Author Topic: Winter temps in hive. (Read 4901 times)

beehappy1950 · « **on:** February 04, 2018, 09:13:34 pm »

What would be the perfect temp inside the box for bees to make it thru the winter best? Hope to have lots of ideas here. I am kicking around heating each box separately. I heated some this winter but I think they were to tight. I lost some of them. I am waiting. Harold

BeeMaster2 · « **Reply #1 on:** February 04, 2018, 11:32:40 pm »

I would say about 40 degrees. You want to keep them in the cluster.
Jim

beehappy1950 · « **Reply #2 on:** February 04, 2018, 11:57:33 pm »

Sawdstmaker are they going to be able to move to new combs at that temp?

BeeMaster2 · « **Reply #3 on:** February 05, 2018, 06:44:33 am »

My scout bees are flying at 45 degrees. I think they would be able to easily move the cluster at 40 degrees.
Hopefully MB will see this and give you an exact amount. I am pretty sure he has experimented with adding heat to the hive.
Jim

Acebird · « **Reply #4 on:** February 05, 2018, 09:27:35 am »

The cluster is well above 40 so moving is no problem if there isn't brood anchoring them.

beehappy1950 · « **Reply #5 on:** February 05, 2018, 10:01:20 am »

Thats what I thought I had them set on 43. I am not sending mine to Calif. anymore so would like to get them to live in Minn. I built boxes out of 2x12s. And made bottom boards 6 in. deep so to be able to build a trough in the middle 4in. deep and 5in. wide with screen on top of it to keep bees away from it for heater. I use a heating element out of a bunn coffee maker. They are 60 watt. Then I made a inner cover that is to thick when they are building comb. And a top cover that has 3 in of styfoam insulation in it. About as costly as our house we built. Ha. But at the price of bees now days better keep them alive. Hope I havent bored any body to death yet by inventing the wheel again. Harold

beehappy1950 · « **Reply #6 on:** February 05, 2018, 10:26:45 am »

I used 2 thickness of 2xs so the hive walls are 3 in. thick.

Michael Bush · « **Reply #7 on:** February 05, 2018, 11:09:58 am »

40 F would be the max. I think I'd be plenty happy with 20 F. I don't want them active. I've never seen anything that would keep them exactly one temperature so I would try to keep them above 20 F and if I can below 40 F.

beehappy1950 · « **Reply #8 on:** February 05, 2018, 12:10:35 pm »

I am using an STC-1000 thermostat. You can get them online for around 13 dollars apiece. The element is the same one that keeps your coffee warm. The STC is centigrade. There is another number for Fahrenheit. Maybe keeping them too warm you think. Maybe.

beehappy1950 · « **Reply #9 on:** February 05, 2018, 12:12:43 pm »

Oh. These thermostats keep them within 1/2 degree.

Acebird · « **Reply #10 on:** February 05, 2018, 12:37:23 pm »

Quote from: beehappy1950 on February 05, 2018, 10:26:45 am

I used 2 thickness of 2xs so the hive walls are 3 in. thick.

I think you should do the opposite. Buy or build standard 3/4 boxes and put four hives right tight together then line the outside of the hives with board insulation. The four hives will have two common walls with adjacent hives. They will cluster in one corner of each hive and share their own cluster heat.
I agree with MB that 8 frames might work out better because they will not want to move away from the common walls to access honey.

gww · « **Reply #11 on:** February 05, 2018, 12:40:34 pm »

ace

Quote

I think you should do the opposite. Buy or build standard 3/4 boxes and put four hives right tight together then line the outside of the hives with board insulation. The four hives will have two common walls with adjacent hives. They will cluster in one corner of each hive and share their own cluster heat.
I agree with MB that 8 frames might work out better because they will not want to move away from the common walls to access honey.

Ditto
gww

beehappy1950 · « **Reply #12 on:** February 05, 2018, 01:25:14 pm »

If I lived in NY or Missouri I could do that but in Minnesota we have temps as low as 60 below and 20 below might hang on for 2 to 3 weeks at a time. I want to be able to keep them in their regular spaces.

beehappy1950 · « **Reply #13 on:** February 05, 2018, 01:26:35 pm »

But I do thank you for your in put. Thanks

Acebird · « **Reply #14 on:** February 05, 2018, 02:05:20 pm »

The issue with a heat source in close proximity to the hive is that the cluster may gravitate towards it and away from stores. Is 60 watts enough for 60 below?

beehappy1950 · « **Reply #15 on:** February 05, 2018, 03:25:00 pm »

I tried it in the empty hive to see how fast it could heat a double and it does quite quickly.There isnt much space in a double.

beehappy1950 · « **Reply #16 on:** February 06, 2018, 04:16:55 pm »

If you consider about half of the space is taken up with bees, comb. It should help

Bush_84 · « **Reply #17 on:** February 07, 2018, 09:53:00 pm »

Hello my fellow Minnesotan. After experimenting with multiple methods of heating a hive I have found it best to just put them in a shed. If you have the ability to do so I?d read up on the subject for next winter. Canadian beekeepers seem to be the best at it.

beehappy1950 · « **Reply #18 on:** February 07, 2018, 10:30:22 pm »

I may do that next winter with some. I do have an old trailer house up here to put them in. Not sure when to put them in or take them out.

beehappy1950 · « **Reply #19 on:** February 07, 2018, 10:34:18 pm »

Bush_84 I see you are just south of me. What method do you use?

Bush_84 · « **Reply #20 on:** February 13, 2018, 12:04:56 am »

Quote from: beehappy1950 on February 07, 2018, 10:34:18 pm

Bush_84 I see you are just south of me. What method do you use?

Sorry for the late response. First off let me start with saying that these are the best resources I?ve found. I winter indoors and will be building a new setup this year. It?s in an existing shed in a 12x22 foot space that is already enclosed on three sides with insulation in those walls, but minimal in the attic. What I?ve done is temp set to 40. Ventilation needs to be done. I set mine to a timer. Ian (at Steppler farms) has one fan running constantly and one fan to run when it gets to hot. His bees heat his shed. I don?t have enough for that so I vent to exchange air. You will need to trap light with your vents. Double 90 degree turns will do the trick. The space must be void of light or bees will fly towards it and never return. That covers the basics.

http://capabees.org/content/uploads/2013/02/winteringpdf.pdf

http://capabees.org/content/uploads/2013/02/indoorwinteringhighlights.pdf

http://capabees.org/content/uploads/2013/02/indoorwinteringrequirements.pdf

http://stepplerfarms.com/StepplerHoney.html

little john · « **Reply #21 on:** February 13, 2018, 05:27:58 am »

Quote from: Bush_84 on February 13, 2018, 12:04:56 am

[...] these are the best resources I've found.

For anyone interested in this aspect of beekeeping, and looking for a wider perspective - I came across this recently, which devotes several articles to the overwintering of colonies in very cold climates: https://www.ninevehtrust.org.uk/images/pdfs/bkq%20103_lr.pdf Several methods are discussed, ranging from huge environmentally-controlled sheds in Canada, to simple covered holes in the ground (poor man's cellar) in less affluent countries.

Dan - did you get my PM re: the Indoor Wintering of Small Honey Bee Colonies in Iowa (1999 JSTOR paper) ?
LJ

Bush_84 · « **Reply #22 on:** February 13, 2018, 09:05:41 am »

I do now that you pointed it out lol. Sorry for late reply.