Turn those hives...

[Haughton Honey]

At this time of year you'll very often find that the brood nest has moved towards one side of the hive and away from a good portion of the hive's stores. Particularly if there's a prevailing wind.

To help avoid isolation starvation consider turning your hives 180 degrees.

 

[REDWOOD]

I don't agree with you on this one, I find that the cluster will move together to the other side if they are healthy. Isolation starvation is another name for a dwindling colony.

 

[jfullerton]

I don't agree with you on this one, I find that the cluster will move together to the other side if they are healthy. Isolation starvation is another name for a dwindling colony.

 

[Finman]

At this time of year you'll very often find that the brood nest has moved towards one side of the hive and away from a good portion of the hive's stores. Particularly if there's a prevailing wind.

To help avoid isolation starvation consider turning your hives 180 degrees.

Reason is that colony is too small to that wintering space. Turning is a mistake.

Colony may bee good size in September, but varroa reduces the size when it violates winterbrood.

Your have lots of commercial hives. Watch out varroa.
.

 

[oliver90owner]

Cris may have a point, but later in the winter, perhaps?

Only turn the boxes, not the floor (so the entrance remains in the same direction)?

Bees are not stupid and will always cluster in the warmer side of the hive, given a choice - there being sufficient stores on that side, of course.

Far better to improve the insulation, I think.

I most noticeably encountered this problem, several years ago, with a hive that could not easily be turned around. It was a Dartington situated in a shelterecd position from the wind and well insulated with 50mm polystyrene on both sides of the hive body as well as the normal top and end insulation around the 'living' area.

Unfortunately the outer insulation slipped on one side and the colony went into spring expansion with brood on virtually all the frames but only on one half of each - the other side being still stacked out with stores.

I would agree that strong, healthy colonies will find those stores, but it does reinforce the argument for well insulated winter accommodation.

 

[Finman]

I would agree that strong, healthy colonies will find those stores, but it does reinforce the argument for well insulated winter accommodation.

It does not help, if you do not reduce enough wintering space.
Key word: dummy board. And material styrofoam.

In spring build up this is the most important.

 

[Haughton Honey]

I've just been through a few apiaries and found that will this excessive weather we've been having that many 'mongrel queen' colonies (i.e. not bought-in Buckfast etc) had shifted to far corners away from the prevailing wind direction.

I had this discussion with another bee farmer a few weeks ago and he was also of the opinion that it's you're darker natives that are prone to this.

You're quite right to correct me regarding turning the brood box and leaving the floor in situ O9O, although I've turned both bb and floor before with little impact. The former is probably more appropriate though.

We're using cedar Commercials, so obviously less insulated than poly hives.

 

[beebot]

What excessive weather are you talking about. Never known such a mild autumn where I am anyway.

 

[For want of a better word]

What excessive weather are you talking about. Never known such a mild autumn where I am anyway.

Apparently Cheshire and the Lake district had a bit of unseasonable wind and a lot of rain recently.

Yeghes da

 

[beebot]

Apparently Cheshire and the Lake district had a bit of unseasonable wind and a lot of rain recently.

Yeghes da

Why would that matter? You would not expect them to be foraging anyway. Wind will have cooling effect but that would be balanced by the relatively high temperature.

 

[Finman]

Why would that matter? You would not expect them to be foraging anyway. Wind will have cooling effect but that would be balanced by the relatively high temperature.

That does not help if the colony occupy only part of hive room.
Winter cluster has about 23C and heat escapes to the empty space.

High temperature in Britain.... Well. When?

.

 

[beebot]

High temperature in Britain.... Well. When?

.[/quote]

Relatively you muppet.

 

[oliver90owner]

Why would that matter?

If you had given it the slightest amount of thought, you might have realised that this thread is about differences of internal temperatures, not the external temperature.

Think here that the rain will impinge on the windward side more than the leeward. Also, the wind will evaporate that water with a loss of the required latent heat of evaporation energy, some taken from that side of the hive fabric.

Cheshire has different weather than Kent and there are other differences, as well. Lots that individuals don't seem to comprehend or, apparently, even think about.

 

[madasafish]

Apparently Cheshire and the Lake district had a bit of unseasonable wind and a lot of rain recently.

Yeghes da

North Staffs has been warmer and wetter than normal.. but no more windy than usual for this time of year..

I never rotate hives..extra work with no guaranteed result.

 

[Finman]

North Staffs has been warmer and wetter than normal.. but no more windy than usual for this time of year..

I never rotate hives..extra work with no guaranteed result.

Bees must find their entrance at same place always, even when it is winter, when they drop out sometimes

 

[beebot]

Why would that matter?

If you had given it the slightest amount of thought, you might have realised that this thread is about differences of internal temperatures, not the external temperature.

Think here that the rain will impinge on the windward side more than the leeward. Also, the wind will evaporate that water with a loss of the required latent heat of evaporation energy, some taken from that side of the hive fabric.

Cheshire has different weather than Kent and there are other differences, as well. Lots that individuals don't seem to comprehend or, apparently, even think about.

So clever. Thank you.

So you would expect them have burnt up a substantial amount of stores with the weather conditions so far.

 

[oliver90owner]

So you would expect them have burnt up a substantial amount of stores with the weather conditions so far.

Clearly not read my post earlier in the thread, or not understood it, or not given it the merest of thought?

Of course, substantial is rather a subjective term - it may depend on the starting point/situation. I suggest you go back to my earlier post and work it out for yourself. It is startingly clear, when you think about it.

 

[Finman]

.
IT is better to find such hive site, which do not demand special jobs.
I gather my hives to cottage yeard for Winter. IT is easier than visit on remote places.

 

[pargyle]

So you would expect them have burnt up a substantial amount of stores with the weather conditions so far.

Clearly not read my post earlier in the thread, or not understood it, or not given it the merest of thought?

Of course, substantial is rather a subjective term - it may depend on the starting point/situation. I suggest you go back to my earlier post and work it out for yourself. It is startingly clear, when you think about it.

Yep ... It's a problem I haven't faced (yet) as my apiary is very sheltered and with well insulated hives the bees don't seem to worry too much. But, I help look after a couple of cedar hives which are in a very exposed corner of a field - I've always said they were on the wrong side of the hedge in winter, brilliant in summer when the sun is there but really catch the weather in winter - so I'll be watching out for this with all the wet windy weather we have had lately.

Very informative thread - thanks to all the positive contributors.

 

[Hawklord]

That does not help if the colony occupy only part of hive room.

A colony in Winter is only going to occupy part of the brood box due to the die off of old bees. When supers are cleared at the end of the harvest it is difficult to get them all into 1 box but the colony will be nowhere near this big until late Spring.