The outer plastic on bee cozies is not heavy and tears (or is chewed)
fairly easily.
What important when in installing be cozies is to remember a couple of
things: 1) external hive measurements are not all identical, 2) the seam
is intended to go in front, a nail is intended to be placed so the cozie
won't slip down over the entrance, 3) cozies are a bit long, and can
easily block upper entrances if you are not careful installing them.
This season I found folding three sides under the cover while leaving
the front top exposed worked well as an installation strategy. I will
keep the cozies on for another month so I can't tell you how well this
strategy worked at keeping the sides of the hive warm and the bees alive.
I used several of the velcro installed coverings from Dadant this
winter. They went on easily. I haven't taken them off yet to see if
they helped and if they are winter durable.
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