02 09 2023 Ventilation for Bees

Bees know how they want the conditions inside their house - are they speaking to you? Learn how to listen to what they are saying.
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[@igyarmathy]

Hi, greetings from Hungary! It is good to see you again! I have the same observations you have!

[@eliinthewolverinestate6729]

I use floor entrances in my insulated 2 by Lazutin hives that hold 15 frames. I check a frame or 2 brood side for mites. I am central u.p. of Michigan. My Lazutin hives are Langstroph frame size but double deep. Use insulation to push condensation zone out of the hive. The entrance is first place condensation happens. Make sure you have a drain. Or it becomes a block of ice. Like an ice shanty with no thermal break in the floor from ice. If you have condensation at top of the hive you screwed up insulating. Not enough insulation at the most key place. Don't forget a thermal break on the bottom. Or cold will crawl into the hive. I use taller stands on my Lazutin hives. With nail boards because bears. Bees don't build below the entrance. In a tree look at how much thermal mass above and below them they have as a thermal break.

[@CrazyIvan865]

Thank you. Thermal mass. Everyone tells me I'm crazy. But we take honey off in fall. The honey is thermal mass that actually tends to radiate cold, BUT helps to maintain temperature stability between warm days and cold nights. Cleansing flights doesn't make any sense when there's no forage available, and energy/calorie conservation is most crucial. I feel it's an artificial phenomenon caused by the removal of that thermal mass, and the hives being poorly insulated, and in a position to relieve direct sunlight. Dandelions sprout when the soil average temperature reaches 50F, bees exit the hive when internal temperature reaches 57F. Perhaps that thermal mass is meant to help hive tempersture more closely related to soil temperatures?

[@russw3926]

Thank you for taking the time to reply. Great help.

[@russw3926]

Thanks for your comment and detailed explanation. It adds to the video. 20:17

[@donyork8641]

Great suggestions! Thank you!

[@parkinsonga3092]

I have a two inch false floor on all my hives to allow ventilation as where I am in the North East of England it's very damp. My bees have found both of the local garden centres so have a nearly all year round supply of flowers in bloom. Like you I leave my swarms alone for two years with no intervention. I have the Canadian style perspex viewing panels in my roofs and the bees like to try and propolis these so that they are dark even though the perspex has a cover on.

[@almostagardener4549]

I have build Dr Leo’s insulated Layens hives and the bees propoliz the entrance all but closed in winter even though I close it down to 3/8 inch

[@jamesd8839]

Thank you for the video. I completely agree with your observations. What are your thoughts on ventilation and insulation during the summer? My area gets really hot (115F), so I provide plenty of ventilation, shade, and water. They seem to do fine. My Layens hives are only 1.5in thick, so I do worry about them overheating, especially without ventilation.

[@CrazyIvan865]

My personal thoughts? Nectar is 80% water, honey is 20% water or less. So if theyre wasting time, energy, resources, workforce, bee power, etc to gather water... you've got a problem. They gather water for 2 reasons. Too hot, they been water back, spread it on the comb, fan it and use it like a swamp cooler for evaporative cooking. Too dry, the do a similar thing, but the goal is increasing hive humidity. In either regard, it's a lot of energy expense for no real gain other than improving hive conditions. And remember, honey isn't liquid gold, it's liquid coal. So the more energy they spend on gathering and evaporating water to improve conditions; not only are they not gathering other resources, hut are actively burning honey/nectar to do so. Personal opinion, throw a layer of double bubble or heat reflective material around the outside, block up the vents and see if they stop bringing in water. I could be wrong. But it doesn't make sense for them to gather something that should already be in abundance within the hive. Another issue. A couple different studies suggest that the lower the humidity in the hive, the faster the mites reproduce, the higher the humidity, the more of an inhibitory effect there is on mite reproduction. And... the less humidity, the more negative effect on the bees reproduction (as the brood and larva are mostly water weight by mass). Anything below 50% humidity and brood and eggs start to dessicate and lose viability. If most of the different postings I've seen of people with temperature and humidity sensors, in insulated and non-ventilated hives, 73% humidity seems to be the most common humidity. And the bees seem to monitor and control it closely. Even 2-by construction can benefit from some additional insulation. When you look at pictures of trees that were cut down that contained a colony. Almost all of them have 5-7" of wood surrounding the cavity. Which would be around R7-R10. 2-by lumber has an R value of about R1.9... so... some doubke bubble or reflectix will help. One thing you do have perfectly correct is what most people tend to forget. Bees are a forest dwelling species. They need shade. Most people have never spent some time in a big, white, poorly insulated box under direct sunlight. Having been a trucker with a busted AC in summer.... ut's a miserable oven. There were several times I had to get a hotel room and have the company reimburse me, because it was too hot to sleep.

[@russw3926]

Thank. Much you said I haven’t heard but have been observing similarities and the details on humidity would have been my estimate. Again thanks for the details this nails some interesting points.

[@royking1]

Have you seen Vinofarm and his bee barns v2? No ventilation and lots of insulation all round, to mimic a hollow tree like in nature

[@christinad2896]

So glad you are back! We enjoy all your videos

[@ThomasthEEngineR]

Have you split/caught any colonies this year yet?

[@DonaldDagen]

6:44 can you do a video on how you cycle out brood comb?

[@Red-Stones]

Very informative 👍

[@AllaOstrovsky]

Would you build the Layens hives dipper to make more room at the bottom? Would you close the ventilation holes at the sides of the roof?

[@CrazyIvan865]

As far as the roof vents... as long as there isn't a draft or ventilation coming through the frames and going out those vents, it might be better for them to be there. Because it can prevent heat from building up and pushing down through the frames.