Subject: Wrapping hives for winter

From: [email-masked] ()
Date: 7 Sep 1996 14:45:14 GMT

I have roughly 35 hives set up individually in 2 yards.  Last
winter I wrapped them separately and had very bad winter losses
in the severe weather we had.  This year I thought I'd try
putting 4 hives together and wrapping them as a unit, but I
want to leave them in the same yards.  How can I minimise the
resulting confusion for the bees when I shift all the hives a
few meters to get them in position?

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From: [email-masked]
Date: Sun, 08 Sep 1996 05:13:40 GMT

>few meters to get them in position?

I write:

I don't live as far north as you, but a couple of questions come to mind.

What was the CAUSE of last  winter's losses ?

Did they die only from the cold, or did they freeze in their own condensation ?

Did they die from parasites of some type ?

If you wrap hives and hold in moisture, the bees freeze to death in the 
water that condenses and then freezes in the hive !

Bees can survive considerable cold without human intervention, but wrapping in
15 lb black felt paper might be helpful  for hives farther NORTH than Wisconsin.

A small top entrance/ vent hole (5/8 to 3/4" diameter ) is often drilled in the
top section of the hive to allow moisture to escape.  Be sure NOT to cover this
hole with the black felt paper.  The hole is drilled on the entrance side of the
top most section, and is near but not in the handhold.  The main entrance is
closed to a minimum opening to prevent mice/etc from entering the hive during
the winter.

The vent hole would allow moisture to escape and the black felt would absorb
heat in the winter sunshine to allow the bees to warm up enough to move around
and eat their stored honey.

BTW, this top vent / entrance can and should  be left open all year, as it
provides the same venting function is the summer, helping the bees cool the
hive.

This info parsed from chapter 16 of Walter Kelley's "How to Keep Bees and Sell
Honey"  book, my primary  reference on beekeeping.

Charles

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From: [email-masked] (Allen Dick)
Date: Mon, 09 Sep 96 11:51:31 GMT

>few meters to get them in position?
If the bees haven't flown (much) for three days (sonmetimes less), you 
can move them anywhere you like without them returning to the old 
location.

Thus rainy spells and cold snaps are opportunities.  Come late 
October, flight is usually down to the point where here in ALberta, we 
can move hives anywhere we like, even on sunny days.

Regards

Allen

W. Allen Dick, Beekeeper                                    VE6CFK
Rural Route One, Swalwell, Alberta  Canada  T0M 1Y0
    Honey, Bees, & Art <http://www.cuug.ab.ca:8001/~dicka/>