Windbreak?

[DaYooper]

My hives are placed in a mostly open area with the nearest trees 50-75 yards away. I am thinking of installing a wooden pricvacy fence behind and to the sides of the hives to protect them from the wind/rain/snow. Before I spend my weekend and $100+ to do this, do you guys think it's worth it?

Ryan

[Michael Bush]

In Nothern MI? Yes, probably worth it. Does the wind blow in the winter? Do you have 60 MPH wind storms? We do all the time.

[DaYooper]

Yes, we get some really nasty wind here.

How high do you think? Is three foot high enough? Six foot?

Ryan

[This message has been edited by DaYooper (edited June 04, 2004).]

[Michael Bush]

If you have bottom entrances (as most people do) and small top entrances the bottom is where most of the wind probably blows in. The first three feet would make the most difference. Another three feet would probably make some difference, but not as much. Anything helps.

[MountainCamp]

I would agree that the fence would help with the winter winds.
When setting your fence up remember the snow is going to drift when it drops over the fence.

[MountainCamp]

I would agree that the fence would help with the winter winds.
When setting your fence up remember the snow is going to drift when it drops over the fence.

[Michael Bush]

That's true. A bunch of hives buried in drifts could be a worse problem than the wind.

[BULLSEYE BILL]

As long as he has top entrances he should be OK, and the snow would be good insulation.

[Ian]

>>As long as he has top entrances he should be OK, and the snow would be good insulation.


I agree, that is why I use topenterences, it allows them to breath under such cercumstances. Last winter I had an entire yard under a snow drift. My yards are set up to avoid excessive drifting, but old man winter sends a curve every once and a while. They sailed through winter, each hive venting through the snow. I would say wind is your winters worst enenmy...

Ian

[Oxankle]

Old rule of thumb is that a windbreak protects for a distance of 20 x its height.

If I were only going to build three feet high, I believe I might just go with some sort of shrubbery.

When in Tulsa I had a pad on the S. side of my house for the bees. Turned out that this created a "warm spot" and on almost any sunny day in the winter bees would fly.

[Drifter]

I been having a brain storm kind of like Oxankle is talking . I have a garage at home with an open south side . The downside would be that the gas barrel that I need filled about once a month is also there . Still thinking on this .

Drifter

[swarm_trapper]

yooper some guys take chicken wire and wrap it around there hives but leave a 3in space all the way around then stuff leaves in that space so that the hive has a wind break made out of leaves

[This message has been edited by swarm_trapper (edited June 05, 2004).]

[Rooster4473]

>A bunch of hives buried in drifts could be a worse problem than the wind.<

I don't get a ton of snow, I have a normal hive entrance, if my hive gets covered with a snow drift is it ok to dig it out ?

[Karl]

Before spending that kind of money I would ask if it would be feasable to move your yard to take advantage of a natural windbreak? I was lucky to place mine on the east side of a row of lilac bushes. They catch early morning sun then have shade in the late afternoon. Also it makes a very good windbreak. Just a thought.

[Michael Bush]

Yes, you can just dig them out. I do. But my dog likes to run down the nice hollow space I just made and cave it all back in. And the snow blows back in when the wind blows. It's one of the reasons I decided to go with just top entrances. Less condensation, less mouse problems, less skunk problems, and less digging out the entrances.

[dickm]

My idea was to pick up used pallets from a masonry yard and stand them on end. (So the slats are vertical). This gives something that breaks the wind but may be less likely to cause drifts as a solid fence is said to do. Sort of like a snow fence. Here in CT the snow is not as much of a problem as the wind chill.

Dickm

[roger eagles]

I had my bees under snow so bad this spring ,could hardly find them.3rd year like the same.Ive like to see them like that all the time.Temp,stays the same,never had mice,put1quarter screen in reduced bottom.Wrap tarpaper sids and top.R20 wrapt arount,8 inchs left on top.Fill with r30,tape poly over top.tie a4bi4 3eights plywood on top.1 ft will be melted on vent sides,they crap all winter.spring,you'll have bees.bestway.Do not dig them out

[Russ]

Something else you might consider is placing some scrap plywood on top of the hives to make a porch like to keep the entrance open. Like others have said snow makes good insulation but the porch would keep the entrance open, partially at least. Dale

[Michael Bush]

>3eights plywood on top.1 ft will be melted on vent sides,they crap all winter.spring,you'll have bees.bestway.Do not dig them out

I'm not quite following how your entrance stays open. But that's why I've gone to top entrances. I don't WANT to dig them out because the snow is warmer (32 F instead of -20 F) and it's too much work and it drifts shut again.

[DaYooper]

Thanks for all the advice guys.

I'm going to go ahead with the fence. I'll be using a top entrance along with a mouse protected bottom entrance. I think the drifting snow may actually help as we get stretches of several days of below zero weather.

Ryan