It's Cold in Them Thar Little Hives

[RoofTops]

I have two small colonies overwintering in Mini-Plus hives. These take 6 frames, each about half the width of a conventional frame and about as deep as a super. PH showed pictures of a Lyson version recently which looked identical.

One colony has 2 brood boxes and the other 3.

The floors have a small area of mesh and a small compartment for food. I fed the colonies last year by putting sugar in the compartment and ensuring it was damp although they also collected a lot of stores themselves from late flowers.

Foolishly I didn't check as they went into winter if they had consumed all the sugar, I just felt the weight of each and as they were heavy left it at that.

However, there must have been quite a lot of sugar left as today when I lifted them off their floors to check for any dead bees (almost none) both food compartments were full of ice. I assume the sugar has absorbed water over the winter and turned liquid, but the interesting thing was the ice - this is inside the little hive.

In one of the little hives the bees were clustered only a few inches above the ice although in the other they were in the middle box - as far as I could tell looking upwards as I did not remove the roofs.

Just shows how cold it is on the floor of a hive with an OMF.

You can get top feeders for these hives which I might buy this year as this experience has shown me that even putting fondant in the floor compartment at this time of year would be a waste of time on all but the hottest day. The bees would simply find it too cold down there to be able to use it. If I do need to add fondant it will have to go as a pancake under the roof.

 

[busybee53]

I have never seen these mini hives. I am on nationals, But I thought you were supposed to feed from the top anyway. Would like someone who knows more to comment. Hate to think how cold it is in a National any way.

 

[fatshark]

I've got colonies overwintering in three-storey Keilers. Two floors of comb and an eke with fondant in it. I checked them today by lifting the roof and packed the spare space in the top floor with some bubble wrap I found ... all the bees are tight under the second 'ceiling', presumably the warmest part of the hive. Looks like they've got through the last 7-10 days of temperatures dropping as low as -10oC or so

No additional protection, just sitting out on wooden blocks ...

 

[RoofTops]

I have never seen these mini hives. I am on nationals, But I thought you were supposed to feed from the top anyway.

These little hives are used for queen mating in the summer and in the case of mine have a food compartment in the floor. This has worked fine in warm weather but I have not used it for winter feeding before and this is of course what my point was - the floor level feeder is far from ideal in winter.

You can get versions with plain floors and separate feeders to go under the roof - this is what I need for next winter if I over-winter them again, which I probably will as so far things look fine with the two colonies.

 

[user 6228]

Whats the insulation thickness on these?... the thermal analysis says you need to dramatically increase the effectiveness of the insulation compared to an ordinary polyhive just to reach the same temperatures for the same heat output per bee.

"Just shows how cold it is on the floor of a hive with an OMF." Exactly why this will be the last year I have one of those (WasWood)

 

[Hivemaker.]

I would of thought that most should know, that in winter feed needs to go on top,and not on the floor,especially a mesh one,and a tiny colony.

 

[BeeJayBee]

I'm a bit confused (easily done), but I'd thought feed should preferably go at the top because that's the easiest place for bees to get it, especially during the colder months.

If the food tray is at the bottom of the hive, could it be collecting run off from any condensation as well as absorbing atmospheric moisture that condenses when it meets the colder air at the bottom of the hive?

 

[RoofTops]

I would of thought that most should know, that in winter feed needs to go on top,and not on the floor,especially a mesh one,and a tiny colony.

I didn't or rather didn't think about it - hence my posting this cautionary tale - so others don't make the same mistake.

 

[Nic Rhodes]

The Lyson hive has plugs of poly to use if you want to remove the two mesh circles to keep the bees 'warmer' in the winter (essentially making it a solid poly floor). Don't think there a bottom feeder option on that variant but does come with a mini top feeder as standard (very nice). I am tempted to buy a few more hives but wish the brood box were sold separately over here as these are the bits you needs extras of.

 

[drstitson]

nic - same with the MB nucs - come as a package - only extra you can get are supers.

 

[Nic Rhodes]

and they haven't had any since July, I need a load! In fact they still owe me one I know a local queen rearer here who would love to buy additional brood boxes for his mb nucleus hives (he uses standard frame size) where my interest in on mediums.

 

[RoofTops]

Swienty sell the Mini-Plus hive bits separately, in fact that is the only way you can buy them as they don't sell a complete hive as one bit.

If someone can send me the dimensions of the boxes for the Lyson ones I can compare them with mine and check to see if they are compatible - I suspect they are.

 

[Nic Rhodes]

off to measure now. Re the bits has anyone ever ordered from Holtermann Shop as they have all the bits?

 

[Nic Rhodes]

External dimension: 30cm x 30cm

Ridge: outside to outside 27.3cm x 27.3cm

Frames: 25.1cm x 15.9cm