does any body add insullation ?
i have a small nich one frame of bees
iam feeding but i dont know if they can
survive -5deg f.
its an economic problem feed 20 dollars of sugar and
hope they make it or let nature take its course and buy
new bees for 40 bucks in the early summer?
what do i do?
brian
You live in Kalifornia and I am in Finland. It is a big difference with climate. We have frost at winter -20 C = -4F, somethimes -30C = -22F.
In Finland we need 20 kg = 20 dollar sugar per winter. Our winter is from September to first of May = 8 months. Also in May bees survive with sugar.
I am sure that you do not need 20 dollars sugar. Our sugar is 1,3 US$/kg.
I have insulated boxes. They are foam plastic. I have had mere wood 30 mm, and that consumes 50% more sugar at winter as insulated box.
We have here medium yield 50-60 kg per hive. In Northern Finland sometwhat 30 kg/hive. It depence if ithere are too much bees in same pastures.
Now we have like summer +7C. See traffic camera.
Our honey price is in stores 13 US $/kg. That is big difference with sugar.
At spring hive price is here about 600 US $