Insulated hive and insulated bottom

[tefer2]

Thanks, I will add to my collection.  I am looking for one of those Ayelander wild men who build  two nucs in a divided 10 frame, separate entrances front and back and then put a queen excluder on it and super and let both sides store honey for surplus in same super.  When winter comes, they feed them heavily and put on a feeder box with sugar or fondant over the queen excluder and winter them that way communally.  They then divide them and run them as 10 frame singles the next year.   I need to find it again, but those are the details of what they are doing and they claim success.  This bluebird winter is giving me visions and i'm wondering if I could make these strategies work. 

Vance G try this!    http://www.frenchbeefarm.com/splitting_method.html   

[Finski]

Vance G try this!    http://www.frenchbeefarm.com/splitting_method.html   

When we talk about insulation, I split polyhive boxes in two or in tree. Then I glue with polyurethane the missing walls. They are construction insulation boards.
The cover and bottom are insutaltion cover.

Nucs are very warm and they develope fine from queen mating nucs to wintering hives. When yield is over, I use queen and join the nucs to wintering colonies.

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[Sparky]

Vance G try this!    http://www.frenchbeefarm.com/splitting_method.html   

When we talk about insulation, I split polyhive boxes in two or in tree. Then I glue with polyurethane the missing walls. They are construction insulation boards.
The cover and bottom are insutaltion cover.

Nucs are very warm and they develope fine from queen mating nucs to wintering hives. When yield is over, I use queen and join the nucs to wintering colonies.

.

So if I understand you correctly, you overwinter only in full size colonies and not in any nucs ?

[Finski]

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We overwinter much nucs too. 5 frame nucs are viable to go alive over winter.
But even big colonies loose their bees and in Spring the normal colony may be a twist size.

Just now I have about 10 four frame nucs aoutside. Temps have been -25c.

I have overwintered some 2-frame nucs with electrict heating and they did fine, but the Spring build up is imposible without bigger hives brood aid.

 

[texjim]

those were some awesome videos...thanks for sharing

[derekm]

In mid July we  needed  to house a swarm in hurry. This  meant I had to complete a floor NOW.
No mesh around so I used 2" foam instead.  

This lead to the new swarm (a cast) in a poly foam hive (PIR)  with 2" walls and 2" solid floor, with  the only  entrance starting 2" below the floor.

On the few really hot days 30C - no bearding at all

Took the first frames of honey 8 weeks after they swarmed.

Dont see why I should change for winter

[BlueBee]

Derekm, if I’m imagining this right, your swarm is in a box with a entrance under the hive?  What is the slot size?  I thought you were trying to achieve an open bottom area of around 12% before?  Does your 2" bottom achieve that? 

My original foam hives have 2” foam on all sides.  Some with bottom entrances, some with tops.  I still get bearding on hot days, but the bearding doesn’t start until much later in the day and then extends through the night.  (There is a long thermal time constant with foam)  That can be good, and that can be bad.  It is good with respect to wax moths.  No wax moth is going to get through a bearded entrance.  It is bad though if a cold front pushes through at night with cold rain.  A cold rain can kill a bunch of bearding bees.  When cold rain occurs here, it seems to be most frequent at night.

In my hives, a top entrance prevents the cold rain issues, but it is going to lose more heat in the winter.  Sometimes you just can’t win with bees  :(

[derekm]

The slot goes down and then thru the front gives a tunnel 12mm high 250mm wide and 50-75mm long. No other vent in the floor or roof  (didnt have time)
These hives are not painted so they are shiny aluminium all over.
a cast (only 1/5th of the original colony) she got mated, then spun up so fast shee was able to donate a frame of eggs in 6weeks and in 8 weeks had 3 frames of honey spare.
The frames with the brood on would look deserted to someone used other hives

They seem reluctant to cap the honey but the water content goes low very fast
And no bearding... 

A highly insulated, reflective  building a doesnt need as much Aircon as the only thermal load is the occupants