Summer's over?

[Popparand]

Looks like today's the last day of the summer. Bees still bringing in pollen and nectar but tomorrow's forecast temps in single figures, and rain and wind on the way. So I guess they'll be thinking about clustering soon, and that will be that for the year. What a cracking summer it's been though, and fingers crossed for next year!

 

[Beekeepers Promise]

Can I ask a quick question re my 2 hives this is my first winter and I am thinking of insulating my 2 hives. I have everything ready. When should I do it, I have been checking the weather and seeing what is coming and it is dropping.
My hives are in my garden in a sheltered position and sunny I am worried about wrapping them up early to soon and making them too hot.
It was cold last night and we are by natural drainage ponds and the nights get cold and damp
Can someone advice me please

 

[enrico]

It doesn't matter cos they will regulate the temperature . If it is mild in the hive they usemore energy. If it is warm they use less
E

 

[MartinL]

Winter draws on then?

Whatever happened to Autumn!
Is this what happens when the Beeb move Autumn Watch across the pond?

 

[Beekeepers Promise]

Thank you Enrico so would you suggest wrapping them up now? As the temperature is dropping??

 

[enrico]

It really doesn't matter. Now or never! For years we never added insulation, intact we left the hives with through ventilation. Now we insulate sometimes just over the crown board and sometimes with whole hives such as poly hives.
I haven't added mine yet.I add a celtex roof if it is very cold but down here that is not necessarily annually. I have all my roofs insulated all year.
Sorry if that sounds offish. It isn't meant to
E

 

[MartinL]

Thank you Enrico so would you suggest wrapping them up now? As the temperature is dropping??

If they have good stores they should be fine.
If you're worried it doesn't matter when as long as it's before the temp really drops.
The important thing is to resist disturbing them by poking around before spring!

 

[linoleum bonypart]

Roofs insulated all year also

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

would you suggest wrapping them up now?

I wouldn't 'wrap them up' at all - Christmas is a long way off.
Just put a slab of 50mm celotex above the (hole less) crown board and that will be ample.

 

[Ian123]

As above close any hole in the crown board and stick some celotex in roof, insure all boxes are sound and aligned correctly. That’s about it apart from a heft every fortnight or so

 

[Erichalfbee]

........

 

[oliver90owner]

Last day of summer? It’been autumn for the last month!

Iv’e seen pollen being taken in on Christmas eve, before now.

I have 14 x 12s and don’t bother to heft until February, if the brood box is topped up with stores now.

 

[beebopper]

Thank you Enrico so would you suggest wrapping them up now? As the temperature is dropping??

Do it now if you are going to do it. You will get different answers as some do not believe in insulating whilst others swear by it. I insulate the roof which seems to work for me.
PS Your not far from me so our conditions should be quite similar. Good luck and don't stress about it.

 

[Finman]

. I insulate the roof which seems to work for me.
.

But we cannot say then that hive is insulated. IT only hinders the condensation water to dribble onto the cluster.

In my country all hives are insulated 150 years. No need to talk about it.

Polyhives have good insulation and they give a good spring build up to normal colonies. That is an important thing.

 

[beebopper]

But we cannot say then that hive is insulated. IT only hinders the condensation water to dribble onto the cluster.

In my country all hives are insulated 150 years. No need to talk about it.

Polyhives have good insulation and they give a good spring build up to normal colonies. That is an important thing.

I now use mainly polyhives but that was not the issue the post raised.

 

[Finman]

I now use mainly polyhives but that was not the issue the post raised.

.

However you have insulated hives mainly.

......These issues jump sometimes to where ever fascinating things.

We got in Central Finland 10-20 cm snow. And car collisions.

 

[beebopper]

.

However you have insulated hives mainly.

......These issues jump sometimes to where ever fascinating things.

We got in Central Finland 10-20 cm snow. And car collisions.

Your conditions are different to southern England. I get that is going to be less forgiving. The sometimes is simply because I don't always have enough kingspan and am too tight to buy a whole sheet of it if I have one uninsulated hive.

 

[oliver90owner]

Too tight? I bought over 20 square metres of 100mm thick insulation (similar to kingspan) for just over fifty quid last year. Enough to insulate over fifty hives - even though thicker than necessary and ignoring the offcuts. Not used on hives, mind - it keeps the inside of my workshop warm and dry with minimal heat input.

 

[Podilia]

Summer is not over here, though this week was cold, windy and rainy. But the weather appears to be improving and the following week will be warm and sunny again if we believe in the forecast. North west wind has been changed by south. Today bees even brought some pollen that is rare for this time of year.

As for insulation, I don't use any and so do many other beekeepers here. But some use special basements or other shelters for their colonies to overwinter especially in the East where winter is more continental and severe.

 

[Finman]

.
On what part of Ukraine you live. IT is a big country. What is nearest town?