PNW Bee Hive Winterization 1.0
It’s not pretty, but it proved effective!
When I first got into having bees, I had absolutely no clue how much extra support the little critters would need to make it through a Pacific Northwest winter. My first year was a disaster. I thought I was doing all the right things, and indeed they did make it through to late February, but both hives ultimately succumbed to the protracted cold and, believe it or not, interior dampness. Yeah, that’s a thing! Turns out, the bees can do a pretty good job of generating warmth when in sufficient numbers, but there’s no way for them to dissipate the humidity produced. Interior condensation develops and literally rains upon them, and worse, creates moldy conditions. I felt like such a failure once I discovered the damage done. For a little perspective, nationally only about 55% of hives survive the winter, according to my beekeeper mentor, Kathy. (Bet many of them belonged to beginners.) Still, it’s not easy even for the pros. Kathy had a 70% success rate among her dozens of hives that same year. It was with those thoughts in mind that I eventually decided to give beekeeping another chance with new colonies. And I’m happy to report that I got my little bee friends successfully through the 2018/19 winter! Here’s what a did:
A closer look at the ratchet strap holding the foam insulation boards in place. The 15’ length proved ideal for wrapping around twice.
Set the hive boxes so that the main brood box was on the bottom. This “reversing” technique is based on the fact that the hive cluster will migrate up through the boxes and the heat generated to their honey stores during the winter. They are less likely to access honey stores beneath them, or even far to the sides of the brood cluster. As with all of these steps, reversing is one action that can increase their odds of survival.
Made sure follower boards were in place in each hive box. You might consider keeping them in year around, as I do since they help with Summer cooling, too. More on follower boards here.
Put Vivaldi boards with burlap cloth lining for moisture control, ventilation, and heat retention. More on Vivaldi Boards here.
Made sure an upper entrance was available for them to access the outdoors should the bottom entrance become obstructed with dead bees (the Vivaldi Board has one, so that was easy).
Closed bottom openings of robbing screen to keep winter critters out, while leaving upper horizontal one open.
Affixed foam board insulation to all sides (except front) using these inexpensive 15’ ratchet straps. Also placed a foam board on top of the cover to help keep heat in.
Set up a removable rain fly to help keep the entrances (and any bees pondering an exit) drier, using a tarp, a garden bench and a couple of clamps.
The whole set up is not pretty, but it proved an effective support system, one that I’m employing again this year. Additional benefits include easy access to check interior activity and feed dry sugar sprinkled with water throughout the cold months. The exterior components are also easily removable come spring, and reusable. As the statistics referenced earlier show, there’s no guarantee that these steps will ensure a hive’s survival through a PNW winter. But I know that in combination, they will increase their odds. It’s the least I can do for the little creatures that give us honey, garden help and endless wonder.
(For my updated post, PNW Bee Hive Winterization 2.0, click here.