# Winterizing Hive



## vallyfarm (Oct 24, 2006)

This is my first year at this, but when should the hive get insulated for winter? When should it be opened back up? It has been a really mild fall so far. Few nights below freezing. I'm in upstate NY and am wondering if they shouldn't be wrapped up yet? The bee hives in this area I can see from the road still look open. Just wondering. Mike


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## alleyyooper (Apr 22, 2005)

Never wrap any of ours as it is just to much of a chore and finding a place to store all the stuff every spring. Put the outer cover down and pull it to the rear to reduce the top opening in the intercover.
Only open them when you have a really nice warm day and they are flying other wise keep track of the stores by hefting but you would need to know how they felt full.

 Al


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## vallyfarm (Oct 24, 2006)

My top cover is solid, and I don't have/know an outer cover. Just an opening below the lower super to let them in and our of about 9/16". Mike


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## tom j (Apr 3, 2009)

put a stick a like a pencil in front between top cover and inner cover ..


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## vallyfarm (Oct 24, 2006)

Why would I want to have my top cover to be open? Wouldn't they make them that way if they were supposed to be open? Haven't read anything about this. Not getting snippy, just don't understand why, expecialy in December. Mike


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## Michael W. Smith (Jun 2, 2002)

I'm not so sure winterizing them helps.

I mean, you do want to do what you can to keep the hives protected from extremem weather (having them in a sheltered area etc), but it seems like no matter what you do, they either live or they die. 

As long as they have enough stores, what else can you really do?

Yes, you can winterize them and insulate them - but not only are you insulating them from the extreme cold, but you are insulating them on days when it gets warm. With insulation, it takes longer to "warm up" the hive on the nicer days, so are you really gaining anything?

I have yet to see anyone who "winterizes" a wild colony. They have made their home in what cavity they deemed comfortable - whether it be a hollow tree or between the walls of an abandoned house or whatever. And enough seem to survive out in the wild.

While I understand you would prefer to keep 100% of your hives alive, I don't think 100% will survive - no matter what you do. 

Like last year - the package hive I started had plenty of honey and were alive - up to around March of this year when all of a sudden they died. They had plenty of honey - I think it was the extreme cold and lack of warming days for cleansing flights that did them in. My hive was out in the open.

Early this year, I got a call from a person who had moved into a house and there was a beehive out in the middle of their backyard that the previous owner had left. I thought it was just a hive but when questioning the owner, it had bees in it. There it sat out in the middle of the backyard - unprotected - the same as mine. My hive died out, this one lived.

You can even have hives side by side of each other in the same location. One will make it, the other won't. 

I say just keep the hive in a sheltered area as best you can - and nature will prevail.


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## alleyyooper (Apr 22, 2005)

My back yard winter hive set up. Wind block to the north and west, top covers down and pulled totaly to the rear to close off the upper entrance. Feeder surround boxes setting beside the hives ready for spring feeding.










Two in the front yard. Wild dog wood & woods wind block and snow to insulate them.










The intercover. Has the oblong hole in the center.











A summer top entrance in the intercover(far left.) outer cover proped up for summer ventilation.











 Al


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## Michael W. Smith (Jun 2, 2002)

tom j said:


> put a stick a like a pencil in front between top cover and inner cover ..


I think what Tom is trying to say is to leave a little vent around the top of the hive. While that does leave heat out and let cold in, I think one of the major problems with winter kill is moisture. And bees do put off moisture - just living. Add to that honey being used during the winter as well, and if too much moisture builds up in the hive, the bees just can't survive.

The vent lets the moisture escape.


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## tom j (Apr 3, 2009)

Michael W. Smith ,,, you hit the nail right on the head ,, that is what I was saying ,, I have been told 2 things kill a hive ,, starvation ,, and moisture ,, yes there are things that have a hand in killing it but ,, I was told that cold weather does not kill it ,, moisture ,, starvation ,, is what will kill them over 90% of the the time ,,the other 10% is bad queen ,, to small of a cluster ,, mites ,, shb ,, skunk , the area Idiot ( not the bee keeper ) opening the hive when the temp is below 50 or when the bee keep is at work or sleeping ,, and a few other things .. Now this is what I have been told so take it as you want ..


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## Timber (Jun 15, 2003)

I do wrap with tarpaper the light size, 15 lb type. Doing it mostly for warming and wind driven wet snow. Most of them do not have a windbreak option. 
Iâm using a top entrance for moisture control and bee cleansing flights. The entrance is about 3/8 by 2 inches located above the second brood super. I do put an entrance reducer on the bottom. The reducer is about two bees wide in width. The hole is wide enough for a cleaning hole, and an entrance for convection airflow. 

Iâm thinking of increasing the hole size in order to increase the convection flow rate. Iâve open the top of a hive couple weeks ago, and still see some water droplets. Not breaking it down into the brood for a look Iâm just a little concern. As this year we went through an unbelievable wet season still is continuing through this mild but moist winter. Nights been below freezing with some in the low teens. 

I do have a question pertains to the bottom entrance. Whatâs working for you? And if you do to what size is your reduction hole.


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