What should the minimum temp inside a hive bee? And how can I warm it?

[OzBuzz]

Hi everybody, I have a small hive in a log-it's winter here and I deliberately haven't cut the comb out as it's too cold. I've sat the log on an inverted lid, the top of the log is open. Sitting around the log is an 8 frame deep super with no frames it. Above the log is an 8 frame medium super full of drawn medium frames. On top of the medium super is an inverted bottom board to make a top entrance. I'm trying to draw the queen (if there is one) onto the medium frames and out of the log so I can eventually get rid of the log. The bee numbers are small but they're foraging bringing in nectar and pollen and storing it in the drawn frames along with a little in the comb in the log. There is some capped brood in the log-I don't know how old it is or whether it's alive-the capping is domed too which makes me worried it's drone brood from an infertile emergency queen. I'm wondering if this setup sounds feasible? I'm also feeding 2:1 syrup which they're taking. My next question is what is the minimum internal temp of a hive? If it's low could I feasibly direct some warm air from an electric heater through the lid vent which could now be considered the bottom board. Any thoughts?

Your advice is much appreciated

[OzBuzz]

It's 12oC in the hive at the moment

[OzBuzz]

That's not the temperature down in the log-it's taken underneath the lid

[Paynesgrey]

If hive beetles or similar are not a problem, you could wrap the log in several layers of foam wrap (package insulation) & duct tape it. That would keep the heat in from the bees, and the wind off. Moisture would be a problem if it was totally sealed though. 

It should work like the polyethelene foam wrap that exposed water supplies are wrapped in to prevent freezing.

When we lived in the far north, we had an 8ft by 8ft by 4 ft (2.75m*2.75m*1.25m) plywood pumphouse jacketed in 3 inch rigid foam insulation. A single bulb kept it above freezing through -40c winters.

[alfred]

I don't think that I would try to heat. and I think that many here would also caution against blowing heat into the hive. Bigger problem than cold is moisture and condensation. Also to much heat will provoke the queen to laying and if they have no food available then there will be problems.

But it isn't that cold there right now is it. Like 40's at night and 60's day?

 I would probably try to cut or trap them out, as long as it isn't too cold. Wire the comb into some frames and your good to go.
Then I would put the feeder on and feed them up before it got to cold.

[OzBuzz]

Thanks for you replies - i really appreciate it.

At the moment in our area we get temperatures around 32oF at night and up to 57oF during the day...

I have thought about splitting the log and taking the comb out - that way i will now for sure if there is a queen in there. I just don't want to do that and then chill them...

I'm going to try and source some polystyrene foam that i can hopefully wrap the hive in to keep the warmth in there.. I'm guessing at night the bees would go down in to the log and cluster in there - given how small the log is it would be feasible for them to keep the cluster temp up. I mean you can imagine how small the log is - the whole diameter of the log is less than that of an 8 frame deep super - so it's not huge colony

[OzBuzz]

Should i try and split the log, take the comb out, and tie it in to a frame?

[alfred]

I probably would, but you should get other input.

[D Coates]

Should i try and split the log, take the comb out, and tie it in to a frame?

I'd wait for it to get 10 degrees (F) warmer before cutting them out.  Disrupting them a severely as breaking their hive open and cutting them out of their home will put quite a bit of stress on them when they need to focus on keeping warmth in for the brood that should be building up. 

[OzBuzz]

I'd wait for it to get 10 degrees (F) warmer before cutting them out.  Disrupting them a severely as breaking their hive open and cutting them out of their home will put quite a bit of stress on them when they need to focus on keeping warmth in for the brood that should be building up. 

Thanks D,

What i'd actually thought of doing was taking an 8 frame medium super. Taking out four frames - two from the outside of each side and leaving the four in the centre (I only have  a small central entrance on this box so i need to orient the frames in the centre of the hive). Two of the faces of the middle frames they've started filling with nectar and pollen. Then i was thinking of putting false walls (maybe polystyrene) in on the outsides of the two frames so that it would, in essence, be a four frame nucleus. I was thinking of splitting the log and taking the comb out from that and tying it in to a frame and putting that at the centre of the 'nucleus'. Atleast by doing that i would be 100% certain as to whether i have a queen or not. If i don't have a mated laying queen then i have found a supplier in australia that has some. Then i was thinking of putting two small light globes in the space where the frames that were removed were just to keep a bit of warmth in there at night. Continue with the 2:1 feeding and also supply some pollen...

[OzBuzz]

I forgot to mention - the brood that i did see - i'm not sure if it's alive or if it's worker brood - the capping is domed so i'm worried it might be drone

[OzBuzz]

Does what i mentioned above sound like a good idea?

[OzBuzz]

So I setup what I proposed above-fond I have a viable queen (after almost losing her-read my other post about the queen flying away) and it's maintaining temperature within the frames of between 22-24oC. That should be enough to stimulate the queen to lay and help the remaining bees keep brood temp. Does it matter if a little stray light gets in to the hive 24/7 or must it be perfectly dark?

[OzBuzz]

Hey everybody, I really appreciate your advice... Being a newbue I sometimes feel a bit over my head...