Dick Allen wrote:
> Keith wrote:
>
>>I am not wrapping the hives this winter because with recent observations I
>> do not think the hives need wrapping.

> Last spring my most robust overwintered hive was one that was insulated
> with an inch of styrofoam and wrapped in tar paper. The top was insulated
> with 6-7 inches of crushed peanut shells of all things. The hive was split
> in late spring.

In Maine, moisture control is critical to successful overwintering. I
was taught to use a fiber board to capture moisture and it works
exceptionally well. Dicks use of peanut shells is an excellent moisture
trap so it could have been the cause for the robust colony as much as
the additional insulation.

There is a lot in the literature concerning winter wrap. One reason is
to keep the cluster intact which means keeping the bees cold, especially
in locations that hover around freezing during the winter. In areas
where it is below freezing through most of the winter, wrapping is not
as necessary, but does give benefits, especially from wind and extreme
cold.

Here in Maine, I have two friends who wrap. I have observed that their
success in beekeeping has more to do with their beekeeping during the
rest of the year than in the fact they wrap bees. One does very well and
other not so well.

Bill Truesdell
Bath, Maine

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