moisture in the hive

[tedh]

Hi Everyone,
I was out looking at the hive and there was an ice dam on their front porch in front of their entrance.  There were also numerous dead bees and lots of hive detritus (cappings?) frozen into the ice.  Looking closer I saw a few bees doing their best to fan the entrance.  To my mind this says unwanted moisture in the hive.  I cleared away the ice, detritus and dead bees as best I could without tossing live bees into the snow.  My question: Is there anything I could or should do to help them dry the hive?  Just to give you the most information:  The hive is wrapped with tar paper, has 2 inch foam insulation on top of inner cover, a sugar block on top of the frames, and yes, a top entrance.  Thanks!  Ted

[tedh]

almost forgot!  The weather here has been pretty nasty for the last 7 to 10 days.  High winds 20/30 mph with temps below or right at 0*F.  Today is much nicer, currently 28*F with very light winds, maybe 5mph.  Thanks again.  Ted

[brooksbeefarm]

tedh, do you have solid bottom board or screened? if solid is the hive tilted forward? Jack

[tedh]

Brooksbeefarm, I have a solid bottom board and the hive is 3/4 inch higher in the back than the front.  Ted

[LogicalBee]

OK, it’s a bit surprising that you STILL have moisture problems with a top entrance and sugar block to maybe absorb some moisture!

The only thing I can think of is to check and make sure you didn’t have a gap someplace where rain could have gotten in (before this bitter cold wave) and collected in the hive.  You need a good drip edge to shed rain from the top cover.  Make sure the top entrance is not clogged with bees or propolis.  Assuming you have all that, then the only other thing that might come to mind is weather cycling inside the hive.  I’ve been in houses (in MI) where moisture will condense and rain from the ceiling (plaster surface with a H2O perm rating near 0) during a cold night, and then get evaporated from the floor on a warmer day, only to rain again the next cold night.  Maybe the tar paper on a sunny day is promoting such a cycle; I don’t know.  I’m a little more fond of insulation on all sides in the winter as opposed to tar paper, but then again I’m in Michigan and we get NO Sun in the winter!

Bottom line....strange 

[Bakersdozen]

Someone else from Iowa may chime in on this idea, but is it necessary to wrap your hive?  You are located a little farther north than me (Kansas City area) and no one down here wraps hives.  Just a thought, and that may have nothing to do with your excessive moisture problem.  We provide wind breaks, natural or other wise.

[riverbee]

"Looking closer I saw a few bees doing their best to fan the entrance"

ted, i have a question, a few  bees fanning the entrance at your cold temp? on the bottom board?  what do you have in place for an entrance reducer?

[LazyBkpr]

So long as your top entrance is not blocked, I wouldnt worry if the lower entrance was frozen closed. Yes, clean it off/out when you get the chance, but its not an emergency you need to be out there with a flashlight doing at 3 am.
   Snow is drifted up around my hives on the hill, lower entrance cant be seen, but the upper entrance is open if they need ventilation. The hives at the sunflowe field were drifted in as well, and I have most of them wrapped with NO upper entrance, so... I had to go check on them and clear the entrances. Those were the ones that I gave up on and cut the openings so they also had an upper vent. Really wet in there, enough so that it made me afraid of losing those hives.
   The winds have been out of the south and southeast, with a wind chill of 25 below and LOTS of blowing snow..  I would guess it got blown in, melted and attempted to run back out.
   Some winters here are mild enough that we do not need to wrap. Winters like the 2013/2014 winter were as bad as Perry's winter. (OK, we didnt get as much snow) 50 blow plus for extended periods with over 4 months of temps NOT above 25 degrees (f)  so its hard to tell if wrap is needed or not. This winter has been mild and damp. plenty of 40 degree days up to a couple weeks ago, then the temps dropped to -20..   today it warmed up to freezing,(32) next week it looks like it will be nearly 40 again...
   How do you prepare for that?
   The answer is, you prepare for the worst, and then hope for the best!

[tedh]

Thanks for all the input! 

Riverbee: I use a wooden reducer open to the three (or is four?) inch opening. Also todays temp was much better, 28*F (at the time of the post), sunny with little wind.
 
Logicbee: There are no cracks or openings (other than upper and lower entrances) that I know of.  It's all new (last spring) woodenware.
 
Bakers: There is a wind break on the west and north of this hive.

Here's a little more info and a thought/question: My thermometer seems to run a few degrees high I'll give you that, but, today's max temp. (according to my thermometer) was 42*F.  The skies were clear, little wind and sunny.  It's since clouded up and snowing, but...
Could they have been cooling the hive and not trying to remove excess moisture?  Ted

[iddee]

Since carbon dioxide is heavier than oxidized air, maybe they were expelling it and bringing in oxygen to breathe.

[tedh]

Iddee that sounds ominous.  Should I be worried about them suffocating?  Ted

[iddee]

I have no idea, Ted. I do know when I raised mice for snake feed, I would put 25 in a trash can, release the co2, and it would lay in the bottom until all died.