Winter Prep

[SWHives]

I use the maths as an approx. gauge if needing to feed but will physically check combs for stores and mentally calculate them to be sure.
Over the years I have got use to hefting and can tell when a hive is heavy enough as well.

One can feed bakers fondant (with no additives) and simply feed the weight needed, h20 is 20%. My long hive had 20lbs stores so I added 8.5kg/18.5lbs of BF to get the weight up, they will readily store it and my lot have demolished it in the week it has been in their. The plastic wrapper is pristine clean, even a vertical hive will also do so ( just pop the old very sticky/goopy wrapper under the CB in a shallow eke for a few days for a treat and it will be cleaned spotless).

Good idea. I will try and feed the syrup first. Also have some fondant I made, keeping it for emergency atm.

 

[user 819]

Watch out for the deadly HMF in the homemade then.

 

[SWHives]

Watch out for the deadly HMF in the homemade then.

The fondant was good, already fed some of it to the bees early September. What I didn't know is that HMF increases when fondant is stored. Probably best to use it up ASAP and make fresh in the winter if needed.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Probably best to use it up ASAP and make fresh in the winter if needed.

or even better, just buy a 12.5 kilo slab and store in an airtight container.
Life is too short.

 

[BernardBlack]

To answer question number 2, if you don't have a full 10 frame hive, i think it is best to reduce the space in the brood box so the bees have less space to heat. you can do it by dummy frames, however I would personally reduce the space in the hive with a poly panel, by closing off the rest of the brood box. As to how many frames of bees, if you check other threads, judging from more experienced beeks ( I am a new bee too) comments it is possible to over winter even a mini nuc (which I believe is about 3-4 frames of bees). Hopes this helps

My Brood box is 6 frames. I placed a follower board at the back of that, then 50mm insulation behind that.

Would I need to fill the excess space behind that?

And would I need to put a 50mm insulation sheet at the front of the hive as well?

 

[user 819]

Any space remaining is still a space to trap cold air.

 

[SWHives]

My Brood box is 6 frames. I placed a follower board at the back of that, then 50mm insulation behind that.

Would I need to fill the excess space behind that?

And would I need to put a 50mm insulation sheet at the front of the hive as well?

You don't need to fill the empty space, if you already closed off the bees/frames with the insulation board. Insulation on the front, I assume you mean the outside of the hive. If so, it is entirely up to you.

 

[BernardBlack]

You don't need to fill the empty space, if you already closed off the bees/frames with the insulation board. Insulation on the front, I assume you mean the outside of the hive. If so, it is entirely up to you.

———BROOD BOX———
FRAMES
FRAMES
FRAMES
FOLLOWER BOARD
INSULATION
[SPACE]
———BROOD BOX———


That’s the order when looking at brood box from the back.

Just wondered whether to add another 50mm insulation between the brood box front wall and the first frame. (Might actually close the space at the back of the brood box by doing so)

 

[user 819]

———BROOD BOX———
FRAMES
FRAMES
FRAMES
FOLLOWER BOARD
INSULATION
[SPACE]
———BROOD BOX———


That’s the order when looking at brood box from the back.

Just wondered whether to add another 50mm insulation between the brood box front wall and the first frame. (Might actually close the space at the back of the brood box by doing so)

It won't hurt to do so if a wooden BB, but importantly 50mm or so directly on the CB will help. Then any condensation that forms on the two sides at the top can run nicely down and out.

 

[Jules59]

40lbs of 2:1 syrup by weight = approx. 32 - 34lbs of stores.
2:1 is approx. 67% sucrose /33% water, for sealed stores bees need to reduce moisture by 13- 15% for 20/18% moisture content.

Approx. 48lbs of 2:1 by weight is approx. 40lbs of stores. For approx. conversion rate 15% is the difference once moisture is reduced.

Thanks for this.
I measure out my 2:1 by volume. So by my reckoning...
630ml (0.63L) of water weighs 0.63Kg. Dissolving in 1Kg of sugar increases the total volume by 0.6L to 1.230L and this 2:1 syrup now weighs 1.63kg .
So the density of 2:1 is 1.63kg/1.23L = 1.325Kg/L
If 1kg of stores are required then that needs 1.18kg 2:1 syrup (15% conversion), which is 0.89L. Or 0.94L for 20% conversion.
Thus 1L of 2:1 syrup gives a bit more than 1Kg of stores.

Please correct me if I've gone wrong somewhere