Winter ventilation for a solid-floor hive?

[Amari]

Does the small slot in an entrance block provide sufficient ventilation for a solid-floor hive with no top ventilation?
With SteveG I was asked by a novice to check his solid-floor hive for winter preparedness. It was heavy on hefting and the super was full of stores. Plenty of bees. We removed the queen excluder.
I advised covering the crown board with a square of PIR i.e. no top ventilation. He will insert an entrance block with only the smallest slot presented - also acts as a mouse guard.
After departing I wondered if the colony will have enough ventilation? - I use only OMF in my apiary.
Maybe I should have taken some matchsticks.........?

 

[Swarm]

They sound nicely tucked up to me.

 

[Finman]

.
I have used 55 y solid floors.

I have 15 cm x 1 cm large main entrance and in the middle of box 15 mm diameter round upper entrance.

Upper entrance is good

- moist inner air flows slowly out and move moisture

- if main entrance is blocked by dead bees or snow, bees get air via hole.

- when bees go out in cold weather, they get back direct to warm cluster via hole.

Then hive a little bit slanting position, that water drills out from floor.
.

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[Gilberdyke John]

Does the small slot in an entrance block provide sufficient ventilation for a solid-floor hive with no top ventilation?
With SteveG I was asked by a novice to check his solid-floor hive for winter preparedness. It was heavy on hefting and the super was full of stores. Plenty of bees. We removed the queen excluder.
I advised covering the crown board with a square of PIR i.e. no top ventilation. He will insert an entrance block with only the smallest slot presented - also acts as a mouse guard.
After departing I wondered if the colony will have enough ventilation? - I use only OMF in my apiary.
Maybe I should have taken some matchsticks.........?

Create a small 2 to 3mm gap between the floor and the brood box. That will supplement the ventilation without allowing all the heat to pour out of the top of the hive.

 

[Easy Beesy]

Create a small 2 to 3mm gap between the floor and the brood box. That will supplement the ventilation without allowing all the heat to pour out of the top of the hive.

How? With what do you suggest please?

 

[Millet]

Doh

 

[user 6228]

just add a bit of forward tilt

 

[Finman]

Create a small 2 to 3mm gap between the floor and the brood box. That will supplement the ventilation without allowing all the heat to pour out of the top of the hive.

I know that many use that but the gap let rain water go onto floor when it drills on down the Wall.

 

[Finman]

How? With what do you suggest please?

Don't use that. I suggest that.

 

[Gilberdyke John]

How? With what do you suggest please?

Thin shims. You could use short pieces of wood of appropriate section and say about 30mm long

 

[peterbees]

I suggest...
Remove entrance block now, fit a full-width mouse guard. Remove any top insulation. Leave feed holes in crownboard open.
Late February, fit top insulation, two squares of carpet.
Mid March, remove mouseguard and fit entrance block. Entrance block and top insulation stay in place all summer.
This has worked well for me for nearly 40 years.

 

[Poly Hive]

I suggest...
Remove entrance block now, fit a full-width mouse guard. Remove any top insulation. Leave feed holes in crownboard open.
Late February, fit top insulation, two squares of carpet.
Mid March, remove mouseguard and fit entrance block. Entrance block and top insulation stay in place all summer.
This has worked well for me for nearly 40 years.

This is a piss take yes?

PH

 

[Plenty of honey]

I know that many use that but the gap let rain water go onto floor when it drills on down the Wall.

All you have to do is put a couple of small blocks of wood to the rear of the hive. Raise the rear up a little. Any humidity on the floor runs out, and any humidity above the cluster runs away to the wall before It drips on to the Bees!
Remember it’s not cold that kills bees, it’s cold and wet! Simple hive positioning can save a colony that has a condensation issue due to poor insulation!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Finman]

All you have to do is put a couple of small blocks of wood to the rear of the hive. Raise the rear up a little. Any humidity on the floor runs out, and any humidity above the cluster runs away to the wall before It drips on to the Bees!
Remember it’s not cold that kills bees, it’s cold and wet! Simple hive positioning can save a colony that has a condensation issue due to poor insulation!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Cold kills bees, so much experience about that.

. And wet does not kill bees if you know how to nurse hives.

Arrange the condensation. IT is not difficult.


When colony is in a small space, and the hive is insulated, interior is warm, and relative moisture keeps it dry. Moist hive catch mold. Pollen stores gets best the mold, and that pollen is important in early spring.
.

 

[Finman]

All you have to do is put a couple of small blocks of wood to the rear of the hive.

Are you serious. You let rain water on and put it run out then? Ok, floor is then clean.

 

[Plenty of honey]

Cold kills bees, so much experience about that.

. And wet does not kill bees if you know how to nurse hives.

Arrange the condensation. IT is not difficult.

.

Your cold is severe Finman, ours here and most of the uk is different. We dont get cold and dry. Mostly cold and Damp. Thats the difference.
Your certainly not wrong, but i would say the climate heres is different. For most here and the uk its cold and wet that kills if your hives aren't set up properly.

 

[Plenty of honey]

Are you serious. You let rain water on and put it run out then? Ok, floor is then clean.

No I dont, i am just trying to hel[p someone who has a problem in their hive, i have advised for them to angle the hive slightly. I dont have any issues like that. some do though, thats why there post on this forum.

 

[Finman]

.
When we have -20C a month and half, bees cannot move from a seam to another. They cannot reformulate their cluster and some seems will die lack of food.

In cold winters bees consume more food, and stores may run empty. First will die 5 frame colonies. They must make heat more by bee unit to keep the cluster warm.

Sometimes 5 frame nucs survive all, and next winter they die all.
Size of cluster means a lot in wintering.
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Extra empty space is bad in wintering.
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[Amari]

Does the small slot in an entrance block provide sufficient ventilation for a solid-floor hive with no top ventilation?
With SteveG I was asked by a novice to check his solid-floor hive for winter preparedness. It was heavy on hefting and the super was full of stores. Plenty of bees. We removed the queen excluder.
I advised covering the crown board with a square of PIR i.e. no top ventilation. He will insert an entrance block with only the smallest slot presented - also acts as a mouse guard.
After departing I wondered if the colony will have enough ventilation? - I use only OMF in my apiary.
Maybe I should have taken some matchsticks.........?

Many thanks for your advices so far......

 

[Hebeegeebee]

One of my colonies has closed up the entrance to a couple of small holes in the propolis wall. They have decided that they don't need a gaping hole in the front of the hive.