Moisture Quilts vs Hive cozy

[Tommy]

Hi all. As "Winter Is Coming", I've been reading up on various methods of preparing the hive. One gent I read about who lives in NFLD uses a frame which consists of a few screened holes on the side and a screened in or canvas bottom which is then placed on top of the deep and filled with a layer of wood chips.  You can see an image here:
http://i2.wp.com/mudsongs.org/wp/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/2014-01-18-14.20.59.jpg
The theory is that excess moisture passes up though the screen and absorbs in the chips. NFLD is a harsh moist climate and he uses these moisture quilts with great success.  I'm curious if any of you have had similar experiences using this system or have any other ways (layer of styrofoam etc) that keeps moisture at bay during the winter?

Thanks!

Tommy

[Perry]

I just use a single wrap of tarpaper around the hive bodies and 1 1/2" piece of styrofoam between the inner and out cover (with an upper entrance for ventilation).
Tried the bee cozies and had poor results using them.

[LazyBkpr]

I just use a single wrap of tarpaper around the hive bodies and 1 1/2" piece of styrofoam between the inner and out cover (with an upper entrance for ventilation).
Tried the bee cozies and had poor results using them.

   What Perry said.
   A LOT depends on your humidity.
   Tar paper wrap, is simply for solar gain... on days that the bees would not normally be able to MOVE to resources, the tar paper warms things up a little bit, and may give them that chance..   Insulation above the inner cover keeps the moisture from THEIR breath and warmth from the cluster from condensing above them, and dripping back down on them, which could easily kill them..  I also use an inner cover with a 1" by 3/8" notch that they can use for an entrance.exit, and it also allows moisture to escape.. In the event the snow covers the bottom entrance on those 50 degree February days, they can also use it as an exit while the ICE DAM on the lower entrance slowly melts.

   In hives that I have NOT wrapped, the bees tend to "chimney" more than they do when the hives are wrapped...   Chimney, means they go STRAIGHT UP through their reserves, rather than moving outward to use ALL of their resources as they move upward.   Having some type of "reserve" above them (Sugar, candy board etc) insures that even if they do chimney, they have something to keep them alive.

[40 Acre Bees]

Following Perry's advice last year I used the 1-1/2 blue styrofoam, but I cut a 7 inch circle in the middle of it.  I then place a sugar cake (or fondant) in the the circle to ensure the bees had some emergency feed if needed.  Last year was a mild winter and they didn't touch my sugar cakes, so I just used them when making the syrup for spring feeding. This method worked great because the styrofoam lifts the telescoping cover up high enough that your entrance in your inner cover is well exposed to provide excellent ventialltion..  worked perfect for us last year......

[dmartin18]

Great info here. How much stores do you guys leave them? Do you leave a honey super or just the two deeps.

[Mikey N.C.]

Tommy, no where close to your humidity or temp. but just wanted to share these pics. Now he  will level these out , as you notice there not tight to hive . first time i've seen this.

[Mikey N.C.]

Notice second pic , last hive has pollen entrance.

[40 Acre Bees]

I over winter the two deeps, which is the norm here in Nova Scotia.  I like to make sure they have lots of stores in the upper deep, and like I mentioned before I leave them some sugar cakes just in case...

[Tommy]

Thanks everyone! That was just was I was lookin for.

Tommy

[riverbee]

tommy,

i use wraps, these:

Colony Quilt

i overwinter in two deeps.  top and bottom entrances.  i make sure the top deep is heavy.  for extra insurance i will use a rim/shim to place fondant/winter patties in on top of the 2nd deep.

i also use 2" polystyrene foam insulation underneath the outer cover, over the inner cover.

you can use boxes similar of the picture you posted. sort of a ventilation box.  the wood chips will absorb the moisture.  i used to use straw, it worked.
i do have a similar box construction, it goes on during hot humid days of summer, above the inner cover, and primarily on my larger hives.  in the winter, i use it to put the pink insulation in. (summer vent holes covered by the insulation).  my HO, bees really only need the top/bottom entrance and the opening in the inner cover during winter months.

hope this helps?!

[Bakersdozen]

Tommy, I don't live in the north, but the September issue of American Bee Journal has an article by Randy Oliver.  The topic is over wintering.  This is his conclusion regarding insulation in Northern climates.  "...For outdoor wintering (roughly in order of importance), place the hive on a sunny slope, insulate the top of the hive heavily, tip for drainage, reduce the entrance, block the wind with tarpaper or a thin, black insulative wrap, and if the winter will be long and cold, provide a small upper entrance (with a wind block) on the sunny side of the hive."
"...top entrances may be of more value for bee egress than for ventilation, and should always be placed on the same side of the hive as the lower entrance in order to prevent cross drafting due to wind pressure.  A smaller entrance may be better than a large one, in order to reduce convective heat loss."

I hope this helps.

[neillsayers]

  I have Warre hives. An important part of Abbe Warre's design was the quilt. He kept bees in humid temperate France. I don't have anything close to the cold you will be facing, but it can get wicked cold. We do have significant humidity year round. I only have one winter under my belt and it was a mild one at that, but I had absolutely no sign of excess moisture in the hive. I use SBB and leave the inspection board in during cold weather, There was never a drop of moisture on the board. The fill in the quilt never got wet enough to have to be changed out. The bees themselves control the rate of air exchange by propolizing the mat. When they want more they open it up.
  That said, I question the quilt has any value as an insulator. Thicker hive walls and something to block air loss out the top such as styrofoam would hold hive temperature much more efficiently to my thinking.

I hope some of this is helpful.

[Mikey N.C.]

Wasn't the old school method up in cold area's. hay or wood shavings ?

[vvand111]

I look forward to being at Beez Needs on the 17th to see what we should be doing here in the south.