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Fri, 16 Oct 2009 09:31:18 EDT |
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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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