This saturday is our last meet the beekeeper field day for 2019.
Insulating bee hives for winter.
The topic is winter beekeeping and keeping bees alive over the winter which includes insulating the hives in some manner.
The bee cozy helps keeps stable temperatures and relative humidity levels due to the breathable material.
Two final points before i describe my simple technique for wrapping.
To cover your hives with insulation or not.
Make sure the bees have enough honey or sugar syrup to get through the winter.
There are many myths opinions and recommendations around whether to insulate or not.
A bee cozy provides a waterproof breathable layer of insulation around the hive.
It allows your bees to keep the hive warm using less energy.
Learn more about caring for bees in the winter here.
Securing hives for winter weather.
Our agricultural practices have altered their environment so much so that s something new to contend with.
You can do this by insulating beehives for winter.
Be sure to include an upper entrance for your bees to help ventilate some of the moisture out of the hive and to use for cleansing flights when the lower entrance becomes blocked with snow and ice.
In colder climates the bees may need some help retaining heat.
Our bee hives feature all the accessories needed for your operation and makes beekeeping easy for beginners and professionals.
Bees have been getting through winter for thousands of years.
Let s get right down to it.
Apimaye hives are 6 times more insulated than wooden hives helping them survive longer and harsher winters.
Let s get something straight though before we dive into winterize hives.
January 20 2016 daniel bee diy do it yourself hive hive wrap honeybee honeybees insulate insulation winter 1 comment wrapping the hive for winter is likely not necessary in my region.
Be sure that your hive is properly ventilated as too much humidity and condensation is dangerous to a colony.
Here in oregon our honey harvest falls at the end of august.
Less energy spent on keeping the cluster warm over winter translates into less energy consumption.
In the winter bees create a cluster for warmth.
The bees have stored about as much as they re going to before winter hits giving us a chance to evaluate their food stores and decide how much we can responsibly take from them.
The honey harvest.
The beekeeper s challenge is how to balance the need for maintaining hive temperature when temperatures fall below 7c 45f without creating an environment that is prone to high levels of moisture due to poor ventilation.
However everything on a farm boils down to energy management.
I have my bees in national hives with a standard brood box and have never thought it necessary to insulate them.
Ventilation and overhead insulation too much moisture in a wintering hive is certainly a danger.
Winter is at the top of that cause of death list.
