>Wrapping hives is like putting the bees in the dark. When we wrap our
beehives
>we are preventing the sun from shining directly on them. Sure it may help
>insulate radiant heat, but that goes both ways. Preventing them from
having a
>few hours of thermal relief.


We are wrapping little heat generators, the insulation conserves the heat
loss.  So, on a warmer day, less heat is lost and the colony maintains
thier cluster temperature with less effort.
Perhaps if the colonies were dead, the empty hive body would stay cooler
during temperature increases.  Sort of like a cooler effect.
Last winter we endured 2 solid weeks below 30 degreesC.  And 2 weeks on
either side were below 25 degreesC.(AS DAY TIME HIGHS)  The wrap and the
snow cover settled my nerves a bit... Almost send a beekeeper to wintering
indoors,

Ian

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