please help

Hello this is my first year into beekeeping and i am trying to overwinter 8 colonies 2 i made into a double nuc like mike palmer had in his video. BUT the others i am having trouble deciding on what to do for ventillation, i have inner covers with screened holes in them , but most are propolised shut and i keep digging them open. i know it's different for different places and i have read a lot on it and seen pictures of hives with different configurations. but i would love to know what is working the best for everyone?? we had mild winters lately and i am very worried about the moisture.

i did drill top entrance holes in the double nuc and it "appears" to be okay , but it's not cold yet either. : )

Any help or pictures you may have of your ways of dealing with this issue i would LOVE to see and read about.

Thank you

Ben

Hello Ben, Never overwintered bees as far north as you but if they keep sealing the vent holes you provide then I would let them, they prob know more of what they want or need right now.. Jim

Here a couple of pics of my nuc wintering set up. This is what they look like until thanksgiving.
http://s1110.photobucket.com/albums/...1-03112148.jpg
Then this is what they will look like for the rest of winter.
http://s1110.photobucket.com/albums/...1-23101745.jpg
A view of the whole yard, mostly set up for winter. A couple of inches of styrofoam on top of the hives. Black roofing felt, or a hint of it on most hives.
The ventilation/insulation debate is endless. As you expand you are able to try more configurations and see what works best. It seemed more stressful when I first started out in 2008 with one hive. Will it live? Will it die?
Now I'm not so stressed about it, as long as some survive I'm still in the game and if some hives die out over the winter the drawn brood comb is priceless and won't be damaged by wax moths.

so you have top entrances and insulate + wrap. and you have no problems with moisture i am assuming ?

Ben

Ben, if they are propolizing the screen shut then remove the screen over the inner cover hole, I don't really know why you are screening it anyways. I wrap my hives with tar paper, that's all, and I will prop up the outer cover by laying a couple strips of wood on top of the inner cover so that there ends up being a about a 3/8" gap all around the inner cover. I also give them a top entrance by boring a 3/4" hole in the top box just below the handhold. This year I am going to add a piece of 1 1/2" or 2" foamboard on top of the outer cover and hold it down with a brick. You may get colder than me though, but I'm thinking that on average you are about the same. John

I don't understand the Feed Bag inner cover. What does it do other than let you make a very inexpensive cover : )

Ben, no problems with moisture, the bee breath exhausts out the top.

The FBIC keeps the bees away from the styrofoam which they would chew on; It also is the least disruptive type of cover I've seen as you can peel it off without breaking the burr comb at the top - drum it with a finger as you lift it and no bees remain on it.