December 1st, 2023

I have winterized my 2 hives (lost hive number 1 in September) :(

Status of the 2 remaining hives: Hive 3 (left hive) is thriving. This was a new hive this spring that started with a package of bees. Hive 2. (right hive). Which is heading into its second winter and is considerably weaker at this point. I will check it again soon but I am very concerned about its prognosis.

For winterizing this year, I am following the "condensing hive" theory. This school of thought follows research that has found that the top of the hive should include a higher R-value of insulation than the sides of the hive. This way, the condensation produced in the hive should drip down the sides of the hive and not on the cluster of bees. Bees can survive cold but not if they are wet and cold. So I have constructed insulated boxes to wrap the hives. The sides are built with a 2-inch foam insulation board cut to fit around the sides and it also covers the top entrance. The top of the hive includes a 2-inch insulation board. Additionally, in between the inner cover and the top cover, I have a "crown top panel" from Hive Hugger. This crown panel provides R32 but is less than 1 inch thick so it is incredibly efficient. Then for extra protection, I added a layer of thinsulate covering the whole hive. Finally, I added a large sheet of coroplast over the top of the hive to hopefully reduce any moisture from rain and snow on the entrance. This whole setup is a substantial change from years past. The first few years, I did not add any insulation and I lost a few of my hives. It is extremely upsetting to lose hives. In the last few years, I have wrapped the hives with tar paper and added a 1-inch foam board under the inner cover but left the top and bottom entrances open. This, of course is very minimal insulation, and has provided mixed results.

I have also added sugar bricks for emergency feed under the inner covers set in a shim board to help the girls if they run out of the honey stores. These measures will hopefully set the colonies up for an easier winter and a stronger start in the spring.

So here we are. Fingers crossed!