# what do you think of this



## ursa_minor (Feb 13, 2020)

Pretty nice and simple to apply


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## JenDole (Jul 28, 2020)

ursa_minor said:


> Pretty nice and simple to apply


would you think it would cause any issues with moisture in the hive?


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## ursa_minor (Feb 13, 2020)

Here in north central Sask. they put the hive wraps right to the bottom of the hive, but allowing air flow. I am not sure, but I don't think it would be a problem since you have a top entrance to vent the hive.


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## GregB (Dec 26, 2017)

JenDole said:


> would you think it would cause any issues with moisture in the hive?


How?
What you are doing is no different from these here, pictured.
What are the "scary" moisture issues?
The hives pictured here are supposed to die by the conventional teachings - moisture, suffocation, etc.
Well, they don't.


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## JenDole (Jul 28, 2020)

GregV said:


> How?
> What you are doing is no different from these here, pictured.
> What are the "scary" moisture issues?
> The hives pictured here are supposed to die by the conventional teachings - moisture, suffocation, etc.
> ...


so your saying it should be fine. I also have screened vent holes in the winter shim that I plug up with corks. When I removed some today the inside portion of they corks were damp. that was prior to putting on the front wind blocks. Today in Southern Ontario it was 13 degrees F. This us my 1st winter so mostly I worry too much.


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## GregB (Dec 26, 2017)

JenDole said:


> so your saying it should be fine


It should be fine.
For sure what you've done will not add or remove much moisture; others things will.


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## JustBees (Sep 7, 2021)

Generically humidity is not an issue, however "where" that humidity condenses is certainly an issue.
Condensate on the sides of my hive does not bother me, and it won't bother the bees as it runs down the sides and out the bottom.
Condensate in the center of the lid, drooping moldy inner covers, is like putting a sprinkler on the cluster.
The bees are consummate air conditioning specialists, each bee comes with a built in fan.
Controlling the dew point in the hive seems to me to be a critical responsibility if you are going to provide a colony a home.
Would you chain up a dog in the middle of a clearing in the dead of winter?
Bees are not native species to a large part of the world. Their origin is tropical, their hives were built in the open usually sheltered under an overhang or some such.
In the non-equatorial hemispheres very commonly they seek shelter in hollow trees as it suits their nature.
A 3/4" thick wood box only tricks the bees with a desirable interior, but it makes the beekeeper happy.....
It is not good to use human parameters when considering environmental conditions for bees, but they like it warm and humid.
Heat is OK, as long as it is accompanied with humidity, AND that humidity does not condense directly above the cluster
I am over wintering with (min) R20+ lids and R5 wrap on a 3/4" box, I do not want it to rain inside my boxes.
Remember to minimize heat loss and mimic the bees natural choice your hive will have no top vent or entrance.
If I had drifting snow or high winds I would add an angled board in front of the entrance to create a buffer without impeding access detrimentally.


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## Jack Grimshaw (Feb 10, 2001)

You are gaining very little by using reflectrix as a hive wrap.It is designed to be used with an air gap on the warm side.As you use it ,it only has an r value of "1" and only acts as a wind break.You also do not get the solar gain of roofing felt(tar paper).On sunny days,roofing felt warms the hive,allowing the bees to break cluster and access food and also creates a warm micro climate at the front of the hive,warm enough to melt the snow on the ground.
A friend in the Berkshires did a comparison beween tar paper and reflectrix wrapped hives.The tar paper hives had more winter cleansing flights , larger clusters in the spring and earlier flights on spring mornings.


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## kilocharlie (Dec 27, 2010)

Another way that only works for up to a certain number of hives is to build a straw bale shelter. I would still insulate the hives either individually or in pallets of 4, *AND* with upper hive ventilation such as a hose.

The other thing that seems to control moisture is the quilt box, basically a box of dry straw that has a small hole in the bottom. The straw must be changed out for new, dry straw every so often, and I make mine with a candy board bottom as well - yes, the hole goes through the fondant board bottom.

Jack - thank you for the reflectrix vs. tar paper info.


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## A Novice (Sep 15, 2019)

JustBees said:


> ...
> Remember to minimize heat loss and mimic the bees natural choice your hive will have no top vent or entrance.
> ...


Beekeepers probably disagree more on the subject of top entrances than any other aspect of wintering except maybe insulation.

I have always used a top entrance, as it makes it easier for the bees to get out in winter. My top entrance is typically about 1/2 inch high, 2 inches wide, and right at the top. Never had moisture problems in the hive, as there is more airflow to carry out excess moisture. No quilt boxes or such stuff, as not needed. The additional airflow probably means the bees eat a bit more, but sugar is $0.55 per pound, and air has a pretty low specific heat anyway, so not that much is lost.
I am in USDA Zone 5B, about a half mile from Zone 5A (5B extends inland from lake Michigan about 20 miles)

An opossum's natural habitat is a hole in the ground, or under a porch, but they suffer greatly in the winter here and would like a nicely insulated box. And there are those who think the natural habitat for humans is either a cave or a hut or a tent made of skins, but I think people do better in houses with insulation and thermostatic temperature control. It isn't clear to me that closer to the natural habitat is a relevant criterion.

As usual, I must add that I have ZERO basis for my opinions, beyond my own modest success raising a few colonies.


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## Jack Grimshaw (Feb 10, 2001)

The way I look at it,if the bees didn't want a top entrance,they would seal it with propolis.
In 40+ yrs,I have never seen this.I have seen plenty of lower entrances reduced with propolis to just a few gaps.


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## LAlldredge (Aug 16, 2018)

I like your wind break. I also cut a large rectangle of coroplast that I use for a large awning weighed down by a block in winter. As a side note- water, humidity and moisture are fascinating subjects here. I actually spray water over loose sugar all around the cluster all winter in 6a dry high desert. No losses in 4 years. So while dripping water directly over the cluster can create issues, when managed properly water is essential to overwintering. GregV has some great insights here on the matter.


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