Snow shrinkback from polys

[Chris B]

I just check the garden hives and noticed snow had shrunk back in a way that indicated heat loss through the mesh floors at least as much as through the entrance. It proves all alive though.
I still haven't put woodpecker netting up = a little damage in pic. 4.

 

[madasafish]

Dark hive parts absorb more sunlight than snow (which reflects light) and assist melting.

 

[Hivemaker.]

Interesting Chris,regards the heat loss through the floor.

 

[Dishmop]

Bring them indoors and save on your heating bills....

 

[blackbrood]

nice shots, thanks for sharing.

 

[jean]

When a hive is completely covered by snow, and the snow begins to melt, you always notice after the roof has cleared that there is a gap between the hive walls and the snow. The bees that want to go out leave the hive by climbing up the hive wall.

 

[PaleoPerson]

Heat rises. If you have heat loss through the floor, then inside and above it must be nice and warm.

 

[RoofTops]

Do you leave the feeders on all winter? Is this for fondant?

 

[Onge]

Do you leave the feeders on all winter? Is this for fondant?

That's what I was thinking.

 

[victor meldrew]

When a hive is completely covered by snow, and the snow begins to melt, you always notice after the roof has cleared that there is a gap between the hive walls and the snow. The bees that want to go out leave the hive by climbing up the hive wall.

Used to talk to an old guy in Canada on amateur radio ,he maintained that he used to pile snow that had shrunk from the walls of his house back in contact because it helped insulate against the cold !

John Wilkinson

 

[jimbeekeeper]

Snow is about R1 per inch, compared to bricks at about R0.5 per inch (but more thermal mass) Polystyeren isabout R5 per inch.

I still view thermal reistance in imperial units, like wise for pipe dimaters I still work in inches, but volumes I use metric...I realy do mix up my units.

 

[Chris B]

Do you leave the feeders on all winter? Is this for fondant?

Not usually. This lot were all fed late and I never got around to removing them. But if I had enough feeders for 1 per hive I might leave them on by choice to save lugging around and storage.
Some also have fondant in the shallow boxes.

 

[Bee-Key-Pur]

I had a bit of shrink back my self today while I was checking the hives, never mind poly, I think it must be the cold!!!!

Brian.

 

[jimbeekeeper]

I had a bit of shrink back my self today

Yes it has been quite cold. Have your tried long-johns

 

[Bee-Key-Pur]

Good reply, thanks for the tip....

 

[Dishmop]

Good reply, thanks for the tip....

or you could try some of Jimbeekeepers WD40 and duct tape.

 

[margob99]

I stuck my nose practically right into the tiny entrance, and spotted a couple of live ones. Nice to see they're alive

 

[Hivemaker.]

Thought i would just do an experiment to check on heat loss via a mesh floor, compared to solid. Athough only with bulbs,i intend to do another with full colonys,will be interesting to see the variation in this as well,and to see how much warm air gets sucked out the bottom by the wind.

Two new,near identical cedar hives,roofs with no vents,crown boards with open feed hole,brood boxs,frames,some empty, some full but equal,and one with a solid floor,one with open mesh.

Two hives are stood side by side on a 10" stand,with a pair of accurate matched thermometers, placed in the same position on top of each crown board,and a large fan placed a few ft in front,and central to both hives to simulate a light wind.
Inside in the center of each hive is a 150 watt bulb to act as heat source.

After 1 hour with fan facing entrance on hive with mesh floor the temp is 17c

After 1 hour with fan facing entrance on hive with solid floor the temp is 29c

Another hour but with hives turned so wind direction would be from rear,

open mesh 17c
solid.. 26c

 

[wightbees]

But is it not just the temp but also the ventilation that helps the bees ?

 

[drstitson]

difference between a bulb and bee cluster is that the latter loses only relatively little heat into the surrounding hive.

bees need to "rest" whilst no significant food sources in nature for them or the weather is inclement.