At 12:00 AM 15/11/03 -0500, you wrote:
>I live in upstate NY, our winters are as bad as Canadian, so I was wondering
>what our northern neighbors use for a winter wrap.  What material and the
>best way to apply it.


I live in Prince Edward Island and have never wrapped my hives in the 11 years I've been beekeeping.  Generally my four hives come through the winter just bursting, and I've never lost one.   I use  an entrance reducer and there is an upper entrance in the inner cover. My hives are now sheltered from the north by forest but I have also had them in an exposed location. I have nothing to base my opinion on really, but it seems to me that not wrapping them (in my climate) is preferable.

The first year I had bees - only one hive - I neglected to put the rock back on the lid.  A rain/snow storm in November blew this heavy lid off during the night.  The next day I was horrified to see the exposed frames completely covered in ice and snow.  I put the lid back on and thought that was that.  About a month later, I put my ear to hive and heard buzzing.  In the spring this hive was so strong it sent out a huge swarm.

Sharon

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