How do you Overwinter Your Bees

[sipa]

We don't use any wooden hives or nucs, everything is poly.

All colonies are "cold way" with open mesh floors, trays out with minimal entrances.

Strong, and healthy, varroa treated and well fed going into early autumn. If they need a top up of fondant later on they get it.
Some even in exposed windy locations, we don't bother moving them.

No condensation problem. Losses generally low.

 

[Thymallus]

With all the emphasis on heat retention and insulation for winter, what's the reason that people are leaving open mesh floors open?

 

[For want of a better word]

With all the emphasis on heat retention and insulation for winter, what's the reason that people are leaving open mesh floors open?

All the skeps are now filled with bees and the entrances plugged up with cow dung... a fresh layer of sawdust has been laid over the skep bol floors... a good layer of straw should protect them from the Winter... another Winter of Discontet ?

Hope Spring comes early to the Tamar Valley !


Nos da

 

[Hivemaker.]

... what's the reason that people are leaving open mesh floors open?

Because the others are doing it.

 

[Thymallus]

Because the others are doing it.

Do you leave them open, or use solid floors or blocked off mesh?

 

[Hivemaker.]

Do you leave them open, or use solid floors or blocked off mesh?

I prefer and use solid sloping floors, roofs with no vents but insulation fitted, and no damp/condensation problems, i use a few open mesh floors for testing the efficiency of various treatments, and that is all.

 

[Thymallus]

Good to know. I thought I was out on a limb closing off my open mesh floors on my polys and using solid floors for my few remaining wooden hives.

 

[Gilberdyke John]

Yes thanks

With all the emphasis on heat retention and insulation for winter, what's the reason that people are leaving open mesh floors open?

Heat rises. As long as there isn't any wind across the bottom of the mesh there wont be turbulence to cause the warm air in the hive to be displaced.

 

[blacksheep]

I have mineral oil trays under my 4 hives and was wondering if I should dump the oil and fill the trays with planner shaveings from lumber making the boxes?

 

[Hivemaker.]

Good to know. I thought I was out on a limb closing off my open mesh floors on my polys and using solid floors for my few remaining wooden hives.

No, your not alone, far from it, still thousands of solid floors used and preferred, rather than open mesh.

 

[For want of a better word]

Seems to be a revival of solid floors... wonder why?

Nos da

 

[Thymallus]

Heat rises. As long as there isn't any wind across the bottom of the mesh there wont be turbulence to cause the warm air in the hive to be displaced.

As long as there isn't any wind!!!!
Nope can't see a winter without wind.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Seems to be a revival of solid floors... wonder why?

Nos da

Possibly that now people have realised they have nothing to do with controlling varroa some are just using whatever they are more comfortable with, but with SHB finding a foothold in mainland Europe maybe there's something to be said for using OMF again? and not, for the blighters to fall out through, but it has been said that debris build up on solid floors is an ideal haven for SHB

 

[Hivemaker.]

and not, for the blighters to fall out through, but it has been said that debris build up on solid floors is an ideal haven for SHB

Or maybe they could use the mesh for an easier route in.

I find the bees keep the solid floors pretty clear of debris, which of course they could not if it was a slide left in under a mesh floor.

 

[Gilberdyke John]

As long as there isn't any wind!!!!
Nope can't see a winter without wind.

My post referred to wind across the bottom of the mesh, simply achieved by sheltering the underside of the hive. Do try to read the whole post before commenting please.

 

[Thymallus]

Possibly that now people have realised they have nothing to do with controlling varroa some are just using whatever they are more comfortable with, but with SHB finding a foothold in mainland Europe maybe there's something to be said for using OMF again? and not, for the blighters to fall out through, but it has been said that debris build up on solid floors is an ideal haven for SHB

I like the poly open mesh floors with tight cortex inserts/trays. You can keep an eye on what's falling through and clean them. You do need to flex them slightly to avoid everythinggetting scraped off as you pull them out.

 

[Thymallus]

My post referred to wind across the bottom of the mesh, simply achieved by sheltering the underside of the hive. Do try to read the whole post before commenting please.

I did, you didn't mention anything about sheltering the open mesh. Although given the turbulence of wind I find it easier to simply seal the floor off.

 

[maddydog]

In my case I have breeze blocks as hive stands and I place loose blocks across the opening between the two blocks the hive sits on. This stops the winds but allows air to percolate through to the space below the hive.

Here you go

 

[maddydog]

Swienty 14x12 poly boxes with a standard cedar roof but 50mm of kingspan permanently glued in. Same floors as JBM with mesh and no tray in place

 

[B+.]

Mine are raised ~18" off the ground and often have a super nadired underneath. This gets rid of any late honey I can't be bothered to extract (or granulated honey I didn't get around to extracting). The super provides extra insulation from the cold of the ground and protects the cluster from the worst of any winds.
Since my hives are high density poly (supplied by Paradise Honey) it is essential to place something heavy ontop of the roof or it would blow away.
In terms of strength, colonies that have not grown beyond a single Langstroth brood box by the end of July are over-wintered as singles. Those that expand out of a single before the end of July are over-wintered as doubles. As an aside, I try to get all of my colonies up to the double brood box stage so that they have plety of space to ripen fresh nectar or syrup while still allowing the queen to lay eggs as long as she wants to. Since they are well provisioned and insulated for winter, I don't need to worry about them running short of supplies in the spring. They also have plenty of space for a rapid expansion as the weather/forage permits. It is really only late nucs formed after midsummer that over-winter as singles.
There are lots of woodpeckers in my area and they are a constant nuisance...I have to be vigilant about damage to hives and have netted them in the past with various materials...none of which seems to be completely effective. The little perishers always seem to find a way. This leads me to hive maintenance. I try to always plug gaps but its a losing battle. I end up with strips of duct tape all over the front of my hives. It looks a mess but the bees don't mind a bit. White polystyrene sticks out a mile in the middle of a farmers field so I've made an effort to get as many as possible painted brown or dark green so that they blend in as much as possible with the hedgeline. Inevitably, some gets missed though. Thats life.