Some thoughts - bees cluster to keep warm by RADIANT heat, their goal is not
to heat the air in the hive, although yes, the air will be warmed by
radiating to nearby wood and changing to convection energy which warms air.
As well, for our needs in the north, I'd rather space be taken up with feed
vs blue board. Randy is trying it below the cover - suggest if use a rigid
board, if there is no other vent for escape of humidity, then make a dado
cut at the front centre of the board running half way along the length. That
would of course face the cluster and allow moisture to run along and out.

 

I have not tried yet, but am considering a way to test the value of a
reflective surface as an inner cover facing bees in the winter, such as with
a foil bubble wrap, to reflect the radiant heat losses back to them, rather
than have it reach wood parts and be conducted out. Considering their goal
to heat their cluster with radiant energy and not the air around them, then
using a typical house insulation, which keeps interior air warm by slowing
heat lost by conduction from interior air to walls to the exterior, isn’t an
entirely meaningful strategy. It helps to the extent the air around them is
warmed by chance, but it doesn’t entirely match their agenda. Thermocouples
in the air space doesn’t measure the right thing, maybe the best is to
prepare a number of replicates of hives with bee numbers and hive weight
close, divide into groups with no top insulation, top insulation, and a
reflective lining, then lining + top insulation,  and measure starting
weight, frames of bees, weight loss and live frames at the end by day while
noting min max temps and quality of sunlight per day. This would measure the
practical outcome of it all.

 

Any mechanical engineers out there with time on their hands?

 

Greg Hawkins

Everton ON

W 80°08’

N 43°39’

 

 

Jeff - <<This is what I meant in my previous question about stryrofoam
inside the

hive in winter.  Less interior space to heat, better insulation of the hive

than most things you could put on the outside?

 

 

Randy - <<I thought so too, Jeff!  I just set up 72 hives with a 1" board of
the

"blueboard" that you linked to below the cover to see how they do.

 

 


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