Blog Post
13 Togs for 13 Bees!
- by Thirteen Bees
- •
- 22 Nov, 2018
- •
Wrapping up for winter
November is here and with it the first frosts of the winter; from 23c a couple of weeks ago, we are now experiencing lows of -6c overnight. Thankfully we'd kept an eye on the forecast so knew the cold was on its way - that and the fact that the cranes have started flying south!
Most beekeepers know that it's damp, not cold, that is the problem for bees over the winter months, and we certainly noticed some of the crownboards on our hives last year showing telltale signs of damp patches. Like the majority of living creatures, bees don't do well in damp houses, but apart from providing the hives with ventilation via the mesh floors, what else can we do to keep them dry? I was puzzled as to how the rain had got in last year, but have recently discovered that the dampness is caused by the bees themselves. As we know, a healthy cluster of bees requires around 20kg of honey stores to keep it fed over winter. The bees generate warmth by digesting the honey and using the energy it gives them to flex their wings, giving off heat and keeping them snug. Obviously moisture is produced by the bees' respiration but who knew it was this much? - almost 14 litres of water is produced from the consumption of 18 kilos of honey (or 3 gallons from 40lbs in old money). This moisture rises in the hive and gathers on the underside of the flat crown board where it cools and can drip dangerously back into the hive.
So, how to stop it or minimise it? Well, the Warré hive has a 'quilt box' above the frames and under the roof, a clever little design that absorbs any excess moisture in the hive, so we decided to adapt this idea and apply it to our other larger Dadant hives.
Kevin duly shut himself into his workshop (aka the Man Cave) with a determined glint in his eye, emerging a few hours later with four perfectly-built quilt boxes, complete with feeder holes for the Christmas fondant. Briefly, to explain, he cut down some old super boxes, tacked some sacking across the bottoms, fastened a piece of plywood with a covered hole in it across the centre and cut away the sacking from this section, then filled the resulting box with loosely-packed straw, keeping the feeder hole area clear. Off we went to the hives where we took away the crown boards, and, in an attempt to stop the little darlings from sticking the sacking to the frames with propolis, placed a queen excluder over the top of the frames. Then we put the new quilt boxes in place and topped them off with the roof. Tra-la!
2018 has been a tough year for the colonies in France due to the predation of the Asiatic hornets (we are still catching them, around 30 this week) but with a bit of luck our bees will at least stay warm and dry this winter.
Thanks to all our readers and a special 'bonjour' to Susan James :)
Most beekeepers know that it's damp, not cold, that is the problem for bees over the winter months, and we certainly noticed some of the crownboards on our hives last year showing telltale signs of damp patches. Like the majority of living creatures, bees don't do well in damp houses, but apart from providing the hives with ventilation via the mesh floors, what else can we do to keep them dry? I was puzzled as to how the rain had got in last year, but have recently discovered that the dampness is caused by the bees themselves. As we know, a healthy cluster of bees requires around 20kg of honey stores to keep it fed over winter. The bees generate warmth by digesting the honey and using the energy it gives them to flex their wings, giving off heat and keeping them snug. Obviously moisture is produced by the bees' respiration but who knew it was this much? - almost 14 litres of water is produced from the consumption of 18 kilos of honey (or 3 gallons from 40lbs in old money). This moisture rises in the hive and gathers on the underside of the flat crown board where it cools and can drip dangerously back into the hive.
So, how to stop it or minimise it? Well, the Warré hive has a 'quilt box' above the frames and under the roof, a clever little design that absorbs any excess moisture in the hive, so we decided to adapt this idea and apply it to our other larger Dadant hives.
Kevin duly shut himself into his workshop (aka the Man Cave) with a determined glint in his eye, emerging a few hours later with four perfectly-built quilt boxes, complete with feeder holes for the Christmas fondant. Briefly, to explain, he cut down some old super boxes, tacked some sacking across the bottoms, fastened a piece of plywood with a covered hole in it across the centre and cut away the sacking from this section, then filled the resulting box with loosely-packed straw, keeping the feeder hole area clear. Off we went to the hives where we took away the crown boards, and, in an attempt to stop the little darlings from sticking the sacking to the frames with propolis, placed a queen excluder over the top of the frames. Then we put the new quilt boxes in place and topped them off with the roof. Tra-la!
2018 has been a tough year for the colonies in France due to the predation of the Asiatic hornets (we are still catching them, around 30 this week) but with a bit of luck our bees will at least stay warm and dry this winter.
Thanks to all our readers and a special 'bonjour' to Susan James :)
Evidence of wax cappings underneath the hive show that the bees are accessing the honey stores - and so they're alive!
A summary of what we have tried this year to combat the threat of Asian hornets to our bees
An update on how the hive muzzles are working to deter Asian hornets from preying on our bees
How we cut out a nest of bees from a window sill and moved them to their new home at 13 Bees
The Hozelock campaign to encourage people to plant flowers for pollinating insects, and enter a prize draw where the main prize is a holiday at 13 Bees
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