To wrap or not to wrap?

It is my understanding  that the main differences come down to climate.
If you wrap/insulate, the cluster may break due to warmer hive temperatures
which may allow the bees to get to stores easier. This may allow better
survival in extremely cold climates where bees may starve next to stores.
However, they will consume more stores.
On the other hand, unwrapped hives will  heat up and cool faster during the
day, again allowing the bees to get to the stores. The unwrapped hives will
maintain a more tight cluster consuming less honey.

To wrap or not to wrap. I have kept bees in Minnesota, Ohio and NC.
I always have maintained good ventilation along with some amount of entrance
and top openings and protection from the wind.  My losses always have been
from mites, at first tracheal and later varroa.

Just another view from a hobby beekeeper

Dan Veilleux
Boone area
In the Mountains of NC

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