keeping bees in the winter

[bluesman]

can anyone let me know if they keep their bees at high altitude in winter? if you do how do you keep them sheltered through winter months ? bluesman

 

[Jimmy]

Can't really answer your question but keeping bees at altitude is no problem, see here:

http://www.beekeepingforum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=8925&highlight=val+thorens

Finman (username, search for his posts about beekeeping in Finland although he's gone strangely quiet of late) also has some images of his hives buried deep in the snow for prolonged periods of time.
Cold doesn't bother bees that much provided it is broken up with spells of milder weather allowing them to go on cleansing flights, gather water, follow the stores within the hive etc. It's the prolonged dampness of UK winters that cause more problems.
Plenty of people on here add extra insulation - polystyrene insert in the roof, an empty super underneath a single BB national, poly hives.

 

[bluesman]

thanks jimmy -good info

 

[huntsman666]

Exactly the same as lower altitude.

 

[drstitson]

600m.
snow upto shoulder high at times.

only special treatment (apart from usual block of insulation on top) is to use the raised edge crownboards to block entrance porches when snow on ground - stops bees getting confused and coming out willy nilly but still leaves a small round hole for them to venture out if warm - the crownboards fit perfectly across the porch and the loose metal edges of the roof piece hold them in place.

AFAIK finman uses (or has been known to use) low wattage heater pads in his weakest nucs to keep them happy - you can get 12v ones for welping purposes.
(although presume they would hamper airflow through OMF.)

 

[rbaz]

When we were in the French Alps last winter there where bee hives all over the place -17 at times during the day. They didn’t appear to any more insulated than normal the snow maybe is a good enough insulator.

 

[bluesman]

awesome thanks for the tip!!!!

 

[Juststarting]

Mine over wintered last year without problem (and hopefully this year) at 1100 ft and on quite exposed site. They are in polyhives though.

 

[user 3204]

FWIW - We're not awfully high at about 900 feet but it does make a difference to the seasons and temperatures so.....

As has been said not the temperature but more ventilation and protection.

Other than careful Apiary site consideration.....

I have omfs and also add a super below BB to keep the cluster out of drafts, frost and damp.

There is often a super of food on the op of BB as well without QX to allow slow but free movement of mass to find stores.

If it's really looking cold I might add a layer of insulation under roof, over Crown board, with a small vent.

All hives came through last Winter this way with perpetual -17 degree temps.

HTH

 

[drstitson]

"awesome thanks for the tip!!!"

you're welcome but you do need to have proper porches and raised sided crownboards. otherwise remember to lean a board over the entrance when snow on ground. first pic shows crownboard in place. second shows the porches.

 

[Juststarting]

I like the use of a crownboard as a entrance cover to reduce snow glare - much more elegant than my assoted pits and pieces of timber!

 

[bluesman]

thanks thats some good tips -i really dont want to move them from where they are now -in the south wales mountains -opposite sugar loaf mountain-

 

[bluesman]

thanks for the pics -got a beta idea of what you ment -thax again