Keeping a hive warm

[user 6228]

Hello All, I have split a hive yesterday and all seems to be going well. But as the weather is looking to get bad again, I am assuming that as I have decreased the number of bees in each hive, there is less of them to keep the hive warm they might suffer from the cold more,. I have one colony in a Brood box and the other is in a brood box with a super on top as they have made queen cells in the honey super and I have not seen a queen so I am waiting till that one sorts itself out then putting it down to a Brood box only, unless that is wrong ? , Is there a standard thing that is done to keep them warm or do I just let them get on with it. Both hives are out of the wind.
Thanks
Richard

Make a telescoping roof out of 50mm kingspan/celotex/reticel. make the sides long enough to reach the top of the entrance.
Use bamboo bbq skewers and polyurethane glue to hold it together, seal the the inside and outside joints with foil tape.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Most of the heat lost goes through that flimsy crownboard. Adding insulation immediately above is not a bad idea. Mine stays on all year round - warm in winter, cool in summer.

I'd also note that crownboards don't need holes.
Holes let the warmth out if you don't close them off.

Feeder boards and clearer boards have holes, and so don't make good crownboards.
The compromise all-in-one board is a poor compromise.

 

[lorrick]

Well I think the Telescopic roof has it, thanks

 

[BeeJayBee]

Make a telescoping roof out of 50mm kingspan/celotex/reticel. make the sides long enough to reach the top of the entrance.

Have you read Dave Cushman's page about top insulation and ventilation? http://www.dave-cushman.net/bee/ventilation.html

 

[pargyle]

Errr, not really.

Celotex 50mm foil-faced from Wickes 1200x450 fits in the car.
http://www.wickes.co.uk/invt/190546
£5.59
Pricey?

It's about a third better in terms of its insulation value as well - good product and car sized sheets as well (They do sell larger sheets but take something to cut it down with ! - Not good on a roof rack, tends to fold up and break - Personal Experience ....

 

[lorrick]

Thanks BeeJoyful, It was an interesting read, I will make up a similar system.
Thank you

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

It's about a third better in terms of its insulation value as well - good product and car sized sheets as well (They do sell larger sheets but take something to cut it down with ! - Not good on a roof rack, tends to fold up and break - Personal Experience ....

Just cut them all to size in the car park before taking them home

 

[user 6228]

Have you read Dave Cushman's page about top insulation and ventilation? http://www.dave-cushman.net/bee/ventilation.html

I might have some time ago ... the ideas i have arent new some of them are at least 130 years old I just do them with new materials and scientific measuresment.

The deep telescoping roof is a easy add on to a wooden hive... I would guess that DC would approve

 

[user 6228]

It's about a third better in terms of its insulation value as well - good product and car sized sheets as well (They do sell larger sheets but take something to cut it down with ! - Not good on a roof rack, tends to fold up and break - Personal Experience ....

reticell if bought 2 sheets at a time doesnt break up

 

[Tom Bick]

I'd also note that crownboards don't need holes.
Holes let the warmth out if you don't close them off.

Feeder boards and clearer boards have holes, and so don't make good crownboards.
The compromise all-in-one board is a poor compromise.

I would agree with you if you don’t ever need to feed your bees in the autumn.

If you do feed your bees in the autumn then you will have to remove the crown board to fit one of your feeder boards and then breaking the propolis seal and giving the bees a lot of work to re-seal the feeder board, and what do you know they just finish and you remove the feeder board and back on with the crown board and another few days re-sealing, not to mention the disturbance to the bees.

So much simpler with a piece of plywood sitting over a feed hole and only a small propolis seal to break. Happy bees less disturbance less kit.

 

[itma]

I would agree with you if you don’t ever need to feed your bees in the autumn.

If you do feed your bees in the autumn then you will have to remove the crown board to fit one of your feeder boards and then breaking the propolis seal and giving the bees a lot of work to re-seal the feeder board, and what do you know they just finish and you remove the feeder board and back on with the crown board and another few days re-sealing, not to mention the disturbance to the bees.

So much simpler with a piece of plywood sitting over a feed hole and only a small propolis seal to break. Happy bees less disturbance less kit.

Tom, don't you fit your feeder/feeder board when you take off your Apiguard eke?

If there is a problem with my way, it is midwinter supplementary fondant feeding. However, if one is breaking the prop seal to apply oxalic ...

I think that if the crownboard is warm (well-insulated) and there's a bit of weight on the roof, reforming the prop seal isn't such a chore for the bees.

 

[Finman]

.
Breaking propolis seal does not harm colony.
They have been all broken 10 years with me when I add oxalic.
And your winter is not bad.

And I thought that we are discussing how to keep hives warm in these summer weathers.
It is not time to start wintering hives now. Winter has just finished.

 

[beeno]

Hi lorrick,
I have just recovered from your ordeal and I am also learning a lot from your experience, but that's what a forum is all about. I would leave them alone too. However, do look out for swarms, but what else is there to do on hols apart from taking the wife out for a slap up meal, after swarm hours of course! Just a thought, this queen that appeared beautifully marked with a yellow dot the day after your handiwork IMHO was probably the 2012 queen marked by previous owner. The 2013 colour is red and you have just taught me the importance of marking in the right colour scheme - then there can be no doubt.

 

[Hombre]

Tomorrow we have 25C.
Lilac is blooming and apple trees.

Today we have 12C . . . our climate is definitely different to yours . . . Brrrrrrr!
Apples are blooming though and the rape is still out.

 

[drstitson]

OP - Your split is basically a nuc. you've done it no favours shoving it in the middle of an empty brood box. could've gone into a 5-6 frame nuc box (pref poly) or in a dummied down BB with 1-2 frames max foundation. and insulation as per others.

 

[lorrick]

Hi Beeno
The yellow mark was made by me as I bought a yellow bee marker pen as I thought it would stand out more, As for the year/colour that is what I thought it was for but trying to find a Red dot on a dark bee seemed a bit daft to me as I am only starting and no one has any bees for miles, it just made sense to make it as visible as possible so I could find her quickly before it got cold. Sorry for ruining probably donkey's years of bee marking the only Queen I had was the one either that came with the swarm or the Virgin Queen I put back from the cardboard box, or the Queen that had hatched and I never noticed take your choice. No one had those bees before me, if they had and it was someones swarm that my friend overwintered for me then they where not marked as I saw the Queen before I marked her. As for the wife, I am house bound in my spare time ! (that's what I thought) finishing off the Fiddly bits of our self built newly completed extension. Only took Three years so I am paying my dues, as for the bees, I am feeding the smaller new colony as the weather is so c%^p here at the moment. How long do I have to keep the wife happy ? The bees are fine and being left alone, and I am using my sheet of Bee Keeping Acronyms a lot (BKAAL) still got to figure out what AS is.
Thanks

Richard

 

[alldigging]

Hi Beeno
The yellow mark was made by me as I bought a yellow bee marker pen as I thought it would stand out more,

Someone asked me the other day why a pollen colour was picked as a queen marking colour...

 

[VEG]

AS = Artificial Swarm
I use a bright pink to mark my queens regardless of year.

 

[alldigging]

AS = Artificial Swarm
I use a bright pink to mark my queens regardless of year.

Pen or paint?

 

[madasafish]

Dayglow orange...is ideal for those of us who are visually impaired... (half blind)