Fox Blocks As Hive Insulation

For the last few years I've been searching for a convenient, yet effective way to winterize my hives in the cold Minnesota environment I live in. Hay bales were effective but tended to attract vermin, and presented me with a problem after winter: I could not find enough people who wanted to utilized these bales after their winter use. We tried pink insulation foam last season but they were not insulating enough it seems. This year we will try insulating the hives with Fox Blocks, insulating concrete forms. This insulation should be as effective as hay bales, yet reusable and easily stored.

Monta designed and built these structures using her skills as a sculptor. Pink insulation foam was used to close off and fill in the gaps.

We will see how this works.

Getting Metpropolis Ready for Fall/Winter

Yesterday, I spent the afternoon moving bars of honey around in the top bar hive, Metpropolis. The hive surprised me. I'd been thinking that, while watching from the outside the last few days, it was rather weak. This was not the case. It is thriving with much capped honey, a healthy looking queen, and a solid population. I cannot say the same with the other top bar hive, Plan Bee... . I looks like it was weakened and robbed in some way. It is essentially dead! This was a surprise as well because in August it looked like the strongest hive I had. I fed sugar syrup and pollen patties to the other hives. They seem to be doing well just like Metpropolis.

Video: Hives Wrapped

Hives Wrapped for Winter October 23
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The video above documents my beekeeping activities last Saturday.

Winterization-- Part II

Yesterday I continued the winterization of Beelandia's hives. It was very difficult to think that cold weather is around the corner with the temperature reaching into the 60s (F) but the pre-winter tasks needed to be done.

I placed hive-wrap material (purchased from B and B Honey Farm) around each hive. The hives were generally cooperative, even though the weather was warm enough for foragers to come and go in significant numbers. As usual, I struggled a bit with the top bar hives. They are just not as easy to wrap as nice Langstroth boxes.

No stings and the task was finished.

"Winterization" Part I

Today I took the first step in preparing my hives for winter. For each hive, I took off the feeder, placed in some fondant and a pollen patty, and put a quilt box on top. The two top bar hives have very little stores, so I simply hope the fondant is used.

In the next week or two I will wrap and insulate each hive.

Like Night and Day

My 5 hives have come out of winter healthy which leads me to the next obvious question: Why did I lose my two hives last year, and, this year, have my 5 hives all survive?

First, I know it isn't due to how much food they stored. This year, I worried going into winter because the hives had little honey in storage. Bee Workers of the World Unite! had very little indeed! Last year in comparison, the two hives were packed with honey going into November and it was all still there when I examined the dead-outs in February.

Survival could be due to two factors beyond either the bees' or my control. First, last January had two weeks of continuous subzero temperatures. The bees probably couldn't move up to the capped honey within inches of the cluster. Second, I still suspect that my bees had a significant virus infection created by an immense varroa mite infestation.

But I did do other things to prepare the bees for winter that I didn't do last year:

1. I moved the hives slightly, so that they would receive plenty of winter sun.

2. Monta and I made quilt boxes for both the top bar hives and langstroths. These boxes absorbed a significant amount of moisture that rose up from the cluster.

3. While I kept the screen bottom boards on the langstroths, I did duct tape the openings, keeping the cold air out.

4. Besides wrapping the hives with black wintering materials, I also placed hay bales around the hive to cut down on strong winds.

5. I tilted boards in front of the bottom entrances. The bees could leave through the bottom entrances but didn't get full exposure to the chilly winds.

While these are the things I did, I can't be assured that these interventions were actually the key to the bees' survival. Honey bee survival/death is the result of a number of apicultural and environmental factors. It probably cannot be reduced in any particular silver bullets.

Video: Natural Beekeeping Class Preparing for Winter

A Fine November 6th Morning

We are having unseasonably warm day for November 6th in Winona MN. I had a chance to go back home this morning to talk with Nova and noticed that the honey bees were out taking a cleansing flight. All the hives were active.

Because of my busy schedule I have been unable to report the "doings" in Beelandia on this blog. For those of you who wish to know, I winterized all the hives two weeks ago. We got some haybales from a local farmer and have placed them around each of the hives, both langstroth and top bar. They should serve as nice wind-breaks. Hopefully, we will not have prolonged sub zero temperatures this winter.