if you have telescoping covers they will get in the way. I leave the boxes after the first frost alone and they glue them together. any gaps i might put tape over the cracks. I don't wrap or insulate except for a quilt box.
imo the black paper might add some thermal warmth. it has to be tight and have holes cut for bees to fly in winter good days. Try setting them with the backs of the hives towards the prevailing winds. ratchet strap each one down to the base. I also was going to do what you are talking about when i started and then priced out the cost of insulation as well as the pita factor of storing it the rest of the year.
oh and you can move them to the arrangement now or at least start creeping them closer every week by a few inches. You can have hives literally inches from each other all year and no issues. If you spin some around do it at night and put branches in front of the hive so the re-orient themselves.
imo the black paper might add some thermal warmth. it has to be tight and have holes cut for bees to fly in winter good days. Try setting them with the backs of the hives towards the prevailing winds. ratchet strap each one down to the base. I also was going to do what you are talking about when i started and then priced out the cost of insulation as well as the pita factor of storing it the rest of the year.
oh and you can move them to the arrangement now or at least start creeping them closer every week by a few inches. You can have hives literally inches from each other all year and no issues. If you spin some around do it at night and put branches in front of the hive so the re-orient themselves.
