The thing with insulation, is either going all out or dont it at all. Half measures create condensation. Do you want bees to survive via the cluster (then protect them from wind and direct climatic events/allow for solar radiation to allow bees to move into honey on warm sunny winter days or fully insulate and choose where condensation will occur for those extreme events and allow the enclosure to drive overwintering and natural ventilation.
I wanted to say something like this in the video but it was getting very long and I just focused on what I was doing to my hives. But this is a great point. If you’re going to insulate, go all the way. That’s my overall message in the video but you say it more concisely.
You were never wrong, you were learning. You have been experimenting using logical and well researched hypothesis, and then adjusting based on results. If I had to guess, your not done learning yet and you will yet make more changes - which of course does not mean you should call yourself wrong once you do. Great job and most importantly THANK YOU for sharing your learning journey. I live in southern Idaho and don't have nearly the winter you do. I am just starting my bee keeping journey with plans to build my hive equipment this winter for populating next spring. I have seen tons of beekeeping videos, books, and examples and finished the Beekeeping course at MSU online. Bar far I have learned more about the actual bee hive environment from your channel and absolutely love the data you have been able to gather with the in hive monitoring. Despite not having your winters, I am going to try to build my first hives using a majority of your new bee barn construction techniques. I think it will pay off in our hotter than normal summers and as you say - why not give them all the advantages you can in efficiency. After all in nature these organisms are choosing thick insulated tree trunks or structures with nearly zero air flow, tiny entrances. Your system has the advantages of a Langstroth system for ease of inspection and harvest and ads simply the security and environmental control of a natural hive. It is probably overkill for my area of Idaho, but I don't think it will be negative in anyway other than cost and effort and my guess is that your Bee Barns actually have another attribute you have not mentioned - I think your equipment is going to last a lot longer than would a standard Langstroth hive going through seasonal exposure to the elements - rain, sun, cold, hot, wind etc. Would like to know as you get down the road if you notice less replacement costs.
You took the words right out of my mouth. I've been told for years...Ventilation, Ventilation,Ventilation. Last year I had hives that didn't play by these rule. Every vent hole i gave them, they propolised shut, they shut it all down and they come out of winter very strong, resulting in a great crop of honey. A friend, his son and myself are working on a type of insulation can stay on all year. Early prototypes and testing is looking good. the real tests starts this winter. Once again another great video. Keep em coming. Thank you.
As I have watched your winterizing solutions evolved the years, it has struck me that with each upgrade or redesign your creations resembled more and more what a hollowed out dead or sometimes living tree provides for wild hives, I'm intrigued to see what spring reveals, good luck👍
Bingo... watch them in the wild and they do just fine in a tree .If bees or anything else didn't already know how to exist in nature they would be extinct. Good luck in the future with your bee's 👍🏻
I've said it before but your dedication to improvement, innovation, listening, learning, teaching, and evolving is so inspiring. We thank you and I'm sure your bees thank you as well! Keep doing your best ✨
Yes, yes and yes! My thoughts exactly. Thank goodness for the “Jims” of the world for helping throw out the age old answer to the age old question of “Why do beekeepers do that? “Because that’s the way we’ve always done it.” Not anymore. Keep on beekeeping on.
That is the road to growing also to just keep trying to upgrade, evolve, listen, educate self, etc. I agree. And I think everyone goes through this. We're lucky actually to have to learn it in bits at a time.
Jim you have always started with “what do the bees want?” Then you designed according to what you observed them and nature “informing you” - it hits home - deeply - I now have 6 bee barns - I feel sad that I didn’t get the woodworking help and resources to get bee barns built for all of my 14 colonies because I can almost hear the bees “left out” begging
Jim, the past few years of following your channel has been quite the journey. Your transition through each year and particularly this year has been amazing both from watching you as a person handle adversity but also the adaptation and perseverance in beekeeping. I've learned a lot from watching your channel and all I can say is, keep on keeping on! Thanks!
Jim, I don't keep bees (I'm an old lady who rents and the landlord doesn't allow) but have been vicariously via watching your channel and have enjoyed watching your journey. I think your bee barn/insulation system is well thought out. I understand your passion for detail as I'm that way too, to the point I've been accused of "over-thinking", "obsessive" or "micromanaging" by those who I think prefer to half-ass their way through life. Keep doing what you are doing, using what works and changing what doesn't. Bee well!
If you want to keep bees and your home doesn't allow for it, talk to local farmers and orchard owners. They are usually more than happy to accommodate bees on their farm for pollination purposes, especially bees that they don't need to do any work on whatsoever! I have even heard of a few instances of orchards paying beekeepers to keep their bees on their property.
Love that you answered my question about the top insulation being angled and mitered before I could ask it! I can't wait for March to see the results of how this all worked out.
Haha, I like that you started with "Before you go to the comments", take care of the keyboard warriors. I plan to use a few of the Govee sensors i have on a few different setups this Winter. One in a Poly hive, One in a Horizontal, One in a Lang not wrapped, and One in a Lang that is wrapped and compare the data come Spring. I like the ease at which you can now prep your hives. Look forward to seeing the data from the Winter. Thanks for sharing Jim. And come on Winter so I can see the build series. . LOL
This video has really sent me down a rabbit hole of research. I love the concept and can’t wait to see what your results are. Good luck and I hope it works out!
JIM JIM JIM!! PLEASE TELL US…. How does this fabulous new design work with the bottom boards? We are struggling to figure out the how the screened bottom board / bee entry works out with the foam insulation!?? We have watched your videos - LOVE THE WORK YOU ARE DOING!!! - and we can’t really figure out what to do with the sticky outy landing strip at the front of the bottom board where the bees enter in regards to cladding the whole brood box with 2” foam and cedar.
I'm with you 100% Jim, I started this year so it will be my first winter and as a biology college major I do my research believing the bees know what's best for them and believe (like you) that insulation all around and no upper entrance is the way to go 😉 (and not just for winter). As Im in Zone 6 with not so drastic winters I'm going to add a heater box under my two hives just to give them a low heat buffer underneath - my thinking is the bees will be "semi conscious" and not tightly clustered so they can use all there reserve resources not just ones immediately above them. And I am following Etienne as he was on Kamen Reynolds channel recently, his science on Yukon winter management is very compelling. I just love how TH-cam channels like all of you make this journey so much more enjoyable than me doing trial and error! Here's hoping we are right! Thanks again for all of your work, much appreciated 👍
Hi. I live in Germany 🇩🇪 I have started this year with only one behive about " 5000 bee's " and instantly within about 2 months it turned into 2 hives. I had to split the hive and introduce a second Queen. And didn't even know where to begin and what to do. Man I was stressed out completely. But with your helping videos I did managed it perfectly. This will be my first winter with my 2 behives. You are an inspiration to all beekeepers. Thank you So much for your help and guidance. You never stop learning in live. There are Always place and time for more improvements. Greetings from Germany 🇩🇪 😀
I’m a non-beekeeper, but I’m fascinated by the beekeeping process and I have to say that everything you have done for your bees seems like common sense to me. As you say, at the end of the day, you want your bees to thrive, not just survive. Well done 👍🏻
Jim, I’m a new backyard keeper in Georgia (2021). I really appreciate your videos. I’ve learned a lot from your tenacity… to have your bees not only to survive but to thrive! I’m following and look forward to your thriving colonies in 2022.
I've been following since you started. I can't tell you how amazed I am, at how you are challenging the status quo. I am here for it. I don't have my first Hive yet. But I have been researching for a few years now. Can't wait to make my first Bee Barn. Thanks for amazing content.
I’m on the same page. People probably think I’m crazy but I use backer board and a water heater blanket to insulate my hive. My philosophy is that the less my bees have to work to stay warm, the less they will consume their resources. Thanks for your perspective. It’s always good to learn new ways and use what works for your situation.
So glad I found your videos. You have a great on air personality and do a wonderful job of them. I built my first bee barn last weekend and for the first time I am at ease approaching winter. I could never make sense of what I was being told what with the tar paper and upper vent and insulation under the cover. What I have learned from you makes complete sense to me. Thank you
Jim, you were so right!! I built bee cabinets out of poly pro and put them around the insulated box. There’s a slight air gap between the cabinet and the tightly insulated box. The temp inside the cabinet stays comfy because the foil lining is facing an air gap. The bottom board interior stays about 55 despite cold temps outside. I was concerned about the warm days we get at time. It’s been a humid 90 at Christmas and then next week it’s 10- 20 degrees for a month. But no, the 4 ft tall poly pro bee cabinets are working! My bees are just veggies inside. So quiet. I did put a few layers of foam packing sheets over their frames with a few off centered holes for upper access in every other frame gap. Then I added a medium up there and left a syrup feeder. It stays 70 degrees up in the feeder box. The bees super propolised the soft foam packing sheets to their frames. When I changed the 12oz syrup feeder, I don’t take their heat away in the process. I only change the syrup feeder once a month. I also leave a container with water absorbing crystals in there so they would have a warm water supply. If condensation or moisture is an issue, put a mesh bag with water absorbing crystals in it. The bees can lick the water off the crystals and they don’t freeze. I miss your videos. I couldn’t do all the wood work. I just figured how to do it using your principles and dude these bees are just coasting. A tip.. keep the landing board dry and dark when you want them to veg out inside. If it’s gonna be warm, they will make their way out when the air at the entrance warms the bottom board area and they see light. The only time I see my bees is around 3pm on a nice day when sun hits their bottom board & they do entrance flights in mass amounts. So light on the landing board is important (keep it dark if you want them to stay inside). If your interior bottom board surface temp is 55, the bees are just fine in cold temps. They won’t cluster. They will just recycle heat. Wet bees… it’s important because wet bees can’t generate this heat signal from their limbs. I’ve got many examples on film. I suspect it’s why a death ball is so hot. I know the textbooks say it’s abdomal muscles vibrating, but I’m telling you I’ve watched bees walk on my warm hand and their legs light up on a thermal camera, even though their abdomen are cool. It may just be younger bees and this is a way they warm up. But the skin under that spot in my hand started lighting up. The bee wouldn’t do it on cool fatty tissue and when flipped over on its back, the limbs remained white hot. But if it touched even residual warm moisture, the limbs immediately cooled. So I believe this is what washboarding is about (static chatter), and also how bees spike the hive temp immediately before swarming. I also believe this is why they fly to their new home on humid days. I wouldn’t be shocked if the swarm bees had white hot limbs. And a cluster in a cold hive, it’s probably the bees limbs on the wax that are recycling thermal energy and how the heater bees know it’s time to heat up. If a bees tarsi is damaged, it is completely black. But the rest of limb is lit up.. anyways.. your philosophy aligns completely with this. I miss your videos. Check out water absorbing crystals… incredible way of resolving moisture. I throw the mesh bag full of em on the landing board to draw up and moisture that got on it from rain. Works incredible
🇰🇪 Greetings from Kenya! 🇰🇪 As with all your other videos, I've been inspired by how much thought you put into the process, how you learn from nature, and how you innovate to apply those lessons to your every-day beekeeping. To the best of my knowledge, what you have done mimics most closely the life of the wild bees who make their home in tree logs, with only a small entrance which also serves as an air hole. The difference is that you still have all the advantages of the Langstroth hive. Just so you know, watching the videos that you released last spring (in which you introduced your new hives) helped cement my resolve to redesign my hives for our climate here. We don't get winter in Kenya but the semi-arid conditions in the area where our bees are located mean that they experience lots of heat in the daytime and lots of cold in the night. As such, our bees are constantly dealing with temperature management. You opened my eyes to that reality. Thanks to you, insulation is core to the redesigning process that I'm working on. I'm confident your bees will have the best winter yet. I also get the feeling that you'll be tweaking with your hives some more, so I'll keep checking in. Cheers!
Great video! When you said on Instagram that you were changing your winterization method I was a little nervous, but this makes a ton of sense and lines up with what i was going to do anyway, except closing the top entrance. I'm a little nervous about moisture, but our average humidity in the winter is only about 15% and I like your (researched) logic, so....here's hoping. Good luck to your bees over the winter!
Well done!!!....Your mitered corners and finger joints look very good.....If you could just make one about twice as big, I'd come and spend the winter with your bees!!!
Jim I’m a total newbie this year and found you by accident and since then have been a huge fan. I’m in the process of building new “bee barn” hives from the ground up, no taping together deep and medium. This new video is awesome and follows a lot of HVAC principles and ideologies on how to maintain a suitable environment, it took you to bring it to everyone’s attention. We build our houses using the ideas you are using here so why not for our bees (and for the keeper making management easier) I love what you do, how you approach and solve these problems and share it. Not everyone will agree with what you come up with but after almost 40 years in the construction industry I can only see you moving forward in taking care of your bees and the principals you employ to understand how to create a suitably manageable environment and a bee keeper friendly system. Awesome job.
One thing you could teach people with less insulation, tilt the hive 3 degrees to the front year round. Any liquid water on the top cover will flow to the front and down and out the hive. Also, the bee will appreciate the help of gravity to remove debris out the entrance. Your hive is so insulated, you might not need to tilt your hive but it might help the bee. I used a Solution bee HM-6 scale last winter and 1 1/2" insulation and no top entrance. The hive keep a steady temperature all winter. WIFI download everyday. This year I am using 2" feeding shim above the top frames. I have purchased Hive Alive Fondant to fight Nosema during the winter. Nosema goes crazy during the winter. You place the packet directly on the top frames with a square hole in package. Also, I will be placing two to three pounds sugar mush on top of the top frame. I also feed two teaspoon of Hive Alive in every gallon of syrup during the summer and fall. Just a side note. I am the guy who comment "Why build a chimney in your hive when bees in trees never have top and bottom entrance(chimney). Your reply was "When I start raising bee in trees I will be concerned". I am so happy you saw the light and your bee keeping has been raised to a higher level. You are genus when it comes to wood working. Your hive will sell for a premium. Shipping weight might be a problem.
Thank you again for a great video, the focus on moisture and addressing that is really helpful, you probably have addressed it in other videos but I am thinking that having the insulation remain in place during the hot season will also help in the bees moderating the temperature to suit their needs. Less energy loss on their part. Really appreciated this.
Thanks for the wonderful video. My wife and I are trying to overwinter after our first season of beekeeping and were planning on trying your old method with Vivaldi boards and burlap until we saw this video. We altered our methods and wrapped our hive in a bee cozy and extruded foam cover. We will be adding a foam piece to the bottom of the hive and filling a deep box with insulation later in the season once we stop feeding. Wish us luck!
YES, YES, YES, I'm a residential designer and I am constantly forced to read articles on the incredibly boring world of insulation technology. I'm new to beekeeping and have been studying hive design for a year now. I never understood the upper hive entrance. Cold air meeting warm moist air is how rain forms. It's raining in your hives. Now bees need water so some cool air is good. Just have it below them. I do have a few very minor tweaks/suggestions. I'll email you Jim.
I have to say that those are some very well made hives. Really digging the extra-deep brood frames and the full wrap of insulation. My only thought for improvement is potentially coming up with insulated supers as well to complete the system for the summer. Love the way you keep thinking outside the box! Happy and healthy overwintering: thrive instead of survive.
Good idea, but don't you want the supers to be "summer hot" to cure the honey? Evaporating the water out of the nectar is the idea, so heat isn't an issue, correct?
@@prof0man Good question! I wonder how feral honeybees nested in trees, underground or in the wall of a building cure their honey in the heat of the summer?
Thanks for sharing. Your points about climate management within the hive, and providing a more controlled environment within which the colony can self-regulate, are absolutely spot on. They apply not only to frigid winters, but also to extremely hot summers. The less work the colony needs to do to regulate the hive temperature, the more work they can do on other essential tasks within the hive. That said, virtually no amount of insulation will provide total protection - but what you have shown seems to be sufficient to minimise the worst impacts. Will be fascinating to see your colonies through winter and into spring. Thanks again. Always interesting to watch your videos!
I watched your entire video with a smile on my face, this was by far my favorite ! You materialized my entire thinking about winterization on TH-cam, thanks for that! This is exactly how I did this year, here in Quebec after my reeding in June of the exact article you mentionned. I look forward for your DIY video of your Better hive (and wish I had your talent in woodworking). Love your videos!
Great work Jim. It’s not easy putting yourself out there while you are learning. Keep doing what’s best for you, your bees and keep on innovating! I’ve learned so much from channels like yours and others to help me along my first two years beekeeping in MA. Cheers to ya bud!
Your yard is amazing. I Love your frames. Your definitely the hardest working beekeeper on youtube. From what I understand; The bees need moisture to condense on the walls so they don't have to leave the hive in the cold to find water. Insulated top cover, and not too much insulation on the sides will make the moisture condense on the sides where the bees can get it and excess drains down. Of course make sure the water can drain front the bottom or front entrance.
I had to Google don't taunt happy fun ball! Lol You are a gentleman and a scholar. I'm a TH-cam beekeeper, and think you are advancing the hobby/industry. Love that you're always learning!! 73s, Scott
Good luck with this method and looking forward to your update and results man! Came across your channel in my recommended videos. Hello from Northern California 🤙🏼
🥶 One point to consider, the use of an upper entrance provides access outside without any winter maintenance. But I agree with your thought process, so the entrance needs to be small.
I have been an upper entrance guy from the beginning, but man... watching the sensor data in JUNE, on chilly nights the temps on the one hive with an upper entrance was dipping into the 70s at night. I closed the entrance and temps went right back up into the 90s and stayed there. I can't imagine how much heat loss there will be in January with even a tiny hole. I talked to Etienne and he assured me the bees are OK with NO upper entrances. I'll definitely need to walk up there every week and make sure lower entrances aren't blocked, but I check them often anyway. This isn't a commercial solution, but great for us hobbyists. Thanks, Ian!
Ya Etienne is also a firm believer of no upper entrance along with a shit tonne of data. He also, as you say, isn’t commercial. I’m a non upper entrance guys aswell but the luxury of a no snow controlled winter room environment helps manage that snow issue. My strategy is directly focused on C02 management (and humidity) within the cluster. Upper ventilation creates too much air exchange. But when wintered outdoors if I hadn’t had an upper entrance my hives would of suffocated under 10’ drifts at times lol. ! But I had also completely blocked the bottom entrance with my insulation wrap so maybe that helped reduce the air flow exchange. It was low enough that a freshly snowed day , the lightly snowed in entrances took hours to melt out . Anyhow, I think we are both on exactly the same wavelength. Love your thought process. Keep up the fantastic videos. I tune in regularly, especially the ones you elaborate on your perspective of all those behavioural fall time dynamics , cheers 🥂
Funny I started off just like you with flow hives. It wasn't until my complete failure of 2020 did I find your blog in the winter of 2020-21 I sat and sat listening and learning through your videos from start to finish and couldnt wait to see how your booming apiary was going to be for 2021. So...If theres two thing Ive learned from you and other bee keepers its 1. Never give up and 2. If you ask 10 bee keepers the same question you get 10 different answers. Love the new look. Can't wait for spring. Never give up.
Oh I am so happy to see you got it! Insulation is king...ask anyone who has an old home with no insulation! And insulation is not just for winter either. Here in Texas the insulation keeps the bees cooler in the summer as well! At minimum I use insulation in my lids but prefer to be fully insulated. They work less to maintain their inner temp and thus consume fewer resources. I love your zip tape idea since I have been trying to find a better way to stop the air gaps between the insulation and wood...I was using masking tape which is temporary at best. Thank you for the video!
Thank you for getting my thought processes going. I am wintering my bees for their first winter in western NY, Etienne, I am a new subscriber,. I look forward to seeing how you handle your bees also.
Great job breaking down your thought process. I hope this system works well and delivers your bees health and thriving out of winter. I am glad you mentioned that this is just what you are doing and people need to research what will work in their area. If I was in a climate that had as many cold days as you, I would be looking to do something similar. Fortunately for me a system like this is overkill because I get only a few day of sustained freezing. In the winter my bees fly regularly because the temp gets warm enough mid-day. I have often toted that same phrase about cold and moisture. From now on, I will explain the concerns rather than just repeating the phrase.
I don't have any hive, but what I can say about your content is: You are doing the real meaning of "bee keeper" and that can be seen in a simple but powerful sentence "the goal here is not to my bees to survive, I want my bees to thrive". Great attitude.
There is always change....sometimes for the better, sometimes not. I felt your pain previously when all but one hive in your apiary survived the last winter. I too have lost what I thought were really good hives to a long, cold, wet Scottish winter and was blasted by their demise. I liked and still like your thermal block design. I've decided to give it a go and attempt to insulate with foam and apply a waterproof outer layer. As I write this the wind is whistling past my window and I hope I haven't left it too late!! I'm delighted to see you are recovering, applying lessons learned and your video is fantastic. Please keep up the brilliant work and post the concept. it's how we all learn.
Great video, Jim! I'm really excited to see how the winter goes with your new system. I love how collaborative you are as a youtuber -- starting the conversation to continue bettering the bee community.
My dad said back in the 70ies in Germany. (Yes, we had cold winters too, not that long but cold minus 20 Celsius was not that uncommon) . Anyway he said when it’s that cold they stay very tight together and do NOT consume more because they slow their body down. As soon as the outside temperature Rieses they DO consume more because they move more and burn more, also the queen starts to lay in January, the hive needs way more energy/ food than let’s say in cold December.
Great video & information! Looking forward on seeing the results. Hope all your beehives make it through this winter. Glad we don't get that cold in Australia. Good luck
It’s so cool to watch you grow into your beekeeping! You started out so nervous, as is anyone embarking on a new adventure, but now you are self assured and confident enough to step outside bee keeping “doctrine” in order to improve your knowledge and make life better for your bees. If this is how you approach parenting, too, you have very fortunate offspring! The example you provide to persevere and then stretch beyond old goals is invaluable. Thanks!
Much respect Jim...you are certainly dedicated and your efforts are impressive. Very cool set up. Massachusetts beekeeper myself... my personal experience is mite control and adequate reserves result in overwintering success. I check those two boxes and have had great success. Looking forward to the spring update !!!
This is all great info, and I think you are onto something in thinking about R values. The only thing I would add is underlayment/vapor barrier between your polystyrene insulation and the exterior wall. Nothing super thick because I think your insulation is doing the heavy lifting, just something like 6 mil polyethylene underlayment film The polystyrene might already be acting as a vapor barrier of sorts, but it's an inexpensive add if you are already going the extra mile. I think it will help the caulk and flashing tape to create a sealed box.
A very inventive approach to winterization. I will challenge the process however, I've kept bees for 20 years in Idaho with weeks of below zero weather using screened bottom boards and no supplemental insulation. It's all about having a strong colony going into winter, mite control, providing adequate food resources (not over harvesting) and humidity control. Cool video, keep up the good work and experimentation!
Great video! I have followed you since the beginning. I look forward to your new videos. Your doing a great job, I’m excited to see the data for this winter with the new hives and insulation method.
I think you’re onto something I’m not sold on the no air exchange in the attic cause houses that are insulated even have those for obvious reasons. I would maybe leave one of the vents in the upper box open to the burlap. But I’m very interested in what you did here and I wish you great success. Very interested in any data you have in the beginning. I want to try something similar I’m in zone 7 so not as harsh but it can get really brutal here. Thanks for everything you do
Awesome video! I’m looking forward to hearing what the temperatures levels are during the winter months. I hope you will be able to keep us informed on what’s happening with the brood minders. Happy fall!
I like your transition, exploration, and ideas. I think it's a lot of work. I hope your idea, optimism, and sweat equity pays off this winter. I'll continue to watch this progress through winter into spring. Good luck, and happy bee keeping.
I believe you have done a wonderful job to insulate your hive . Amen for your bees to thrive and not just survive. Even the hand holes are ways the cold penetrates through the thin areas. Even my South Eastern Texas heat is where your insulated hive can keep the heat stress in June through September, at a great reduction.
Well done. The main point is to have thicker insulation on top so any condensation will stick to the sides instead of the roof. Not having a history with Langstroth, I chose insulated Layens hives. I also like the ‘snorkel’ entrance minimizing drafts and your deep frames.
You have done an excellent analysis of bee needs. I would like to make a suggestion for your bee entrances. The proper Eskimo igloo has the entrance at a lower level than the igloo floor. This allows cold air to exit without a door. Water vapor can also leave while the interior remains warmer.
As usual, you are leading in thought and conservation regarding bees and their survival. I am currently looking at insulating my hive with styrofoam and wood, similar to your bee barns. I have followed you from the beginning and really enjoy your videos and honest approach to teaching and learning. Thank you for all you do.
Living in north texas my winter are probably your fall temps. At about 50 the bees here go foraging no matter how many stores they have. I am learning to watch what they are telling me and compare what I'm seeing from cold weather beekeepers like you. You are adapting to your bee goals and I am with mine. I think that is the message you send. Your concepts and ideas are interesting and help me. Thanks
Awesome design! I went with Laynes for insulation but if I was starting over I would copy this design. Many benefits to your design like easy supering and I like your feeding box. Thank you for sharing your knowledge.
No one person knows everything. I like to see what everyone else is doing and come up with something that will work for me. I'm with you. I want mine to thrive not just survive.
Can you keep the videos going this winter with the info from the temp and moisture sensors. Please and thank you. Been watching since you started the bees and really like your idea want to see how it goes fully for you
I'm down in Florida, so the cold doesn't affect my bees as much. I pretty much just feed through the winter, no changes to the hive, I still find all your information interesting. Definitely going to get some Broodminders to see how mine do. I feel like over this summer they may have been getting too hot. Another great informative video. Eager to see how things go you and the bees this winter. Keep up the good work.
This video was posted into the apimaye group in Facebook. Obviously we have insulated hives. But this is the one question I have, the upper entrance: in the winterizing instructions it states to open the upper entrance not for ventilation purposes, but for snow. In case the normal entrance is blocked by snow. And wondering did you think about this singular reason for having a closeable upper entrance? I plan to still keep mine closed till needed for snow.
I plan to monitor the lower entrance and rake out dead bees that may be blocking it on the inside, but I doubt snow will be much of an issue. I can very easily clear the entrance with a swipe of my hand if snow gets that high.
Same principles as the Layens hive setup. De Layens developed it years before, like 200 years before. So you obviously have a good design. I was a bit curious during your build about the size of the frames and the propolis, but the Layens frames are about the same length, just smaller width I believe. And yours did well it appears. Good build and working for you, and that’s what matters. Thriving is better than surviving.
@@CastleHives I imagine it would do well for you. Same as being in a tree. That’s what the De Layens does is try to simulate more natural. They’re not practical for sideliners or commercial, or even a smaller hobby setup like mine. I learned about the Layens from Dr Jeff Harris and he is trying a few. They’re more about natural beekeeping. I think Vino did well. I was a bit skeptical, like I said, about the frames, but the design seems like a good one and matched what I heard from Dr. Harris. And his frames did fine and it’ll be good to see how they come through winter. Should be just fine.
I do not like the horizontal orientation, but I do like the longer frames. For cold climates, a vertical orientation makes more sense for easier cluster movement. And yes, my frames are bout 6" wider than Layens.
@@vinofarm The Horizontal I have are for my Mom to help out. She cant lift the boxes so figured a Horizontal would help her get into Bees and enjoy the hobby.
I appreciate the sharing of ideas, resources, and articles. Transparency without pressure is the way to open eyes to new ideas. I really appreciated the disclaimer style 😂
Learning a lot from you, thank you. My question is the entrance size . Winter as well as summer please. I have entrance reducers pre made but have seen different pre-made sizes on the market. And then adding fabricated hole punched mouse guards vs wire mesh. One of my hives is left with only four holes for an entrance! Can that actually be enough? I am concerned they have enough room for draft in and out. Can you either give measurements or how many bees can squish through. Thank you
Seeking suggestions? Newbee, 1st winter. Was originally only taping the hive seems and adding insulation (1 1/2)" above top cover had no upper entrance (only lower entrance). However, my broodminder was registering humidity at 94-95% after feeding 2:1 sugar water in October.. Winter is coming (upstate NY very cold)..so I put on an upper opening and the humidity went down to 84%...seems to be holding...any ideas?
I'm watching from work on the computer so I thought I would drop a comment. Great hives. I really can't wait to see their winter performance and your updates. Will watch again tonight on the TV.
I agree with your idea that the insulation helps the bees to control their own environment easier. I am a first year bee keeper with a building background up here in Canada and I have built insulated bottom boards and a complete r10 wrap for my bees. I still have a pillow box on top in case of moisture but it is within the sealed and taped foam box. I would be happy to share a couple pics of this setup. If you think of the bees as a heater than this will help them save energy to retain the heat they can produce. .
looking forward to your spring results from the wintering next year. It is a cool concept!! I live in very warm climate and if I cared for bees I don't think I would have to do anything to keep them warm in winter.
Love thinking outside the norm! Thank for the info. I have a wild colony in a sycamore tree twenty five or so feet in the air on my property in ohio with one entrance, no treatments, no human interference and been there since I've owned the property. Survived 5 winters at least I know of
Good to see you recommended insulating the front. A cold front would cause localised condensation on the inside of the front. I only insulate top of my hives with a 46mmx46mm 50mm piece of solid insulation board on top of a 50mm ike. I drill a hole in the centre to allow moist air to escape and lay a vileda type cloth on top of the insulation with a corresponding hole. Any moisture gathers in the cloth and I can replace them easily in winter if they feel damp without really disturbing my bees. I plug the hole in the insulation whilst doing this. I live in the uk so our winters aren't usuallt too bad.
What a great video and you have put great time into learning an trying different ideas. This looks an sounds like you are on to taking care of your Bee’s. I live in NC an I am sure I do not need to go to this much insulation in our weather here . I really like your set up. It would be great if you had a video camera inside of your hive somehow to watch your bees to see how much they cluster or not thru your winter weather an how they act . Keep up the great work. Keep us informed an keep up your video’s. How much honey did you get this season?? .
I haven't extracted it yet, but I have a stack of 5 supers. We had no fall flow whatsoever and a dearth in August. So there was a lot more on the hives in July but they consumed it in August. Good news is that after pulling the supers the brood boxes were mostly full of their own foraged honey, so I did not go crazy with feeding. They took syrup very slowly. Plenty of resources for winter.
All makes sense to me. How do you work the hive when temps are reasonable? What I mean is how do you get down into the bottom box during spring summer and fall? The handholds and such are covered in your top medium and it would seem logical that the top box would have to be extracted to get to the frames under it. First time seeing your concept so forgive if this is explained somewhere else.
Watch any of my last 15 videos. I created extra long frames that go in the box. They span the entire cavity. It’s fully explained in the video, “I Fixed The Langstroth Hive”. Thanks for watching.
The thing with insulation, is either going all out or dont it at all. Half measures create condensation. Do you want bees to survive via the cluster (then protect them from wind and direct climatic events/allow for solar radiation to allow bees to move into honey on warm sunny winter days or fully insulate and choose where condensation will occur for those extreme events and allow the enclosure to drive overwintering and natural ventilation.
I wanted to say something like this in the video but it was getting very long and I just focused on what I was doing to my hives. But this is a great point. If you’re going to insulate, go all the way. That’s my overall message in the video but you say it more concisely.
You were never wrong, you were learning. You have been experimenting using logical and well researched hypothesis, and then adjusting based on results. If I had to guess, your not done learning yet and you will yet make more changes - which of course does not mean you should call yourself wrong once you do. Great job and most importantly THANK YOU for sharing your learning journey. I live in southern Idaho and don't have nearly the winter you do. I am just starting my bee keeping journey with plans to build my hive equipment this winter for populating next spring. I have seen tons of beekeeping videos, books, and examples and finished the Beekeeping course at MSU online. Bar far I have learned more about the actual bee hive environment from your channel and absolutely love the data you have been able to gather with the in hive monitoring. Despite not having your winters, I am going to try to build my first hives using a majority of your new bee barn construction techniques. I think it will pay off in our hotter than normal summers and as you say - why not give them all the advantages you can in efficiency. After all in nature these organisms are choosing thick insulated tree trunks or structures with nearly zero air flow, tiny entrances. Your system has the advantages of a Langstroth system for ease of inspection and harvest and ads simply the security and environmental control of a natural hive. It is probably overkill for my area of Idaho, but I don't think it will be negative in anyway other than cost and effort and my guess is that your Bee Barns actually have another attribute you have not mentioned - I think your equipment is going to last a lot longer than would a standard Langstroth hive going through seasonal exposure to the elements - rain, sun, cold, hot, wind etc. Would like to know as you get down the road if you notice less replacement costs.
I’m here at
You took the words right out of my mouth. I've been told for years...Ventilation, Ventilation,Ventilation. Last year I had hives that didn't play by these rule. Every vent hole i gave them, they propolised shut, they shut it all down and they come out of winter very strong, resulting in a great crop of honey.
A friend, his son and myself are working on a type of insulation can stay on all year. Early prototypes and testing is looking good. the real tests starts this winter.
Once again another great video. Keep em coming. Thank you.
As I have watched your winterizing solutions evolved the years, it has struck me that with each upgrade or redesign your creations resembled more and more what a hollowed out dead or sometimes living tree provides for wild hives, I'm intrigued to see what spring reveals, good luck👍
A hollow tree was the exact inspiration for this design.
I was thinking the same thing while watching this video.
Bingo... watch them in the wild and they do just fine in a tree .If bees or anything else didn't already know how to exist in nature they would be extinct. Good luck in the future with your bee's 👍🏻
I've said it before but your dedication to improvement, innovation, listening, learning, teaching, and evolving is so inspiring. We thank you and I'm sure your bees thank you as well! Keep doing your best ✨
Yes, yes and yes! My thoughts exactly. Thank goodness for the “Jims” of the world for helping throw out the age old answer to the age old question of “Why do beekeepers do that? “Because that’s the way we’ve always done it.” Not anymore. Keep on beekeeping on.
That is the road to growing also to just keep trying to upgrade, evolve, listen, educate self, etc. I agree. And I think everyone goes through this. We're lucky actually to have to learn it in bits at a time.
Jim you have always started with “what do the bees want?” Then you designed according to what you observed them and nature “informing you” - it hits home - deeply - I now have 6 bee barns - I feel sad that I didn’t get the woodworking help and resources to get bee barns built for all of my 14 colonies because I can almost hear the bees “left out” begging
I'm not even a beekeeper but I've learned a lot of tips and tricks for my imaginary beehive winterization 😝
Jim, the past few years of following your channel has been quite the journey. Your transition through each year and particularly this year has been amazing both from watching you as a person handle adversity but also the adaptation and perseverance in beekeeping. I've learned a lot from watching your channel and all I can say is, keep on keeping on! Thanks!
I'm willing to bet that everyone who speaks out against insulation is doing so from within an insulated building.
Exactly.
We even insulate our buildings in Florida. Jim is right: insulation works equally on cold temps and hot temps.
wild honey bees live in trees that are insulated with one entry
@@biye9060
Mostly, yes. But if it has more they just handle it. Sometimes they close it off.
@@julieenslow5915 thanks for the info!
I think it's awesome that you're not just prioritising the bees health but also your health. The simple winter prep will really save your back!
Jim, I don't keep bees (I'm an old lady who rents and the landlord doesn't allow) but have been vicariously via watching your channel and have enjoyed watching your journey. I think your bee barn/insulation system is well thought out. I understand your passion for detail as I'm that way too, to the point I've been accused of "over-thinking", "obsessive" or "micromanaging" by those who I think prefer to half-ass their way through life. Keep doing what you are doing, using what works and changing what doesn't. Bee well!
If you want to keep bees and your home doesn't allow for it, talk to local farmers and orchard owners. They are usually more than happy to accommodate bees on their farm for pollination purposes, especially bees that they don't need to do any work on whatsoever! I have even heard of a few instances of orchards paying beekeepers to keep their bees on their property.
Love that you answered my question about the top insulation being angled and mitered before I could ask it! I can't wait for March to see the results of how this all worked out.
Haha, I like that you started with "Before you go to the comments", take care of the keyboard warriors. I plan to use a few of the Govee sensors i have on a few different setups this Winter. One in a Poly hive, One in a Horizontal, One in a Lang not wrapped, and One in a Lang that is wrapped and compare the data come Spring. I like the ease at which you can now prep your hives. Look forward to seeing the data from the Winter. Thanks for sharing Jim. And come on Winter so I can see the build series. . LOL
Everyone’s scenario is different it’s what works for you, Hello Brian I look forward to your results too
This video has really sent me down a rabbit hole of research. I love the concept and can’t wait to see what your results are. Good luck and I hope it works out!
JIM JIM JIM!! PLEASE TELL US…. How does this fabulous new design work with the bottom boards? We are struggling to figure out the how the screened bottom board / bee entry works out with the foam insulation!?? We have watched your videos - LOVE THE WORK YOU ARE DOING!!! - and we can’t really figure out what to do with the sticky outy landing strip at the front of the bottom board where the bees enter in regards to cladding the whole brood box with 2” foam and cedar.
I'm with you 100% Jim, I started this year so it will be my first winter and as a biology college major I do my research believing the bees know what's best for them and believe (like you) that insulation all around and no upper entrance is the way to go 😉 (and not just for winter). As Im in Zone 6 with not so drastic winters I'm going to add a heater box under my two hives just to give them a low heat buffer underneath - my thinking is the bees will be "semi conscious" and not tightly clustered so they can use all there reserve resources not just ones immediately above them. And I am following Etienne as he was on Kamen Reynolds channel recently, his science on Yukon winter management is very compelling. I just love how TH-cam channels like all of you make this journey so much more enjoyable than me doing trial and error! Here's hoping we are right! Thanks again for all of your work, much appreciated 👍
Hi. I live in Germany 🇩🇪
I have started this year with only one behive about " 5000 bee's " and instantly within about 2 months it turned into 2 hives. I had to split the hive and introduce a second Queen. And didn't even know where to begin and what to do. Man I was stressed out completely. But with your helping videos I did managed it perfectly.
This will be my first winter with my 2 behives. You are an inspiration to all beekeepers.
Thank you So much for your help and guidance. You never stop learning in live.
There are Always place and time for more improvements.
Greetings from Germany 🇩🇪 😀
“I like details.” Never has a statement been more true. The details are extraordinary and I appreciate all you do for learning and research.
I’m a non-beekeeper, but I’m fascinated by the beekeeping process and I have to say that everything you have done for your bees seems like common sense to me. As you say, at the end of the day, you want your bees to thrive, not just survive. Well done 👍🏻
Jim, I’m a new backyard keeper in Georgia (2021). I really appreciate your videos. I’ve learned a lot from your tenacity… to have your bees not only to survive but to thrive! I’m following and look forward to your thriving colonies in 2022.
I've been following since you started. I can't tell you how amazed I am, at how you are challenging the status quo.
I am here for it. I don't have my first Hive yet. But I have been researching for a few years now. Can't wait to make my first Bee Barn.
Thanks for amazing content.
I’m on the same page. People probably think I’m crazy but I use backer board and a water heater blanket to insulate my hive. My philosophy is that the less my bees have to work to stay warm, the less they will consume their resources. Thanks for your perspective. It’s always good to learn new ways and use what works for your situation.
Great approach, thank you!
So glad I found your videos. You have a great on air personality and do a wonderful job of them. I built my first bee barn last weekend and for the first time I am at ease approaching winter. I could never make sense of what I was being told what with the tar paper and upper vent and insulation under the cover. What I have learned from you makes complete sense to me. Thank you
Jim, you were so right!! I built bee cabinets out of poly pro and put them around the insulated box. There’s a slight air gap between the cabinet and the tightly insulated box. The temp inside the cabinet stays comfy because the foil lining is facing an air gap. The bottom board interior stays about 55 despite cold temps outside. I was concerned about the warm days we get at time. It’s been a humid 90 at Christmas and then next week it’s 10- 20 degrees for a month. But no, the 4 ft tall poly pro bee cabinets are working! My bees are just veggies inside. So quiet. I did put a few layers of foam packing sheets over their frames with a few off centered holes for upper access in every other frame gap. Then I added a medium up there and left a syrup feeder. It stays 70 degrees up in the feeder box. The bees super propolised the soft foam packing sheets to their frames. When I changed the 12oz syrup feeder, I don’t take their heat away in the process. I only change the syrup feeder once a month. I also leave a container with water absorbing crystals in there so they would have a warm water supply. If condensation or moisture is an issue, put a mesh bag with water absorbing crystals in it. The bees can lick the water off the crystals and they don’t freeze. I miss your videos. I couldn’t do all the wood work. I just figured how to do it using your principles and dude these bees are just coasting. A tip.. keep the landing board dry and dark when you want them to veg out inside. If it’s gonna be warm, they will make their way out when the air at the entrance warms the bottom board area and they see light. The only time I see my bees is around 3pm on a nice day when sun hits their bottom board & they do entrance flights in mass amounts. So light on the landing board is important (keep it dark if you want them to stay inside). If your interior bottom board surface temp is 55, the bees are just fine in cold temps. They won’t cluster. They will just recycle heat. Wet bees… it’s important because wet bees can’t generate this heat signal from their limbs. I’ve got many examples on film. I suspect it’s why a death ball is so hot. I know the textbooks say it’s abdomal muscles vibrating, but I’m telling you I’ve watched bees walk on my warm hand and their legs light up on a thermal camera, even though their abdomen are cool. It may just be younger bees and this is a way they warm up. But the skin under that spot in my hand started lighting up. The bee wouldn’t do it on cool fatty tissue and when flipped over on its back, the limbs remained white hot. But if it touched even residual warm moisture, the limbs immediately cooled. So I believe this is what washboarding is about (static chatter), and also how bees spike the hive temp immediately before swarming. I also believe this is why they fly to their new home on humid days. I wouldn’t be shocked if the swarm bees had white hot limbs. And a cluster in a cold hive, it’s probably the bees limbs on the wax that are recycling thermal energy and how the heater bees know it’s time to heat up. If a bees tarsi is damaged, it is completely black. But the rest of limb is lit up.. anyways.. your philosophy aligns completely with this. I miss your videos. Check out water absorbing crystals… incredible way of resolving moisture. I throw the mesh bag full of em on the landing board to draw up and moisture that got on it from rain. Works incredible
🇰🇪 Greetings from Kenya! 🇰🇪
As with all your other videos, I've been inspired by how much thought you put into the process, how you learn from nature, and how you innovate to apply those lessons to your every-day beekeeping. To the best of my knowledge, what you have done mimics most closely the life of the wild bees who make their home in tree logs, with only a small entrance which also serves as an air hole. The difference is that you still have all the advantages of the Langstroth hive.
Just so you know, watching the videos that you released last spring (in which you introduced your new hives) helped cement my resolve to redesign my hives for our climate here. We don't get winter in Kenya but the semi-arid conditions in the area where our bees are located mean that they experience lots of heat in the daytime and lots of cold in the night. As such, our bees are constantly dealing with temperature management. You opened my eyes to that reality. Thanks to you, insulation is core to the redesigning process that I'm working on.
I'm confident your bees will have the best winter yet. I also get the feeling that you'll be tweaking with your hives some more, so I'll keep checking in.
Cheers!
Mimicking a tree is exactly the goal. Thank you! Best of luck with your bees.
Great video! When you said on Instagram that you were changing your winterization method I was a little nervous, but this makes a ton of sense and lines up with what i was going to do anyway, except closing the top entrance. I'm a little nervous about moisture, but our average humidity in the winter is only about 15% and I like your (researched) logic, so....here's hoping. Good luck to your bees over the winter!
Well done!!!....Your mitered corners and finger joints look very good.....If you could just make one about twice as big, I'd come and spend the winter with your bees!!!
Jim
I’m a total newbie this year and found you by accident and since then have been a huge fan. I’m in the process of building new “bee barn” hives from the ground up, no taping together deep and medium. This new video is awesome and follows a lot of HVAC principles and ideologies on how to maintain a suitable environment, it took you to bring it to everyone’s attention. We build our houses using the ideas you are using here so why not for our bees (and for the keeper making management easier) I love what you do, how you approach and solve these problems and share it. Not everyone will agree with what you come up with but after almost 40 years in the construction industry I can only see you moving forward in taking care of your bees and the principals you employ to understand how to create a suitably manageable environment and a bee keeper friendly system. Awesome job.
I really look forward to seeing how well this works, its fascinating.
One thing you could teach people with less insulation, tilt the hive 3 degrees to the front year round. Any liquid water on the top cover will flow to the front and down and out the hive. Also, the bee will appreciate the help of gravity to remove debris out the entrance. Your hive is so insulated, you might not need to tilt your hive but it might help the bee.
I used a Solution bee HM-6 scale last winter and 1 1/2" insulation and no top entrance. The hive keep a steady temperature all winter. WIFI download everyday.
This year I am using 2" feeding shim above the top frames. I have purchased Hive Alive Fondant to fight Nosema during the winter. Nosema goes crazy during the winter. You place the packet directly on the top frames with a square hole in package. Also, I will be placing two to three pounds sugar mush on top of the top frame. I also feed two teaspoon of Hive Alive in every gallon of syrup during the summer and fall.
Just a side note. I am the guy who comment "Why build a chimney in your hive when bees in trees never have top and bottom entrance(chimney). Your reply was "When I start raising bee in trees I will be concerned". I am so happy you saw the light and your bee keeping has been raised to a higher level.
You are genus when it comes to wood working. Your hive will sell for a premium. Shipping weight might be a problem.
Thank you again for a great video, the focus on moisture and addressing that is really helpful, you probably have addressed it in other videos but I am thinking that having the insulation remain in place during the hot season will also help in the bees moderating the temperature to suit their needs. Less energy loss on their part. Really appreciated this.
Thanks for the wonderful video. My wife and I are trying to overwinter after our first season of beekeeping and were planning on trying your old method with Vivaldi boards and burlap until we saw this video. We altered our methods and wrapped our hive in a bee cozy and extruded foam cover. We will be adding a foam piece to the bottom of the hive and filling a deep box with insulation later in the season once we stop feeding. Wish us luck!
YES, YES, YES, I'm a residential designer and I am constantly forced to read articles on the incredibly boring world of insulation technology. I'm new to beekeeping and have been studying hive design for a year now. I never understood the upper hive entrance. Cold air meeting warm moist air is how rain forms. It's raining in your hives. Now bees need water so some cool air is good. Just have it below them. I do have a few very minor tweaks/suggestions. I'll email you Jim.
I have to say that those are some very well made hives. Really digging the extra-deep brood frames and the full wrap of insulation. My only thought for improvement is potentially coming up with insulated supers as well to complete the system for the summer. Love the way you keep thinking outside the box! Happy and healthy overwintering: thrive instead of survive.
Good idea, but don't you want the supers to be "summer hot" to cure the honey? Evaporating the water out of the nectar is the idea, so heat isn't an issue, correct?
@@prof0man Good question! I wonder how feral honeybees nested in trees, underground or in the wall of a building cure their honey in the heat of the summer?
Thanks for sharing. Your points about climate management within the hive, and providing a more controlled environment within which the colony can self-regulate, are absolutely spot on. They apply not only to frigid winters, but also to extremely hot summers. The less work the colony needs to do to regulate the hive temperature, the more work they can do on other essential tasks within the hive.
That said, virtually no amount of insulation will provide total protection - but what you have shown seems to be sufficient to minimise the worst impacts. Will be fascinating to see your colonies through winter and into spring.
Thanks again. Always interesting to watch your videos!
I watched your entire video with a smile on my face, this was by far my favorite ! You materialized my entire thinking about winterization on TH-cam, thanks for that! This is exactly how I did this year, here in Quebec after my reeding in June of the exact article you mentionned. I look forward for your DIY video of your Better hive (and wish I had your talent in woodworking). Love your videos!
Great work Jim. It’s not easy putting yourself out there while you are learning. Keep doing what’s best for you, your bees and keep on innovating! I’ve learned so much from channels like yours and others to help me along my first two years beekeeping in MA.
Cheers to ya bud!
Thanks for the plug… I’m away at the moment but I’m planning on a couple more technical videos when I get back!!
Thanks for stopping by! I pinned your other comment if you want to add anything it will stay at the top.
Your yard is amazing. I Love your frames. Your definitely the hardest working beekeeper on youtube.
From what I understand; The bees need moisture to condense on the walls so they don't have to leave the hive in the cold to find water. Insulated top cover, and not too much insulation on the sides will make the moisture condense on the sides where the bees can get it and excess drains down. Of course make sure the water can drain front the bottom or front entrance.
I had to Google don't taunt happy fun ball! Lol You are a gentleman and a scholar. I'm a TH-cam beekeeper, and think you are advancing the hobby/industry. Love that you're always learning!! 73s, Scott
Good luck with this method and looking forward to your update and results man! Came across your channel in my recommended videos. Hello from Northern California 🤙🏼
I love that you're utilizing Etienne's data results and science to make changes. I'm doing the same!!
I don’t know anything bout bees besides from what I watch from you…but this idea shows pure creativity
🥶
One point to consider, the use of an upper entrance provides access outside without any winter maintenance. But I agree with your thought process, so the entrance needs to be small.
I have been an upper entrance guy from the beginning, but man... watching the sensor data in JUNE, on chilly nights the temps on the one hive with an upper entrance was dipping into the 70s at night. I closed the entrance and temps went right back up into the 90s and stayed there. I can't imagine how much heat loss there will be in January with even a tiny hole. I talked to Etienne and he assured me the bees are OK with NO upper entrances. I'll definitely need to walk up there every week and make sure lower entrances aren't blocked, but I check them often anyway. This isn't a commercial solution, but great for us hobbyists. Thanks, Ian!
Ya Etienne is also a firm believer of no upper entrance along with a shit tonne of data. He also, as you say, isn’t commercial. I’m a non upper entrance guys aswell but the luxury of a no snow controlled winter room environment helps manage that snow issue. My strategy is directly focused on C02 management (and humidity) within the cluster. Upper ventilation creates too much air exchange.
But when wintered outdoors if I hadn’t had an upper entrance my hives would of suffocated under 10’ drifts at times lol. !
But I had also completely blocked the bottom entrance with my insulation wrap so maybe that helped reduce the air flow exchange. It was low enough that a freshly snowed day , the lightly snowed in entrances took hours to melt out .
Anyhow, I think we are both on exactly the same wavelength. Love your thought process. Keep up the fantastic videos. I tune in regularly, especially the ones you elaborate on your perspective of all those behavioural fall time dynamics , cheers 🥂
@@vinofarm welcome to the darkside we have been waiting for you!
Funny I started off just like you with flow hives. It wasn't until my complete failure of 2020 did I find your blog in the winter of 2020-21 I sat and sat listening and learning through your videos from start to finish and couldnt wait to see how your booming apiary was going to be for 2021. So...If theres two thing Ive learned from you and other bee keepers its 1. Never give up and 2. If you ask 10 bee keepers the same question you get 10 different answers. Love the new look. Can't wait for spring. Never give up.
Your system is amazing, I'm a carpenter in Wales and I think what you've built is brilliant, stylish and functional, very cool
Oh I am so happy to see you got it! Insulation is king...ask anyone who has an old home with no insulation! And insulation is not just for winter either. Here in Texas the insulation keeps the bees cooler in the summer as well! At minimum I use insulation in my lids but prefer to be fully insulated. They work less to maintain their inner temp and thus consume fewer resources. I love your zip tape idea since I have been trying to find a better way to stop the air gaps between the insulation and wood...I was using masking tape which is temporary at best. Thank you for the video!
Thank you for getting my thought processes going. I am wintering my bees for their first winter in western NY, Etienne, I am a new subscriber,. I look forward to seeing how you handle your bees also.
Great job breaking down your thought process. I hope this system works well and delivers your bees health and thriving out of winter. I am glad you mentioned that this is just what you are doing and people need to research what will work in their area. If I was in a climate that had as many cold days as you, I would be looking to do something similar. Fortunately for me a system like this is overkill because I get only a few day of sustained freezing. In the winter my bees fly regularly because the temp gets warm enough mid-day. I have often toted that same phrase about cold and moisture. From now on, I will explain the concerns rather than just repeating the phrase.
With every new video I am always amazed how beautiful those hive boxes are. I absolutely love the design.
I don't have any hive, but what I can say about your content is: You are doing the real meaning of "bee keeper" and that can be seen in a simple but powerful sentence "the goal here is not to my bees to survive, I want my bees to thrive". Great attitude.
Anxiously awaiting your yearly reviews of this system.. I plan on doing this to my bees.
See you in the spring. Hope your winter isn’t to nasty !
So grateful for your great education that you so generously share.
There is always change....sometimes for the better, sometimes not. I felt your pain previously when all but one hive in your apiary survived the last winter. I too have lost what I thought were really good hives to a long, cold, wet Scottish winter and was blasted by their demise. I liked and still like your thermal block design. I've decided to give it a go and attempt to insulate with foam and apply a waterproof outer layer. As I write this the wind is whistling past my window and I hope I haven't left it too late!! I'm delighted to see you are recovering, applying lessons learned and your video is fantastic. Please keep up the brilliant work and post the concept. it's how we all learn.
Great video, Jim! I'm really excited to see how the winter goes with your new system. I love how collaborative you are as a youtuber -- starting the conversation to continue bettering the bee community.
My dad said back in the 70ies in Germany. (Yes, we had cold winters too, not that long but cold minus 20 Celsius was not that uncommon) . Anyway he said when it’s that cold they stay very tight together and do NOT consume more because they slow their body down. As soon as the outside temperature Rieses they DO consume more because they move more and burn more, also the queen starts to lay in January, the hive needs way more energy/ food than let’s say in cold December.
Great video & information! Looking forward on seeing the results. Hope all your beehives make it through this winter. Glad we don't get that cold in Australia. Good luck
It’s so cool to watch you grow into your beekeeping! You started out so nervous, as is anyone embarking on a new adventure, but now you are self assured and confident enough to step outside bee keeping “doctrine” in order to improve your knowledge and make life better for your bees. If this is how you approach parenting, too, you have very fortunate offspring! The example you provide to persevere and then stretch beyond old goals is invaluable.
Thanks!
That project will work. I'm glad that you have the time and the money to invest in your bees. Good job.
Much respect Jim...you are certainly dedicated and your efforts are impressive. Very cool set up.
Massachusetts beekeeper myself... my personal experience is mite control and adequate reserves result in overwintering success. I check those two boxes and have had great success.
Looking forward to the spring update !!!
Always improving is never a bad thing. Keep it up. Good luck to you and the 🐝 🐝 this winter.
This is all great info, and I think you are onto something in thinking about R values. The only thing I would add is underlayment/vapor barrier between your polystyrene insulation and the exterior wall. Nothing super thick because I think your insulation is doing the heavy lifting, just something like 6 mil polyethylene underlayment film
The polystyrene might already be acting as a vapor barrier of sorts, but it's an inexpensive add if you are already going the extra mile. I think it will help the caulk and flashing tape to create a sealed box.
A very inventive approach to winterization. I will challenge the process however, I've kept bees for 20 years in Idaho with weeks of below zero weather using screened bottom boards and no supplemental insulation. It's all about having a strong colony going into winter, mite control, providing adequate food resources (not over harvesting) and humidity control. Cool video, keep up the good work and experimentation!
Thanks for the kind disagreement. Have a nice day.
Great video! I have followed you since the beginning. I look forward to your new videos. Your doing a great job, I’m excited to see the data for this winter with the new hives and insulation method.
Great video.
That is the point of experimentations and trials you find what works best for you in your climate and your bees.
I think you’re onto something I’m not sold on the no air exchange in the attic cause houses that are insulated even have those for obvious reasons. I would maybe leave one of the vents in the upper box open to the burlap. But I’m very interested in what you did here and I wish you great success. Very interested in any data you have in the beginning. I want to try something similar I’m in zone 7 so not as harsh but it can get really brutal here. Thanks for everything you do
Awesome video! I’m looking forward to hearing what the temperatures levels are during the winter months. I hope you will be able to keep us informed on what’s happening with the brood minders. Happy fall!
I'll absolutely have updates. Thanks!
I like your transition, exploration, and ideas. I think it's a lot of work. I hope your idea, optimism, and sweat equity pays off this winter. I'll continue to watch this progress through winter into spring. Good luck, and happy bee keeping.
I believe you have done a wonderful job to insulate your hive . Amen for your bees to thrive and not just survive. Even the hand holes are ways the cold penetrates through the thin areas.
Even my South Eastern Texas heat is where your insulated hive can keep the heat stress in June through September, at a great reduction.
Well done. The main point is to have thicker insulation on top so any condensation will stick to the sides instead of the roof. Not having a history with Langstroth, I chose insulated Layens hives. I also like the ‘snorkel’ entrance minimizing drafts and your deep frames.
I’m excited to see the results!
Me too. Looking forward to winter.
You have done an excellent analysis of bee needs. I would like to make a suggestion for your bee entrances. The proper Eskimo igloo has the entrance at a lower level than the igloo floor. This allows cold air to exit without a door. Water vapor can also leave while the interior remains warmer.
As usual, you are leading in thought and conservation regarding bees and their survival. I am currently looking at insulating my hive with styrofoam and wood, similar to your bee barns. I have followed you from the beginning and really enjoy your videos and honest approach to teaching and learning. Thank you for all you do.
Living in north texas my winter are probably your fall temps. At about 50 the bees here go foraging no matter how many stores they have. I am learning to watch what they are telling me and compare what I'm seeing from cold weather beekeepers like you. You are adapting to your bee goals and I am with mine. I think that is the message you send. Your concepts and ideas are interesting and help me. Thanks
We dont have winter in Jamaica but i love the fact your thinking ahead
Awesome design! I went with Laynes for insulation but if I was starting over I would copy this design. Many benefits to your design like easy supering and I like your feeding box. Thank you for sharing your knowledge.
Thank you for making this video. Extremely insightful and helpful.
No one person knows everything. I like to see what everyone else is doing and come up with something that will work for me. I'm with you. I want mine to thrive not just survive.
I used to work in the glass/window industry and for once you are the first that makes sense.
Can you keep the videos going this winter with the info from the temp and moisture sensors. Please and thank you. Been watching since you started the bees and really like your idea want to see how it goes fully for you
You're on to something...I love your ideas to keep our bees cozy during the winter.....it makes us better beekeepers😉
I'm down in Florida, so the cold doesn't affect my bees as much. I pretty much just feed through the winter, no changes to the hive, I still find all your information interesting. Definitely going to get some Broodminders to see how mine do. I feel like over this summer they may have been getting too hot. Another great informative video. Eager to see how things go you and the bees this winter. Keep up the good work.
This video was posted into the apimaye group in Facebook. Obviously we have insulated hives. But this is the one question I have, the upper entrance: in the winterizing instructions it states to open the upper entrance not for ventilation purposes, but for snow. In case the normal entrance is blocked by snow. And wondering did you think about this singular reason for having a closeable upper entrance? I plan to still keep mine closed till needed for snow.
I plan to monitor the lower entrance and rake out dead bees that may be blocking it on the inside, but I doubt snow will be much of an issue. I can very easily clear the entrance with a swipe of my hand if snow gets that high.
Same principles as the Layens hive setup. De Layens developed it years before, like 200 years before. So you obviously have a good design. I was a bit curious during your build about the size of the frames and the propolis, but the Layens frames are about the same length, just smaller width I believe. And yours did well it appears. Good build and working for you, and that’s what matters. Thriving is better than surviving.
I'm going to build one of his hives over the winter and set it up come spring.
@@CastleHives I imagine it would do well for you. Same as being in a tree. That’s what the De Layens does is try to simulate more natural. They’re not practical for sideliners or commercial, or even a smaller hobby setup like mine. I learned about the Layens from Dr Jeff Harris and he is trying a few. They’re more about natural beekeeping. I think Vino did well. I was a bit skeptical, like I said, about the frames, but the design seems like a good one and matched what I heard from Dr. Harris. And his frames did fine and it’ll be good to see how they come through winter. Should be just fine.
I do not like the horizontal orientation, but I do like the longer frames. For cold climates, a vertical orientation makes more sense for easier cluster movement. And yes, my frames are bout 6" wider than Layens.
@@MikeBarryBees I agree Mike. The design has a ton of thought. I'll have to get ready for some keyboard warriors once I build a Bee Barn. LOL
@@vinofarm The Horizontal I have are for my Mom to help out. She cant lift the boxes so figured a Horizontal would help her get into Bees and enjoy the hobby.
I appreciate the sharing of ideas, resources, and articles. Transparency without pressure is the way to open eyes to new ideas.
I really appreciated the disclaimer style 😂
Learning a lot from you, thank you. My question is the entrance size . Winter as well as summer please. I have entrance reducers pre made but have seen different pre-made sizes on the market. And then adding fabricated hole punched mouse guards vs wire mesh. One of my hives is left with only four holes for an entrance! Can that actually be enough? I am concerned they have enough room for draft in and out. Can you either give measurements or how many bees can squish through. Thank you
Seeking suggestions? Newbee, 1st winter. Was originally only taping the hive seems and adding insulation (1 1/2)" above top cover had no upper entrance (only lower entrance). However, my broodminder was registering humidity at 94-95% after feeding 2:1 sugar water in October.. Winter is coming (upstate NY very cold)..so I put on an upper opening and the humidity went down to 84%...seems to be holding...any ideas?
Good Luck! As it has been over the past years, it'll be interesting to follow.
Really interesting video, and I say this as a non beekeeper. I'm looking forward to seeing how the bee barns perform over the winter.
Great video and great explanation. Hope all goes well in your very cold winter. From warm and sunny Australia
I'm watching from work on the computer so I thought I would drop a comment. Great hives. I really can't wait to see their winter performance and your updates. Will watch again tonight on the TV.
Lots of good information in this video. Thanks for sharing it with us. You earned a subscriber today.
I agree with your idea that the insulation helps the bees to control their own environment easier.
I am a first year bee keeper with a building background up here in Canada and I have built insulated bottom boards and a complete r10 wrap for my bees. I still have a pillow box on top in case of moisture but it is within the sealed and taped foam box. I would be happy to share a couple pics of this setup. If you think of the bees as a heater than this will help them save energy to retain the heat they can produce. .
looking forward to your spring results from the wintering next year. It is a cool concept!! I live in very warm climate and if I cared for bees I don't think I would have to do anything to keep them warm in winter.
Love thinking outside the norm! Thank for the info. I have a wild colony in a sycamore tree twenty five or so feet in the air on my property in ohio with one entrance, no treatments, no human interference and been there since I've owned the property. Survived 5 winters at least I know of
Good to see you recommended insulating the front. A cold front would cause localised condensation on the inside of the front. I only insulate top of my hives with a 46mmx46mm 50mm piece of solid insulation board on top of a 50mm ike. I drill a hole in the centre to allow moist air to escape and lay a vileda type cloth on top of the insulation with a corresponding hole. Any moisture gathers in the cloth and I can replace them easily in winter if they feel damp without really disturbing my bees. I plug the hole in the insulation whilst doing this. I live in the uk so our winters aren't usuallt too bad.
What a great video and you have put great time into learning an trying different ideas. This looks an sounds like you are on to taking care of your Bee’s. I live in NC an I am sure I do not need to go to this much insulation in our weather here . I really like your set up. It would be great if you had a video camera inside of your hive somehow to watch your bees to see how much they cluster or not thru your winter weather an how they act . Keep up the great work. Keep us informed an keep up your video’s. How much honey did you get this season?? .
I haven't extracted it yet, but I have a stack of 5 supers. We had no fall flow whatsoever and a dearth in August. So there was a lot more on the hives in July but they consumed it in August. Good news is that after pulling the supers the brood boxes were mostly full of their own foraged honey, so I did not go crazy with feeding. They took syrup very slowly. Plenty of resources for winter.
All makes sense to me. How do you work the hive when temps are reasonable? What I mean is how do you get down into the bottom box during spring summer and fall? The handholds and such are covered in your top medium and it would seem logical that the top box would have to be extracted to get to the frames under it. First time seeing your concept so forgive if this is explained somewhere else.
Watch any of my last 15 videos. I created extra long frames that go in the box. They span the entire cavity. It’s fully explained in the video, “I Fixed The Langstroth Hive”. Thanks for watching.