Hi,
 
 
Greetings from Belgium. Usualy we have here about 200 raining days a year.
 
This year we had 20 days (-20°C)  freze at christmas.. and 4 days (-10°C) 
around the 15 april... 
 
It's now three year that I keep the fooding hole (upper) open for the winter...
after comparison test, it was the best solution... mid february I close 
it and place a news paper on top of the hives.
 
The bees could do well even with just a grid at the bottom ( completely 
open, but protection against mouses) and a hole at the upper side. 
Result was that I had the best spring I ever had.
 
It's natural for bees to live far north for our area... so let they 
live naturaly... You can have a beter effect by planting some 
pollen willows on some free areas in your "neightbourhoud?".
 
In Irland as in Belgium, the biggest problem is not the cold, it's the water. 
The air stay humid in the winter... So keeping ventilation is good.
 
 
 
Bernard.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
At 12:21 19/09/97 +0100, you wrote:
>Hi All
>
>I am a new beekeeper living just outside Dublin Ireland
>
>I heard recently that hive ventilation is most important and that the hives
>should be properly ventilated even if this means that a strong current of
>air is blowing through them. I was also told that when the Autumn (Fall)
>feeding is over, that I should raise the crown boards slightly with match
>sticks to give additional ventilation.
>
>What do experienced beekeepers recommend?.
>
>Thanks for any help
>
>Sincerely
>
>Tom Barrett
>49 South Park
>Foxrock
>Dublin 18
>Ireland
>
>e mail: [log in to unmask]
>
>
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