RoseCottage
Field Bee
- Joined
- Dec 29, 2009
- Messages
- 718
- Reaction score
- 0
- Location
- Near Andover, UK
- Hive Type
- WBC
- Number of Hives
- From 5 to 2 and hopefully a better year
Hi,
I have been reading the various posts on closing down for Winter and what should be done etc.
I am left a little confused.
We have two WBC hives on a bench in a field facing North with a Spinney 3-4 feet behind them.
My winter shutdown plan is as follows:
1. Remove the miller feeder. This is sitting on a super. If the super is heavy with stores leave it on, if not consider removing it completely (or at least removing the empty frames and packing insulation in the gap) to reduce the chance of chilling.
An assumption is that the Deep BB has sufficient stores and that the Super is extra.
2. Remove the Queen Excluder.
3. Cover the crownboard with some insulation such as Spaceboard. The insulation would be around an inch in thickness.
4. Place the entrance blocks in. This will reduce the chance of unwanted visitors and also the amount of wind/rain that may enter the hive. Secure the entrance blocks with tape so that they cannot be jemmied easily out by a mouse etc.
5. Slide the varroa floor into the slot under the OMF (which leaves a small gap for air to circulate) and tape it in place at front. This would stop wind coming from the front of the hive funnelling up into the BB. Leaving the small gap across the back would allow air to circulate.
6. Strap the hives down to the bench they are on.
7. Turn the hives 45 degrees to face at an angle to the main field to try and break the straight flow of wind/rain at the hive entrance.
My threats to the girls are:
Cold, Wind, rain, and damp
Mice, deer, woodpeckers, and moths
So my plan seems to do quite a lot against Cold, Wind, rain, and damp. It does a little to protect against Mice and Deer. It does nothing to protect against Woodpeckers or Moth. I am relying on the double skin of a WBC to protect against Woodpeckers. I am assuming that I can do nothing to stop a Waxmouth crawling into the hive.
Do folks think that this is a sensible plan or have I missed something or perhaps misunderstood something. My confusion relates to the discussion around the OMF and winter.
All the best,
Sam.
I have been reading the various posts on closing down for Winter and what should be done etc.
I am left a little confused.
We have two WBC hives on a bench in a field facing North with a Spinney 3-4 feet behind them.
My winter shutdown plan is as follows:
1. Remove the miller feeder. This is sitting on a super. If the super is heavy with stores leave it on, if not consider removing it completely (or at least removing the empty frames and packing insulation in the gap) to reduce the chance of chilling.
An assumption is that the Deep BB has sufficient stores and that the Super is extra.
2. Remove the Queen Excluder.
3. Cover the crownboard with some insulation such as Spaceboard. The insulation would be around an inch in thickness.
4. Place the entrance blocks in. This will reduce the chance of unwanted visitors and also the amount of wind/rain that may enter the hive. Secure the entrance blocks with tape so that they cannot be jemmied easily out by a mouse etc.
5. Slide the varroa floor into the slot under the OMF (which leaves a small gap for air to circulate) and tape it in place at front. This would stop wind coming from the front of the hive funnelling up into the BB. Leaving the small gap across the back would allow air to circulate.
6. Strap the hives down to the bench they are on.
7. Turn the hives 45 degrees to face at an angle to the main field to try and break the straight flow of wind/rain at the hive entrance.
My threats to the girls are:
Cold, Wind, rain, and damp
Mice, deer, woodpeckers, and moths
So my plan seems to do quite a lot against Cold, Wind, rain, and damp. It does a little to protect against Mice and Deer. It does nothing to protect against Woodpeckers or Moth. I am relying on the double skin of a WBC to protect against Woodpeckers. I am assuming that I can do nothing to stop a Waxmouth crawling into the hive.
Do folks think that this is a sensible plan or have I missed something or perhaps misunderstood something. My confusion relates to the discussion around the OMF and winter.
All the best,
Sam.