Open mesh floor versus solid floors?

[madasafish]

Resurrecting this thread, have just built 4 new Lang floors. Three are solid and one is OMF with bottom entrance. (I already have 4 with OMF and standard entrances) .

Will be interested to see what if any differences I see over the next couple of years..(if I am still alive of course

 

[oliver90owner]

That might be as much as '12 colony winters' and possibly as many as '16 colony summers'. Certainly better than '5 colony minutes', but likely not particularly conclusive with the many variables to be taken into account. Still far better than taking none into account, I suppose!

RAB

 

[user 6228]

I get asked this one alot

The short answer:

From measuremments and fluid dynamics : You can make a high heat loss hive with solid floors or open mesh and you can make a low heat loss hive with solid floors or open mesh.
Whether you get high heat loss or low heat loss is down to details of the design, location and use and is not a simple "Open versus Solid"

Which, High or low heat loss, do you have? you ask. To answer that have to measure the hive conductance.

 

[madasafish]

50mm Insulated floors and sides..and 100mm celotex on roof on top of 18mm wood.

 

[Finman]

50mm Insulated floors and sides..and 100mm celotex on roof on top of 18mm wood.

No, not at all.

Insulated floor and door open. Try at home how it feels. Cold air comes via door onto your insulated floor.

 

[Thymallus]

No, not at all.

Insulated floor and door open. Try at home how it feels. Cold air comes via door onto your insulated floor.

We can always return to storing hives in our cellars over winter, as they did in some regions of the States back in the 1900's. Totally out of the wind and cold. You can even stoke up a boiler in there to keep the ambient temperature up to where you want it to be.

 

[Thymallus]

Cold air comes via door onto your insulated floor.

Finman, do you seal your entrances up for your winters?

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Finman, do you seal your entrances up for your winters?

hmmm wishful thinking

 

[madasafish]

At times, I regret posting..

 

[Hivemaker.]

We can always return to storing hives in our cellars over winter, as they did in some regions of the States back in the 1900's.

Not in cellars, but in big temperature and humidity controlled sheds in Canada today.http://stepplerfarms.com/Honeyblog/?page_id=2164

 

[Thymallus]

Not in cellars, but in big temperature and humidity controlled sheds in Canada today.http://stepplerfarms.com/Honeyblog/?page_id=2164

Interesting. So it still goes on today.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Not in cellars, but in big temperature and humidity controlled sheds in Canada today.http://stepplerfarms.com/Honeyblog/?page_id=2164

do they put little twigs in front of the entrances so the bees know they've moved?

 

[Finman]

.
Canada has -40C temps. Even we do not have such.

 

[Finman]

Finman, do you seal your entrances up for your winters?

Entrances must be open that sick bees can come out to die.
And bees need fresh air.

 

[Thymallus]

Entrances must be open that sick bees can come out to die.
And bees need fresh air.

Thanks, that's what I thought, but better to check.
So no matter how much insulation you add to a hive, there will always be an entrance for cold air.

 

[Finman]

.
And I have solid floor, and upper entrance is very necessary in that system.

20 kg winter food generates 14 kg water. It must find its way out in plastic hive.

If snow close the main entrance, bees get air via upper entrance, which is in front wall.

There are many systems in Finland, and each is the best, if you ask from the beekeeper.

 

[For want of a better word]

There are many systems in Finland, and each is the best, if you ask from the beekeeper.


Finland... leading manufacturers of match sticks ( Do they make anything else?)

Yeghes da

 

[Finman]

Finland... leading manufacturers of match sticks ( Do they make anything else?)

Yeghes da

Swedish Match bought last factory 1995 and moved it to Far East. Since that we have done nothing .. Do nothing industry. We all know that Money is not everything.

 

[For want of a better word]

Swedish Match bought last factory 1995 and moved it to Far East. Since that we have done nothing .. Do nothing industry. Money is not everything.

At least you can celebrate Sibelius's birthday !

Yeghes da

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

At least you can celebrate Sibelius's birthday !

Yeghes da

but not with a bonfire as they no longer have the means to light it