Beekeeping in Canada

[Frisbee]

I'm in Canada visiting a friend who is planning on moving to the country and keeping a hive or two of bees, she has enquired about available courses and is reading up. We have visited a couple of equipment suppliers. The hive of choice is Langstroth, but all that is available is wooden ones. Given that Canada has extreemly cold winters, my thought would be to suggest using poly, especially as she is starting up and everything is going to be bought new. What about the summers though, does poly keep cool? Any thoughts anyone please.

Frisbee

 

[BeeJayBee]

What about the summers though, does poly keep cool? Any thoughts anyone please.

The idea of good insulation is that it keeps the inside an even temperature, irrespective of outside temperatures. So, yes, it would keep the bees comparatively cooler in summer and warmer in winter.

 

[user 6228]

bees in a climate like yours need insulation to protect from cold and the heat of summer... poly does that.
just dont be tempted to use top ventilation unless the air temp is above 25c

 

[Mr greenwood]

Depending where you are it is the bears you need to worry about. My uncle used to surround his with an electric fence!

 

[nelletap]

I saw that a Canadian beekeeper had to have an entrance high up in the hive(for when there was deep snow). My sister has lived in Canada for some years; when she was first there it was very dry even when there was snow - the snow was powdery. Over recent years it has all been more damp - more fungus growth. I know the outdoor loos have the doors open outwards because bears can't open them so easily. Perhaps a bear proof bee shed with hives inside might work well?

Tricia

 

[Skyhook]

I saw that a Canadian beekeeper had to have an entrance high up in the hive(for when there was deep snow). Tricia

Finman does the same thing for the same reason. Also he swears at, not by, OMF's- and I can see in those temperatures they could be a death sentence for a hive trying to maintain a cluster temp. some 70 degrees above ambient.

As regards the bears- I seem to recall someone saying he doesn't nail his hives together, so if the bears flatten them at least he can slot the remains back together! Electric fences seem to be the answer though.

 

[Frisbee]

No bears.......although there may be coyotes. But that wasn't the question I asked...... The question was 'Poly hives are not available in Canada, is that because they can be too warm in the summer'? That appears to have been answered by BeeJoyful.....thanks.

Frisbee

 

[The Cumbrian]

Perhaps they have so much wood around that nobody has bothered with poly hives.

 

[Teemore]

There is something in the back of my mind that some of Swienty's poly hives are made in Canada.... Might be worth PM'ing IntoTheLionsDen for info.

 

[Arob]

Canadian commercial beekeeper here

Hi fellas. I'm the son of a commercial beekeeper in Southern Ontario Canada.

I just started a Canadian beekeeper blog on this website but this forum wont let me link to it yet

beekeepingforum .co.uk/ blog.php?b=3030

fix the breaks and add http etc to see it

I dont even know what poly is? we use good old fashion wooden beehives that we make ourselves out of pine boards cut from our own woods. And then we wrap them in extra thick black plastic garbage bags the we get from the co-op every fall. Last winter, the mildest on record for many years, we had less than 10% winter loss.

because im just a noob here i can show this picture

images16.fotki . com/v258/photos/0/1534160/10384122/vering_hives_spring_beekeeping-vi.jpg

but if you fix the breaks and add http etc you can go there
I should mention that we also add a piece of old carpet to the inside of the beehive, above the inner cover, but below the lid. This adds warmth and absorbs moisture.

I'll post more helpful tips and insights on my blog here o this website soon

 

[Frisbee]

Thanks for your reply, I've also looked at your blog and will be following it with interest. My friend is looking to move around the Elora/Fergus area, where abouts are you?.......send me a pm if you don't want to openly say

Frisbee