation and claim their bees are OK, but do not really tell us if they are completely dry as well. They would be over strong colonies, normally, just as my over-wintering colonies are strong going into winter and relatively strong when Spring arrives.
Over the winter the bees simply consume honey to live and keep warm (produce thermal heat energy). It stands to simple reasoning that the warmer they are (up to a point, of course), the less food (energy source) they will need to consume to maintain the cluster temperature above the minimum for colony survival.
There are no problems with drawing moisture in to create damp and build up bacteria. I do it, lots do it; we all have dry hives, healthy bees. Bees produce several kilograms of water during the winter, that can cause condensation. OMFs (more than) adequately ventilate the hive and the insulation over the crownboard prevents condensation on the hive 'ceiling'.
Crownboards only need holes in them when being used with a feeder. Or for fitting bee escapes if the board is being used as a clearer-board (ie not as a crownboard) My crownboards are a solid sheet of 9mm ply. My feeder boards have a circular hole for the rapid feeder. My clearer boards are a completely separate item.
Hope that helps. There are numerous threads in the archives regarding these facets of hive constructionand use.
Regards, RAB
No. I mean cover the holes and then cover the crownboard with insulant - 25mm, or more, of expanded polystyrene (EPS)would do. Any good appropriate insulation would do. A lot use kingspan; mine are normally covered with 50mm EPS. Some don't use insulation and claim their bees are OK, but do not really tell us if they are completely dry as well. They would be over strong colonies, normally, just as my over-wintering colonies are strong going into winter and relatively strong when Spring arrives.
Over the winter the bees simply consume honey to live and keep warm (produce thermal heat energy). It stands to simple reasoning that the warmer they are (up to a point, of course), the less food (energy source) they will need to consume to maintain the cluster temperature above the minimum for colony survival.
There are no problems with drawing moisture in to create damp and build up bacteria. I do it, lots do it; we all have dry hives, healthy bees. Bees produce several kilograms of water during the winter, that can cause condensation. OMFs (more than) adequately ventilate the hive and the insulation over the crownboard prevents condensation on the hive 'ceiling'.
Crownboards only need holes in them when being used with a feeder. Or for fitting bee escapes if the board is being used as a clearer-board (ie not as a crownboard) My crownboards are a solid sheet of 9mm ply. My feeder boards have a circular hole for the rapid feeder. My clearer boards are a completely separate item.
Hope that helps. There are numerous threads in the archives regarding these facets of hive constructionand use.
Regards, RAB