[JodieToadie]

Well folks sometimes you just have to see it. Hives do not like high temperatures when indoor wintering. I came home from work to this today.

As you can see I peaked at 81 degrees. Right on the cusp of total meltdown. I had to wait till dark and knock the doors off the hinges. You can see what the hives are starting to look like 20 minutes after I get full air blowing on them. (I need a bigger building or more air movement.)

 

[sharpdog]

Wow, the cool night air should save them. Good luck.

 

[Ian]

(I need a bigger building or more air movement.)

what do you have now for shed ventilation?

 

[JodieToadie]

what do you have now for shed ventilation?

I have 1st stage is just 150 cfm. 2nd stage is around 600cfm push and 600cfm pulling. Building is 2304cubic feet. So theoretically I am getting 1 full air exchange every 4 minutes. I think I have a problem with the ducting. I had a echo ventilation unit that I put in and I think it actually has a bit of an air to air exchanger in it so I am losing efficiency.

 

[JodieToadie]

Wow, the cool night air should save them. Good luck.

They are all out on the snow now. So hopefully environment Canada is right and we get heat tomorrow. It was -4 at midnight when I got finished.

 

[sharpdog]

I had a echo ventilation unit that I put in and I think it actually has a bit of an air to air exchanger in it so I am losing efficiency.

Ahhhh. That explains things. I have been racking my brain to try to determine what the difference is between my ability to cool, and your ability to keep 'me cool, all winter because I knew you were moving lots of air.

Luke

 

[Acebird]

It was -4 at midnight when I got finished.

-4 outside and 80 inside? how does that happen? We can't be talking Centigrade.

 

[JodieToadie]

-4 outside and 80 inside? how does that happen? We can't be talking Centigrade.

Yes -4 Centigrade inside it got up to +29 Centigrade.

 

[Ian]

Hows the hives look outside Jodie? Did you get a nice day of sun?

 

[JodieToadie]

Hows the hives look outside Jodie? Did you get a nice day of sun?

Well I am happy to say I have 97 out of 98 (One that starved about 3 weeks ago). Some are really good, 1/2 frame X 4 sides capped brood. Couple of queen issues I need to sort out but I am much happier so far than last year (which was 26/26). If we get some warm weather now I will have excellent hives. Have you looked at any of yours yet Ian?

 

[JodieToadie]

No B.S.ing they were starting to try to fly at +1 Centigrade this morning and were significantly flying by +5 Centigrade. We got up to +9 today and all hell was breaking loose in the yard. Still disappointing to see lots drop dead in the snow, but I have to get used to it. Everything for 100 yards around speckle painted brown.

 

[Acebird]

Yes -4 Centigrade inside it got up to +29 Centigrade.

Where does the heat come from? Is it solar on a tin building?

 

[Ian]

Have you looked at any of yours yet Ian?

starting to move tonight,

 

[JodieToadie]

Where does the heat come from? Is it solar on a tin building?

The bees, once they hit a certain temperature they are like light bulbs. They turn on and get hot and without huge amounts of cool air they can maintain a building at very high temps.

 

[Acebird]

The bees, once they hit a certain temperature they are like light bulbs. They turn on and get hot and without huge amounts of cool air they can maintain a building at very high temps.

If you built a chimney on your tin huts together with louvers at the bottom of the walls it would ventilate the heck out of those buildings without the use of electric fans. In a green house you can use wax motors to actuate the dampers because they trigger around 85 degrees F but you are looking to control down to what 35? So a temperature controller on each damper would be needed to control the dampers. If you get a warm spell I can see where you would "freak", a word Ian used. If this happens can you leave all the openings open and let the bees fly? The bees should orient and come back to their own hive and stay if it gets cold again.

 

[Buzzsaw2012]

I'm hoping to start indoor wintering this year. I'm so disgusted with loosing my bees over winter.
Can't remember the exact number but it was like 55 days below 0 F. this winter for me .
I'm going to try 6 hives in a 8x10 building .
Lee

 

[JoshW]

I'm hoping to start indoor wintering this year. I'm so disgusted with loosing my bees over winter.
Can't remember the exact number but it was like 55 days below 0 F. this winter for me .
I'm going to try 6 hives in a 8x10 building .
Lee

I had 13 hives in an 8x10 this winter. R12 insulated r20 on top and still needed a space heater to keep temps above freezing. Only lost one hive though.

 

[Acebird]

I had 13 hives in an 8x10 this winter. R12 insulated r20 on top and still needed a space heater to keep temps above freezing. Only lost one hive though.

So you are heating and Jodie is cooling ... something is not adding up. Why the difference? I would expect heating if the ambient temp is near 0.

 

[JodieToadie]

So you are heating and Jodie is cooling ... something is not adding up. Why the difference? I would expect heating if the ambient temp is near 0.

Yes, both can occur. Hive density plays a large factor as well as ambient temperature. Here is an article for you Acebird. The bottom is particularly what you are looking for. I helps explain wintering methodology. http://www.backyardbees.ca/files/winteringbeaverlodge.pdf

 

[JodieToadie]

http://www.backyardbees.ca/files/winteringbeaverlodge.pdf

sorry the link didn't paste.