How Much Ventilation is Required During the Winter?

October 21, 2022 1 Comment

How Much Ventilation is Required During the Winter?

Here we will cover all the important information about ventilation and how it plays a crucial part in making sure your bees survive through the winter. It’s not a very widely discussed subject and we wanted to make sure you take this into consideration during your winter prep.


There's no one size fits all when it comes down to overwintering your bees. Each location comes with its own microclimates that will determine what you need to consider when insulating your hive. Things like: Sunlight, Wind, Rain, etc.


Benefits of Ventilation


To regulate temperature inside the hive, good airflow must be present. Ventilation keeps moisture under control and helps to regulate the temperature inside the hive. Excess moisture can be very dangerous for your bees as it promotes mold, mildew, disease, and fungi. Moisture can also make your bees wet, which will lead to them getting cold, killing the bees and reducing their chance of making it through the winter. Too cold and the bees will eat through their stores much quicker in order to get the energy they need to keep the hive warm. You don’t want it to be too warm inside the hive either. Too warm and then the cluster will break, letting bees fly and expand more energy. More energy means more food. The ideal internal temperature for a hive is between 5°C - 7°C.


Moisture


Moisture is something that goes hand in hand with overwintering bees. It is not something we can get rid of because the honey being stored is part of the reason there’s moisture. The consumption of honey produces both carbon dioxide and water vapour that rises to the top of the hive. About 40lbs of honey can produce up to 1 gal of water. Most of the condensation from this process will form on the walls and top the hive on the inside. If the water at the top drips down onto the cluster, this can very well kill the colony.


The Basics


The basics of good ventilation is to have cold air enter through the bottom and then leave though the top. This is why we turn our entrance reducers to the smallest 1” gap and to make sure we keep the pests out, as well as putting on a mouse guard. As the air enters the hive it will get warmer and eventually rise to the top. It will take away some of the moisture and CO2 inside the hive and escape through a small gap at the top. This gap is usually found on the inner cover and also acts as a second entrance for the bees. During the winter on a warm day the bees will take cleansing flights. It’s better for the bee to be warm leaving the hive, as opposed to getting cold while trying to exit from the bottom. You can also help deal with condensation at the top of the hive by insulating it. This will help with most of the moisture forming on the walls instead of the top.


Make sure to come back next week to join us on how to winter wrap your hive. Armed with this knowledge you’re sure to have a successful winter wrap up.




1 Response

Janice Ponce
Janice Ponce

October 26, 2022

Do you agree to put a flat piece of double sided foil bubble wrap (from hardware stores) inside the top box on top of the frames (so inside the lid) to help push warm air down to both brood boxes for better ventilation? I’m in the okanagan and we have real fluctuations in temp quickly here and sometimes moisture to freezing, up and down temps. I heard of this and thought it was a good idea. What do you think? Thanks Janice

Leave a comment

Comments will be approved before showing up.


Also in Education

Is It Time to Split My Beehive?
Is It Time to Split My Beehive?

May 08, 2023

As your bees prepare for the main flow they are building their population and the queen is heading toward her maximum laying capacity of approximately 1,500 eggs per day. In Alberta, we see a huge population explosion unlike anywhere else in the world. Your hive can have 80,000 bees!

Continue Reading

Where Can I Buy Beekeeping Supplies?
Where Can I Buy Beekeeping Supplies?

March 24, 2023

Not sure where to shop for your beekeeping supplies? Here are some beekeeping suppliers across Canada:

BCBee Supply-https://bcbeesupply.com/collections/hive-parts
BeeMaid - https://www.beemaidbeesupplies.com/
Dancing Bee Equipment- https://dancingbeeequipment.com/
Hiveworld - https://hiveworld.ca/
Worker and Hive - https://workerandhive.com/
Urban Bee - https://urbanbeesupplies.ca/

Continue Reading

Are Varroa Mites a Problem?
Are Varroa Mites a Problem?

March 10, 2023

Varroa mites are the most deadly pest affecting western bees and can kill bee colonies in short periods of time. Monitoring and testing throughout the spring and summer is essential to keeping your hive healthy. If varroa mites are not properly treated throughout the beekeeping season, it can destroy an entire colony.

Continue Reading