The Honey Factory

[R2elk]

Most of the winter it would not do any good as it would be too cold and the periods of sun would be too short. So inside the greenhouse, without an external heat source could be 40 below, just like outside it.

Build a Walpini and put the hive inside it. It will never freeze but you will need to have an excellent temperature controlled ventilation system.

 

[duluthralphie]

What in the hades is a Walpini?

 

[R2elk]

What in the hades is a Walpini?

A walpini is a greenhouse that is built with the base below the frost line.

 

[CLSranch]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walipini

A super green house.

 

[jerryse]

My bees are flying today and a couple other days . Should be flying most days the next 7 days . I did not expect the small hive to survive . However I think they would have if not for the 2 week cold spell . Conclusion is the swarm was small and had the old failing queen . She laid but must have not been enough .Stores were used up and they could not get to the sugar cake due to the cold . Silver maples should bloom by March 20 here .

 

[CindyinSD]

How often do all ya all* remove comb?

Do you decide by color or a rotation?


*practicing my Southie speak.

Hmm... it's "ya'll", Ralphie. More practice!

 

[CindyinSD]

Sorry to hear. ? How many hives do you keep? The bee's should bee used to the cold up there, unlike our rare southern current situation. (I know it's cold across the US the last 2 weeks) Still makes you upset or it would me to see the last hive go.

Pretty sure they're not used to -30 Fahrenheit. How cold did ya'll get, R2?

 

[R2elk]

Pretty sure they're not used to -30 Fahrenheit. How cold did ya'll get, R2?

-17°F is the coldest it got for this winter.

 

[CindyinSD]

My thoughts too, and so much honey close to them too.

Just from my reading, the cluster of bees will only move up to feed and in extreme cold, can starve to death within inches of abundant honey, which is one of the advantages touted for the alternative deep box hive designs such as Layens. There is more "upness" to be traversed than in a standard Lang hive.

You can also build the Layens type double-boxed with rigid insulation between (but protected in the cuts for entrances & exits; they will chew it). One hive design I saw had round holes not slits, with pvc pipe bits lining the vulnerable surfaces. I'm sure pex would work fine, too. The holes can be modified by putting plates overtop to change the opening shape/size if needed. I will change the dimensions from https://horizontalhive.com/how-to-build/layens-beehive-design.shtml to accommodate two side-by-side-standing-on-end deep frames, fastened together. Otherwise not sure you could use a standard extractor.

I need to find out whether I can still get bees. It's getting late, isn't it?

 

[R2elk]

Just from my reading, the cluster of bees will only move up to feed and in extreme cold, can starve to death within inches of abundant honey, which is one of the advantages touted for the alternative deep box hive designs such as Layens. There is more "upness" to be traversed than in a standard Lang hive.

You can also build the Layens type double-boxed with rigid insulation between (but protected in the cuts for entrances & exits; they will chew it). One hive design I saw had round holes not slits, with pvc pipe bits lining the vulnerable surfaces. I'm sure pex would work fine, too. The holes can be modified by putting plates overtop to change the opening shape/size if needed. I will change the dimensions from https://horizontalhive.com/how-to-build/layens-beehive-design.shtml to accommodate two side-by-side-standing-on-end deep frames, fastened together. Otherwise not sure you could use a standard extractor.

I need to find out whether I can still get bees. It's getting late, isn't it?

If you need to order bees online rather than locally. both TSC and Mann Lake are still selling 3 lb. packages.