Ventilation

[Rory Fields]

Im s

a few occasionally - my name's Emyr by the way

I'm so sorry! I'm utterly ignorant on Welsh names, apologies!

 

[pargyle]

Im s

I'm so sorry! I'm utterly ignorant on Welsh names, apologies!

Shouldn't worry - he's been called worse. One member insisted on calling me Plymouth - can't think why - for a few years !

 

[ericbeaumont]

Plymouth - can't think why

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plymouth_Argyle_F.C.

 

[JamezF]

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plymouth_Argyle_F.C.

I was assuming there was a certain amount of sarcasm in Philip's response

James

 

[ericbeaumont]

certain amount of sarcasm

Early-hours thinking...

 

[JamezF]

Early-hours thinking...

I try to avoid such behaviour by getting up late.

James

 

[user 6228]

I kindly beg to differ, I think the argument is so long because beekeeping in one area is not the same as another. It is important that a beekeeper take advice from those within their local area especially on ventilation or winter preps.

With us, ventilation is very important and can be key to the bees winter survival. Too much and the cold can kill, too little and the moisture can kill.

ventilation is needed and also has low thermal impact when heat loss is high. Heat loss is the product of conductance and temperature difference. in cold winter climates substantially more Insulation is needed to achieve the same low level of heat loss that allows top vents to be closed.

 

[B_north]

in cold winter climates substantially more Insulation is needed to achieve the same low level of heat loss that allows top vents to be closed.

I ran one of my hives last winter with no top vent. We are advised to use top vents in order to keep the moisture down.
I found that a 10" depth of top insulation and 2.5" around the sides allowed me to keep the top vent closed and only use a bottom.
This hive consumed significantly less feed thru the winter. This is not a scientific test to be sure, as I am no scientist, but it showed me that hives without a top vent will not die, in my area, from excess moisture if they are properly prepared.

 

[Erichalfbee]

I found that a 10" depth of top insulation and 2.5" around the sides allowed me to keep the top vent closed and only use a bottom.

One thing I've learned is that bees eat less in poly over winter and that top insulation has always to be better than sides so that any moisture condenses on sides rather than above the bees

 

[Gilberdyke John]

I try to avoid such behaviour by getting up late.

James

One job I was on was held up awaiting the plasterers. Eventually they appeared and breezily told everyone they apologized for the hold up but because they were late they would leave early to avoid being late twice in one day.

 

[user 6228]

I ran one of my hives last winter with no top vent. We are advised to use top vents in order to keep the moisture down.
I found that a 10" depth of top insulation and 2.5" around the sides allowed me to keep the top vent closed and only use a bottom.
This hive consumed significantly less feed thru the winter. This is not a scientific test to be sure, as I am no scientist, but it showed me that hives without a top vent will not die, in my area, from excess moisture if they are properly prepared.

It can be derived from the work on the ventilation of rooms Lane-Serff GF et al. 2012 Emptying non-adiabatic filling boxes: the effects of heat transfers on the fluid dynamics of natural ventilation. J. Fluid Mech. 701, 386–406. (doi:10.1017/ jfm.2012.164) (very technical)
I attempted a popular science explanation in Mitchell, D. 2017. Honey bee engineering: Top ventilation and top entrances. American Bee Journal. 157(8), pp.887–889.
Or you can find Tom Seeley talking about it on Youtube Link about 53 minutes in.

 

[pargyle]

Or you can find Tom Seeley talking about it on Youtube Link about 53 minutes in.

We will make a beekeeper of you yet Derek !

 

[Michael Palmer]

Ventilation? Oh oh. Please don't throw tomatoes at me when I mention how important ventilation and upper entrances are in my climate.

 

[Erichalfbee]

Ventilation? Oh oh. Please don't throw tomatoes at me when I mention how important ventilation and upper entrances are in my climate.

Bread rolls if you’re polite eggs if you really mean it in the U.K.

 

[Rory Fields]

I try to avoid such behaviour by getting up late.

James

It doesn't always work - all those messages you've been spamming me with waxing lyrical about the sting-relieving properties of toothpaste like I told you to try ;-p Must've been typing in your sleep? 'Thanks for the tip' would've been enough, the flowers were too much fella!

 

[Rob H]

Shouldn't worry - he's been called worse. One member insisted on calling me Plymouth - can't think why - for a few years !

Your lucky it wasn't GUZZ as that was the call sign for Plymouth during WW2 - Golf Uniform Zulu Zulu