winter prep pics

[blackie]

preparing for winter really worried about losing bees in my first year does any body else go to this extreme or am i paranoid?if so some pics would be nice.

 

[WelshPaul]

Sealed up for winter I take it?

 

[blackie]

worth a try

 

[Suzi Q]

I used the 14x12 eke and put some kingspan on top of the plastic crownboard. Also a strip in the feeder bit.

 

[blackie]

did they winter ok?

 

[oliver90owner]

Paranoid where the poly is concerned - if it is any good, it doesn't need any extra like that).

They can still expire if there are other sensible precautions are not taken or they are unhealthy, or a poor queen, etc etc.

 

[Finman]

.
I have never seen like that. Insulation + insulation...

I have here a little bit colder but we do not use that much material.

Bees surely do well there.

What means paranoid...dictionary ...No you are not paranoid. Just only stupid, like most of us. And most is same as normal.

However wiser than those match stick guys.

.

 

[Suzi Q]

did they winter ok?

Don't know yet hope so!

 

[itma]

How about Green Woodpecker proofing?

If they know (and some do, some don't) that hives mean lunch, then a cage of chickenwire (stood a few inches off the hive) can make all the difference.
They go through wood routinely, and poly is much easier.

Rare to see them here in town (never most years), but more rurally, if you really want to be paranoid - do the lot!

 

[BobsBees]

blackie
I hope this poly Hive has an OMF. If not surely they will not have much air.
Bob.

 

[VEG]

way over the top

 

[REDWOOD]

What about some barbed wire for unauthorized human intervention

 

[blackie]

poly has omf.

 

[protheroe]

going a tad overboard with the insulation.my 12mm ply nucs do well with insulation in the roof only,in britain theres really no need for any more.

 

[keith pierce]

Raise the hive up about 2 feet by placeing two two 9 inch cavity blocks under each corner of the pallet. It take it up from the damp ground, gives a better air flow and also away from easy access for slugs, mice, rats and all other sort of creepy crawlies.

 

[enrico]

Mine have a wooden hive and like it.......tough bees here in the welsh marches.....you will be giving them pillows and blankets next! They need to know its winter without poking their noses outside!

 

[isc26]

Remember damp is a worse enemy than cold.

Bees will respire & this will condense, if there is inadequate ventilation then the resulting damp will do harm.

Look at losses over the 09 & 10 winters, overall not to bad despite long & extreme cold for UK.

 

[Ely]

May do more harm than good. May be too warm to cluster and use all their stores before spring. I'd take it off. If it is a decent poly then extra insulation is silly.

 

[blackie]

i think il take them off then was worried becouse they were late swarms and didnt want to lose them .

 

[John_W]

first year worries..

I did the same with my national in my first year.. only had one hive and I added some pink foam blocks to the out side.

Almost every day I would go out and check and worried over the dead bees that were accumulating at the entrance.

I was unsure if they had enough stores and I put on loads of fondant too. They didn't eat half of it, and it just made a right old mess of the floor etc.

In the end they were fine, the foam was not required to be honest and that was with a wooden hive. If the bees get too hot, it means they are more active and will consume stores quicker and die faster.

And as you are in a poly nuc like some of mine I am over wintering you really shouldn't worry about cold.

But don't worry I am surely there are plenty of us in our first years who did the same, and will continue to do the same. Its a big worry when you only have one or two hives and they are your first.

I would relax and remove the extra as it is more likely to get in the way for your occasional check/top up fondant, if needed..