Wintering ?

[bee-nuts]

I have had an Idea on how I can block wind and help keep my bees warmer so they can take frequent cleansing flights and burn up less honey keeping warm.  However I'm worried it may be a bad idea and only kill them.  Here is the idea.

My hives are on a stand.  16 inches high by 16 feet long.  It is made of 2 x 6 on legs.  I want to put two sheets of plywood, screwed to back of stand.  So in a nut shell a four foot by sixteen foot wall behind the hives.  Then one sheet on each end and at a 45 degree angle with fence post holding them up.  I will fasten roofing tar paper to the plywood before erecting (and of course wrap the hives too).  16 foot long section would face directly south, an 8 foot section face south east one face south west.  Kind of a c shape.  This would give them a wind block and would help warm them up a lot on sunny days.

My worry is that they will get to warm in the day and they will break up there cluster and then freeze to death when it gets cold in a hurry when the sun goes down.  I know from experience how much tar paper can warm up the area around it when out of wind on a sunny day and cool in a real hurry when sun goes down.

Any Ideas, Opinions, better ways?  This is cheap and reusable.  Will cost me about $30.

[Karl Wisconsin]

I thought placing my hives on the back side of my pole barn was a great idea years ago. They were out of sight and  still nearby. Well the back side faced south and after that first year decided it was to warm. That pole barn soaked up and reflected a lot of warmth all winter. Now I try to place them on an east facing wall or the east side of a natural windbreak. Keep some hives at another farm and this has a north-south row of lilacs, heavily thickened. East side of this row works best. Bees are wrapped in tar paper each winter ,1/2 inch piece of styrofoam with a 2"x2' notch in front is over frames, and outer cover is propped up about 3/4 of an inch to aid ventilation. Ventilation is good, humidity is bad.  My 2 cents. Good luck.