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Author Topic: Placing foam around the hive during the winter.  (Read 10894 times)

Offline Finski

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Re: Placing foam around the hive during the winter.
« Reply #20 on: August 18, 2011, 04:14:20 pm »
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our sun shines in winter from so low angle, that it does not heat much  surface. I late March sun start to melt snow in vertican position.

Often in winter  clouds cover the sky that we do not see sun inside month or two.

Michael says that Finski has not your sun....  i repeat again that you handle USA in same way from Florida To karibu tundra. My experience has no value in your great country. But it is your head ace not mine. You are eager to invent all kind of trick which have no real value.  that we call learning curve". In Usa insulation will be a mystery fo decades.
So it seems

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Offline Finski

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Re: Placing foam around the hive during the winter.
« Reply #21 on: August 18, 2011, 04:23:47 pm »
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 In USA you have plant cultivation zones, but not beekeeping zones.

You rear many kind of queens but not stocks which are adapted to different climate zones. At least I have not had opportunity to see that kind of text.

Wrapping paper is not solution to your worst problems.
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Offline Katharina

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Re: Placing foam around the hive during the winter.
« Reply #22 on: August 20, 2011, 12:49:47 pm »
I live in the mountains with long winters.  Here everyone wraps their hives with tar paper.  Some even put thin foam insulation underneath it.
Katharina - hobby beekeeper and Saxony duck breeder
I also import German gift items at http://www.germanplaza.com
Klamath Basin Beekeepers Association in Oregon  http://www.klamathbeekeepers.org
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Offline Finski

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Re: Placing foam around the hive during the winter.
« Reply #23 on: August 20, 2011, 01:11:18 pm »
I live in the mountains with long winters.  Here everyone wraps their hives with tar paper.  Some even put thin foam insulation underneath it.

have you seen polystyrene hives?

In Canada professional started to "try" polyhives about 5 years ago.
In Europe they had used over 20 years. Probably they started in Denmark.

Polyhives is not needed to wrap, but a bird net against woodpecker seems evident. Damages are increasing.
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Offline bee-nuts

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Re: Placing foam around the hive during the winter.
« Reply #24 on: August 21, 2011, 12:03:35 am »
If you are in the northern USA and dont insulate your hive/s then they need to consume a lot more stores which means they will need to go poo, poo, and more poo.  That would make tar paper handy so the side facing the sun lets the girls fly out quick.

Now if you are well insulated they may not get warm enough to make many poo flights but they dont need to either because they did not burn though tons of honey and have to go. 

If you dont have wild fluctuations in temp inside your hive you should be less at risk of them raising to much brood then getting slammed with a cold snap.

I dont think there is any benefit to insulating if a cold spell is 10f your area.  In January 20F is a heat wave in WI and may never get that warm in January or February.  A week or more without getting above 0f is not uncommon and wind can be a factor too.  Out fist cold snap last winter gave us 20 below f with 40mph wind from the east for three days making my north and northwest wind blocks useless.

The moment a person forms a theory, his imagination sees in every object only the traits which favor that theory

Thomas Jefferson

Offline gaucho10

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Re: Placing foam around the hive during the winter.
« Reply #25 on: August 21, 2011, 12:39:31 am »
Check several pages on my website.
Or do a search here on beemaster.com forum.

http://www.beesbatsandbeyond.com/Overwintering_Hives.html

Rich Holub
My favorite comedy program used to be Glenn Beck--The only thing is that after I heard the same joke over and over again it became BOOOORING.....

People who have inspired me throughout my life---Pee-wee Herman, Adolph Hitler, George W. Bush, Glenn Beck.
Notice I did not say they were people who I admire !!!

Offline Michael Bush

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Re: Placing foam around the hive during the winter.
« Reply #26 on: August 21, 2011, 11:45:31 am »
>If you dont have wild fluctuations in temp inside your hive you should be less at risk of them raising to much brood then getting slammed with a cold snap.

Those "wild fluctuations" are what give them a cleansing flight now and again.
My website:  bushfarms.com/bees.htm en espanol: bushfarms.com/es_bees.htm  auf deutsche: bushfarms.com/de_bees.htm  em portugues:  bushfarms.com/pt_bees.htm
My book:  ThePracticalBeekeeper.com
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Offline garys520

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Re: Placing foam around the hive during the winter.
« Reply #27 on: August 21, 2011, 12:26:23 pm »
I've been using Bee Cozys for 5 years and they have really worked up in the New England Winters. I make sure they're rolled back top so the air can get under the top cover and then use a long sheet rock screw above the opening to keep the Cozy from covering the opening.  I have never had any problem with moisture in the hive and I live near the ocean.  I've tried plastic bags with leaves, hay stacked up and wind breaks, and foam insulation,but settled on the Bee Cozys.

Offline Katharina

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Re: Placing foam around the hive during the winter.
« Reply #28 on: August 21, 2011, 04:48:27 pm »
I live at 4000 feet elevation with over 300 days of sunshine.  The UV is extremely high up here.  A good example is UV protected garden chairs.  They last no more then 2 year.  The sun makes them so brittle they just crack apart.  It does the same to the styrene type hive boxes.  They just crack away.  Wood is still the best up here.  I will cover my hives with 1" styrofoam and tar paper.  The styrene hives may work well in other parts of the USA.  We just have so many different climates up here.
Katharina - hobby beekeeper and Saxony duck breeder
I also import German gift items at http://www.germanplaza.com
Klamath Basin Beekeepers Association in Oregon  http://www.klamathbeekeepers.org
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/groups/kbbafb/

Offline bee-nuts

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Re: Placing foam around the hive during the winter.
« Reply #29 on: August 21, 2011, 06:39:52 pm »
"Those "wild fluctuations" are what give them a cleansing flight now and again."

As stated if you are insulated they dont need as many poo flights.  A tree in the woods usually does not have full sun and tar paper does it.

They still get poo flights when you get a warm spell that last a couple days called winter thaws. 
The moment a person forms a theory, his imagination sees in every object only the traits which favor that theory

Thomas Jefferson

Offline derekm

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Re: Placing foam around the hive during the winter.
« Reply #30 on: August 21, 2011, 06:40:17 pm »
Kathrina, Had you considered putting a UV proof covering on the poly hive? Eg aluminum foil?
If they increased energy bill for your home by a factor of 4.5 would you consider that cruel? If so why are you doing that to your bees?