Author Topic: Finsky can you tell me more about the heaters (Read 5307 times)

firetool · « **on:** March 14, 2005, 04:05:33 am »

I would like to now about these heaters you are ussing. What kind of heaters are they? (Aquiriams or terraiuams) My day time temp. is ranging from 45 to 80 deg. F. Is the higher temp to warm to us a heater, say like 75 or over. I don't want to cook the bees. But I like this idea of yours.

Brian

indypartridge · « **Reply #1 on:** March 14, 2005, 07:42:47 am »

There was a thread on this awhile back. Finman (Finsky) posted this link:
http://www.reptilica.de/shop/product_info.php/cPath/22_25_38/products_id/35/lang/english/index.htm

The thread is at (go to posts 16 & 17):
http://www.beemaster.com/beebbs/viewtopic.php?t=1789&highlight=terrarium

Finsky · « **Reply #2 on:** March 14, 2005, 09:35:31 am »

Quote from: firetool

I don't want to cook the bees.

You live in Texas. I have understood that there is warm weather without heater.

When outer temperature is by day over 68F, heater is a vain thing.

Jerrymac · « **Reply #3 on:** March 14, 2005, 10:05:45 am »

One of the things about this area of Texas at this time of year is the variation of the temps. It was around 85F Saturday with lows in the lower 40F. By Tuesday we will be having highs of 39 F. Snow is possible Tuesday night. Then come Saturday and Sunday we will be back up into the 70s. I think Firetool is concerned about the sudden drops and rises. We can heat up and cool down as much as 10F per hour and sometimes much faster.

firetool · « **Reply #4 on:** March 14, 2005, 10:06:53 am »

Thank you sir that is the information I was needing. I will try the heaters next year,I did not know about them soon enough for this year. I would like to see the results from this.
Has anybody over here in the states tried it yet. Just curious

Brian

firetool · « **Reply #5 on:** March 14, 2005, 10:11:10 am »

You hit it right on the head jerry. I would like to bring some stablatie to the temp. But I don't want to cook them ethier.

Brian

Kris^ · « **Reply #6 on:** March 14, 2005, 10:09:10 pm »

Quote from: firetool

Has anybody over here in the states tried it yet. Just curious

I've tried to find the heat cable at the few pet shops around here, but haven't had any luck. Any suggestions?

-- Kris

Finsky · « **Reply #7 on:** March 15, 2005, 03:38:37 am »

Quote from: Kris^

[I've tried to find the heat cable at the few pet shops around here, but haven't had any luck. Any suggestions?

-- Kris

In Finland this heater type is not at all popular. I bought first cables and they has stood in store years. Nowadays people use infra radiator plate. Those plates works too but their price is double. Also 8W works well in tiny hive.

Have you tryed from web sellers? In Finland those cables came from Neatherland and Germany. The apparatus has made in Italy.

Also many has made their own from ordinary heating cable.

I bought the last ones from Germany with Visa card.

Just now I have one colony heated over winter. Colony has 3 frames bees. Hive is in my fire wood shelter of summer cottage. And frost is now here 5-23 F. Last winter I had 2 frame colony over winter and it managed well in same place. Deep is divided in two parts and the heater is in empty side. The heater is 6W. Last winter I put into box half of 15W heater cable.

But as I have told, try also insulated brood box for tiny colonies at spring. It works nicely.

http://www.heatersplus.com/cable.htm

Who finds? Quite awfull http://www.animalworldnetwork.com/sitemap.html
.
.

Robo · « **Reply #8 on:** March 15, 2005, 08:34:08 am »

Quote from: Kris^

I've tried to find the heat cable at the few pet shops around here, but haven't had any luck. Any suggestions?

-- Kris

Well, I was too cheap to drop $20 per hive for a heat cable, so I tried a different method. I bought some night/Christmas light sockets, the ones that snap into the ceramic Christmas village, at the dollar store. I mounted 2 in each hive between the bottom board screen and the slide in cover, so that the bees can't get to it.

I used 2 because Finman suggested 15W and each night light is 7W. I find 2 lights to be too much and causes the bees to fly when it is to cold out, so I have been only using 1 light now. I an trying it with 2 single deep splits that I did late in the fall. They are both still alive and as far as I can tell (too cold to open them up) doing OK.

Take it for what it is worth, I'm not trying to endorse iit at this point, but since you asked..........

Next year I'm going to try it with a few more hives and control 1 or 2 lights based upon the outside temperature. This way when the sun comes out and heats up the hive, I can turn 1 or both off to prevent it from getting too warm and them flying to their death.

Finman, have you any problem with it getting too warm for them and causing them to fly when it is too cold? I would think the insulated hives would experience this more.

Finsky · « **Reply #9 on:** March 15, 2005, 09:30:20 am »

Quote from: Robo

Finman, have you any problem with it getting too warm for them and causing them to fly when it is too cold? I would think the insulated hives would experience this more.

No that way. If you put the warming under the bee ball, you can see also how bee ball react to warming, when you take upper cover away.

I put warming on after cleansing flight. So bees have no reason to come out on bad weather.

Whe bees are in winterball, it is not wise to put warming under the ball. I just give extra warming, and as I said, with winterball it must be 6W.

But after cleansing flight I put the cable on the floor of hive. I have not seen that they fly out for that reason. I have followed charply what is the correct way to give warming.

Last winter I warmed 4 hives over whole winter. Bees were satisfied and they did not come out. It was a succes. Couple of those had nosema at autumn and I think that warming stopped the course of nosema. Hives were alive at spring.