Lost colony

[richardbees]

matchsticks anyone?

...yes, me.

If condensation drops start to form under the glass of my hive with a glazed crownboard I slide roofing-felt nails under each corner. I've done it for years ........if the bees objected they'd propolise the gap in warm periods.

 

[pargyle]

matchsticks anyone?

...yes, me.

If condensation drops start to form under the glass of my hive with a glazed crownboard I slide roofing-felt nails under each corner. I've done it for years ........if the bees objected they'd propolise the gap in warm periods.

Perhaps Glass is the problem ... glass is a good conductor of heat (and cold) ... instead of giving more ventilation to solve the condensation problem you might think about converting to polycarbonate clear crown boards. I've got 8mm ones and they are sealed to the top of the hive .... despite a relative humidity in the low 80's during the damp weather since about November I've never seen a drop of condensation on the crown board.

 

[Dishmop]

If condensation drops start to form under the glass of my hive with a glazed crownboard

and the fairly obvious answer to cure this problem might also be not to use glass.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

and maybe due to the fact that the crown board is propped up there aren't any proper 'warm periods!'

 

[drstitson]

echo all the above.

the problem is the glass.

polycarbonate (or even ply), with no feeder holes and a decent block of insulation on top is the way to go.

No condensation and no need for ventilation.

as per JBM the bees'll only be able to propolise if not otherwise occupied trying to keep warm in the face of excess heat loss

 

[Dishmop]

I can understand the reason to want to use glass but wouldnt it be better that during the winter a piece of something esle was put on top ot the glass.

I cover the top box with a piece of hessian and a Warre design quilt box filled with wood shavings, and then a Warre type roof on top of that. Any water that drips off the roof doesnt run down the sides of the hive.
My 2 nucs that sit in the garden are on paving slabs with a big piece of Kingspan on top. I also have some of that bubble envelope packing stuff (comes in strips) packed around them. Due to the size of the Kingspan the rain that runs off drips well clear of the nucs and doesnt get between the packing and the hive.
The bees in the nucs are usually the first ones out and about when the weather suits them.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Yes, but putting insulation on top of the glass crown board would negate the chilling effect of the gaping hole left by the matchstick substitute - and we don't want that do we!

 

[thorn]

I'm thinking of trying matchsticks, but am unsure whether to use Swan Vestas or Bryant & May. Which do you recommend?

 

[Oscarmonster]

I'm thinking of trying matchsticks, but am unsure whether to use Swan Vestas or Bryant & May. Which do you recommend?

Only ever use BBKA approved matchsticks!

 

[pargyle]

I'm thinking of trying matchsticks, but am unsure whether to use Swan Vestas or Bryant & May. Which do you recommend?

Is that an inflammatory comment intended to ignite an argument ?

 

[Dishmop]

I'm thinking of trying matchsticks, but am unsure whether to use Swan Vestas or Bryant & May. Which do you recommend?

Doesnt matter.


None of them work if its windy.

Actually, gas lighters arent that good either.

 

[Dishmop]

Temperature controlled ventilation ducts.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Doesnt matter.

Actually, gas lighters arent that good either.

And are thicher, so leave a bigger gap!

 

[drstitson]

add to all the above decent deep sided roof.

 

[Dishmop]

And are thicher, so leave a bigger gap

Fill them with OA and with a system of timers and solenoids could be used to automatically administer treatment on New Years Day.

 

[Dishmop]

add to all the above decent deep sided roof.

facia maximus.

 

[Hebeegeebee]

FWIW Geohorn,
Seems to me you've been unluckier than most. If you made a mistake it was many months ago, and nothing to do with matchsticks. Fortunately for the rest of us our mistakes usually go unpunished as the bees correct things for us, leading us to think we are better beekeepers than we really are. Chin up! And consider getting two colonies going next time.

Agree.

The end of October is too late for varroa treatment and the large drop after Oxalic would indicate that. Varroa would have weakened the colony. With a mesh floor, I don't think matchsticks are helpful. - As Chris says, matchsticks wasn't the killer blow.

 

[drstitson]

"As Chris says, matchsticks wasn't the killer blow."

apart from possibly being an indicator of non-adherence to best practice?

 

[richardbees]

Dishmop

I.understand the reason to want to use glass but wouldnt it be better that during the winter a piece of something esle

All my other hives' crownboards are wood but this particular one was part of my first hive/colony bought from a retiring beekeeper in wimbledon about 25 yrs ago (£50 as I recall, including 2 supers, a nuc and a veil).

I enjoy keeping it going - and have never lost an over-wintering colony.

rich