In a message dated 16/10/2009 14:08:27 GMT Daylight Time,  
[log in to unmask] writes:

very few  successful beekeepers go without wrapping or the equivalent in 
northern climes  and that 
those who do are very unusual, and are not going into winter with  
challenged bees.



England and Ireland go up to latitude 55N which is further north than any  
part of the US except Alaska, but it does include the southern extremity of  
Alaska. I have never heard of anybody winter wrapping bees over here and  
generally they overwinter successfully.
 
Of course you have a 'continental' rather than 'maritime' climate and so  
experience greater extremes of temperature, up and down.  We have always  
considered that the best insulation for bees is bees.  They are designed  for 
it, both bodily, with hairy bodies and internal air sacs, and also  
behaviorally in that the cluster expands and contracts as a living thermostat  and 
the cold bees on the outside of the cluster gradually make their way in for  a 
spell while their warm sisters take their turn living on the edge.
 
By wrapping you are preventing the heat from the sun helping them  expand 
their cluster and move around on sunny days (unless, of course your hives  
are in the shade).  Why not, experimentally, wrap alternate hives either  
fully, or partially, leaving the southern side (preferably painted a dark  
colour) exposed?
 
Chris

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