Stand height for wintering poly nucs

[DaveG23]

Would love to hear the thoughts of experience on how best to overwinter polynucs with mesh floors. I am interested if people see a difference in the height off the ground, e.g. using a typical wooden hive stand, leaving them low down, e.g. a pallet, blocking mesh floors, or whether it makes no difference.

Where i live it is damp, often torrential rain for days, and very windy both in terms of a typical day and lots of winter storms from the atlantic.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

My nucs go on the same stands as the hives, 18" tall, consisting of two rails so free air circulation under the OMF's

 

[Erichalfbee]

Nucs on hive stand.
Overwintering ones are all on underfloor entrances with half the mesh area solid.

 

[madasafish]

Nucs on hive stand BUT OMF closed up as we often get 30mph+ winds, gales, very heavy mists/rain and frosts..
Nucs on the ground are a nono due to damp.

 

[drex]

Ordinary stands. Make my own, so that top of brood box is at hand height when I am standing, lessens back strain during inspections

 

[DaveG23]

Thanks for the responses so far. This year I have 4 nucs currently balanced on an old butter box/hive and a deep roof. Last few years nucs have been put on slabs on the ground overwinter. Will be making some new double stands (have an old futon base that needs a new use). Will use those stands this year, will have to tie the stands down somehow.

 

[fiat500bee]

This year I have 4 nucs currently balanced on an old butter box/hive and a deep roof.

I have a load of surplus 100mm thick concrete blocks from our house build; they are 440 x 215mm. As a quick-fix stand for a new hive I placed two of them on the long, narrow edge with two more placed flat across the top as a base.....a squat, mini Stonehenge. It took about 90 seconds to achieve and on flat ground was near perfectly level first attempt. It was so easy I placed an identical setup next to it as a stand for hive manipulations or holding a water-drinker. The base of the hive is therefore 315mm of the ground, the blocks can take a lot of weight, they provide an extremely dense piece of ballast should I wish to strap it all down and they can be moved or more likely, replicated, at any other suitable place.

 

[Murox]

Unless you are on really rocky ground or pure sand these corkscrew type ground anchors will hold a hive down with straps.

 

[bobba]

In the winter in my garden I often get a mist/fog layer particularly in the mornings. When making my hive stands I made them to keep the hives above this layer.

I figured in nature bees usually go for higher places so probably wont appreciate ground mist/fog. And you hear the old mantra, its damp not cold that kills bees.

I just think if bees were at pallet height, the mist would roll straight in, then if it frosts over...

However after lifting heavy supers on and off I am considering short stands this summer for my main hives, but for a nuc I would go with a tall stand.

So I think it depends on the location as to what height stands you need. I would say tall enough to keep out of ground fog in your location but as short as you can get away with.

This is based on my own speculation, I have no evidence to suggest this way is the best and I have only overwintered bees once.

fiat500bee, Your blocks may hold thermal energy too, helping to warm the hive for a while after the sun gos down.

 

[fiat500bee]

fiat500bee, Your blocks may hold thermal energy too, helping to warm the hive for a while after the sun gos down.

Excellent point about the concrete blocks.

 

[madasafish]

Excellent point about the concrete blocks.

And of course will keep you hive cold in a frost after the sun comes out...

 

[madasafish]

My actual stand heights are 20 to 30cms. I find (using Lang jumbos) with the taller stand I need ladders to safely add/remove supers above four high... (five high on the lower stands).

(I use a folding three step kitchen ladder which is easily carried and stable on grass)

 

[fiat500bee]

And of course will keep you hive cold in a frost after the sun comes out...

Excellent point about concrete blocks.

 

[Murox]

My actual stand heights are 20 to 30cms. I find (using Lang jumbos) with the taller stand I need ladders to safely add/remove supers above four high... (five high on the lower stands).

(I use a folding three step kitchen ladder which is easily carried and stable on grass)

The height does depend to some extent on how long your legs are ; but I really liked your idea of the folding 'kitchen step' ladder, guess it makes a good seat as well.

 

[DaveG23]

Unless you are on really rocky ground or pure sand these corkscrew type ground anchors will hold a hive down with straps.

Thanks - will look in to those. The sight of a pallet flying across the garden last winter has focused my mind on securing any stands I make!

 

[DaveG23]

I have a load of surplus 100mm thick concrete blocks from our house build; they are 440 x 215mm. As a quick-fix stand for a new hive I placed two of them on the long, narrow edge with two more placed flat across the top as a base.....a squat, mini Stonehenge. It took about 90 seconds to achieve and on flat ground was near perfectly level first attempt. It was so easy I placed an identical setup next to it as a stand for hive manipulations or holding a water-drinker. The base of the hive is therefore 315mm of the ground, the blocks can take a lot of weight, they provide an extremely dense piece of ballast should I wish to strap it all down and they can be moved or more likely, replicated, at any other suitable place.

The hives I keep at my father in laws are all on a similar set up, maybe a bit higher, he decided years ago that concrete was better than wood in a wet environment and has lots of permanent stands made in this way, most of them are no good for strapping a poly nuc too, as the blocks have been cemented together..

I had 1 full hive at my own site, resting on 2 blocks last winter, worked well. But tried the same set up for a nuc, even with a strap under the 2 breeze blocks and around the nuc it blew over, so nuc went on to a large paving slab with the strap under the slab.

 

[DaveG23]

My actual stand heights are 20 to 30cms. I find (using Lang jumbos) with the taller stand I need ladders to safely add/remove supers above four high... (five high on the lower stands).

(I use a folding three step kitchen ladder which is easily carried and stable on grass)

If I ever get a problem with having more than 4 supers I will gladly find a solution!

 

[DaveG23]

In the winter in my garden I often get a mist/fog layer particularly in the mornings. When making my hive stands I made them to keep the hives above this layer.

I figured in nature bees usually go for higher places so probably wont appreciate ground mist/fog. And you hear the old mantra, its damp not cold that kills bees.

I just think if bees were at pallet height, the mist would roll straight in, then if it frosts over...

However after lifting heavy supers on and off I am considering short stands this summer for my main hives, but for a nuc I would go with a tall stand.

So I think it depends on the location as to what height stands you need. I would say tall enough to keep out of ground fog in your location but as short as you can get away with.

This is based on my own speculation, I have no evidence to suggest this way is the best and I have only overwintered bees once.

fiat500bee, Your blocks may hold thermal energy too, helping to warm the hive for a while after the sun gos down.

We dont have ground fog or frost to deal with, we do live in the cloud and mist for weeks at a time, but not much to do about that.

 

[bobba]

"And of course will keep you hive cold in a frost after the sun comes out... "

haha, I forgot it works both ways.

 

[bobthecob]

I have a load of surplus 100mm thick concrete blocks from our house build; they are 440 x 215mm. As a quick-fix stand for a new hive I placed two of them on the long, narrow edge with two more placed flat across the top as a base.....a squat, mini Stonehenge. It took about 90 seconds to achieve and on flat ground was near perfectly level first attempt. It was so easy I placed an identical setup next to it as a stand for hive manipulations or holding a water-drinker. The base of the hive is therefore 315mm of the ground, the blocks can take a lot of weight, they provide an extremely dense piece of ballast should I wish to strap it all down and they can be moved or more likely, replicated, at any other suitable place.

I do something a bit similar. Hollow blocks (very cheap but very strong) with paving slabs on top (or sometimes without). The hollow blocks allow a strap to be fastened through them easily, after which it would take something like a nuclear blast to knock the hive over.