Never Use Tar Paper Again, Beekeepers!

DISCLAIMER: Our bees are in Zone 5a in Massachusetts on a hill at 1200' elevation. It's windy and cold and our winter is 5-6 months long. During January and February, we get temperatures below 0ºF (-18C) regularly and days rarely go out of the 30sF (0-5ºC).
This video covers phase 0 - 1 of winterization.
1. Condensing hives
2. Fall Feeding
3. Mite Testing and Treatment
4. Moisture Management
5. Wind Management
If you live in a semi-cold climate with some snow and freezing temperatures, this video covers an average winterizing program.
If you live in a next-level cold climate like us, the next video will cover a couple more steps:
6. Foam Insulation
7. Solar Reflective Wall Installation
Thank you for watching and commenting!!
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The links below are to products I use and recommend. If you buy something using these links, I receive a small commission from Amazon. Thank you!
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BEE GEAR I USE:
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YOU WANT A VENTED BEE JACKET - amzn.to/2aNJnoR
SQUARE VEIL - amzn.to/2m6mwYK
AWESOME MOUSE GUARDS - amzn.to/2xnRorz
CAMERA GEAR I USE:
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MAIN SHOOTER: amzn.to/2ayC2Zs
FLEXIBLE TRIPOD: amzn.to/2aiSFcN
BALL HEAD: amzn.to/2aiSE8K (for each tripod)
WIND COVERS: amzn.to/2ayzPNM

[@vinofarm]

Where did I get my coroplast? I'm in Massachusetts. I googled "coroplast" "corplast" "Corrugated plastic" and found that most places that were coming up were sign shops. (All those political yard signs are coroplast.) Then I googled "Sign supply" "Sign Supplier" etc. and found a company called NEPCO in Rhode Island. I was prepared to drive down there, but they actually deliver all over New England. I called and they gave me a price of $16/ 4x8 sheet. That sounded pretty good, but I asked how much a larger quantity would be and he gave me a much better price. If you buy more, you always get a better deal. Shipping was a fraction of the price. So if you are in New England, call NEPCO. If you're careful about your cuts, you can get TWO sleeves per sheet. One 4x8 sheet will yield: TWO single deep brood box sleeves or ONE single deep and ONE double deep or 2 single deep+single medium combos or 2 double mediums or 2 triple mediums You can't get 2 Double Deep sleeves out of a single sheet. I did my 12 hives with 6 sheets! ---------------- Oh, and if you're cool with Alibaba and don't mind waiting for freight from China, you can buy 1000 4x8 sheets for $1/sheet (or probably less if you haggle!)

[@yaalav]

RV dealers, used as an underbelly. I work at an RV dealership and we purchase it by the roll and sell it per Rolling Foot

[@rachelgomusicmedia]

Vino Farm winterizing

[@vinofarm]

Paul, Good Tip! How is it rolled? Are the channels parallel or perpendicular to the "roll"?

[@yaalav]

@@vinofarm perpendicular.

[@yaalav]

@@vinofarm u will send u pics and part numbers to your email.

[@turkyashorbarbod8167]

Actually in a very hot climate, some do Insulation for a beehive in summer because of the temperature in my country reach 55c or more. Bees use water to cool hive but when insulating hive they fouse much more in collecting nectar and pollen. because Insulation reduces the number of bees that conditioning hive temperature. So, more bees go to fields to collect food instead of water.

[@rovidius2006]

From testing I've done the best moisture control is a good insulated top cover with no ventilation up top and no air leaks , the top cover under the insulation is always worm which keeps moisture away , cold surfaces invite condensation ,air vent up top keeps a small stream of air going through the hive while taking moisture away it also has a cooling effect on the cluster

[@roland7511]

To clarify from your testing, the Vivaldi board would be good in summer for ventilation but remove for winter due to condensation? Or would you never use the Vivaldi board?

[@rovidius2006]

@@roland7511 My preference is insulation up top with no holes ,i mostly use reflective double bubble insulation with with trimmed around top cover for a little dead space up top winter or summer , no condensation and bees like to hang close to it for its heat retention ,worm bees eat less honey also . Bees prefer a bigger bottom entrance for extra ventilation in the summer and tend too seal up all extra entrances for the winter ,chimney effect can be bad for it constantly brings air from outside in a bid to equalize temperatures .

[@JCsBees]

Great video man! Very information packed too. I leaned we disagree on cold killing bees. lol I say what you described is a shortage of food and not cold killing them but that's why we get 12 answers when you ask 10 beekeepers a question. I do not wrap and never will but I like the new approach your using. Seems very simple and looked great. Best of luck to you and your bees. Keep the videos coming!

[@vinofarm]

Maybe not cold *killing* them, but I believe the cold plays a factor in whether or not they can reach food. I've seen several dead clusters one frame away from several full frames... as if they just couldn't move to the food. I saw your video on NOT wrapping! Ha, ha! You look like you have a bit better wind protection. We're totally exposed, but my trees are getting much thicker. Next year will be much more protected. Great to hear from you, Jason!

[@Diypics]

You've been watching Devan Rawn :)

[@algallen1997]

The lower aperture is better to eliminate moisture

[@anothergamedeveloper5820]

In my experience so far oxalic acid is the best because it dropped the mite count so low I thought it was 0% but it was actually 1%. So oxalic acid is definitely the best in my opinion

[@fshrgy99]

To anyone interested in obtaining the coroplast polypropolene winter wraps ... They are actually available through the Wellington County Beekeeping Association (not the Waterloo County Beekeepers Association) in Ontario. Our 2018 order has been filled and we produced and distributed 3200 wraps through Ontario, Quebec, British Columbia and additionally sent a few 'south of the border'. These durable wraps last for many years. The program is run on a 'non profit' basis with wraps sold at just over cost. Any profits realized from the sale are donated to the Tech Transfer Team of the Ontario Beekeepers Association. For more information on these wraps visit www.ontariobee.com/sales-and-services/polypropolene-winter-hive-wrap-program Additionally see this video on winterizing produced by The Honey Bee Research Center of the University of Guelph in Guelph Ontario (Wellington County). kzbin.info/www/bejne/nGnFda16YsaLoJY

[@jonathanswoboda]

Bees can move easily up in a long cold but not over. Heat rises so they follow the heat. I like to keep 2 deeps and 1 medium up in Canada. They stay at the bottom and then move up over winter. I agree with insulating the roof and three sides. I built special roofs and have two 3/4 inch screened holes near the center of the cover. I dont run upper entrances or any moister pads but am not against them either. I tried tuck tap to seal the cracks between boxes but that hurt the paint. Dont like tar paper or anything black as I think it heats them too much and they eat more food. Would rather they stay in cluster for longer.

[@ghost1179]

Impressed with all of your videos. I’m in northern Michigan and plan to put your techniques to use. Thank you. I’ve also shared your links with friends in Canada that have had significant winter hive losses. Thank you for your knowledge!

[@Nicola_Bailey]

I stumbled upon your first video earlier this week and was instantly hooked. I have just binge watched all of your videos and never realised what a tricky but fascinating business beekeeping is.

[@vinofarm]

Nicola Bailey Welcome! Thanks for watching. As you can see, I got hooked, too.

[@munibungbeeking1719]

Yep this is one of your finest videos it’s actually cool watching your beekeeping journey I can see that a lot of work goes into it you’re bee yard is a picture of perfection.

[@vinofarm]

Well... best laid plans... Let's see how many survive. I'm realistic enough to know that the odds are 30-50% of the colonies may not survive. But I want to give them each the best possible chances. Thanks for the kind words!

[@HeyLookWhatICanDo]

Great work! Thanks for sharing your breakthroughs 🤗

[@rogerjodoin505]

You didn’t mention tilting the hives. Do you do that? In case any moisture collects and builds on the bottom side of the cover, it’ll flow to the edge and drip rather than drip on the cluster in the middle.

[@vinofarm]

Roger Jodoin Yes, 3/4" shims under the back end. I'm trying 1" foam insulation boards UNDER my hives this year to prevent the wind flow under the hive stands from pulling heat out of the hives. I put 3/4" blocks under the rear of the insulation boards so the whole platform is tipped. The hives sit flat on the foam boards.

[@Helveteshit]

@Vino Farm , In regards to break cluster thing, you mentioned as an example. Wouldn't cutting a hole in a frame help? So they do not need to go down or orient around a side? Basically, make a round hole through all frames before winter. So they can more easily transfer themselves to the other side without breaking cluster? I mean, if you imagine a frame like a wall and the cluster as a bunch of naked humans hugging eachother to keep warmth. To move around along the wall is easy. But they will have to shrink their mass to get around. But if you make a wall in the hole. One can push through and form a wall on the other side yet still have the mass of warmth from the other side. Slowly allowing the humans to feed through and hug on the other side and scavenge for food on that side of the wall.

[@vinofarm]

Helveteshit That makes sense to humans, but bees will fill the hole. They don’t like spaces like that. They just build comb and fill in gaps everywhere.

[@CharlesGinzel]

i like that you are not just learning to manage bees, but also all of the people who comment on your videos! :D

[@vinofarm]

Charles Ginzel I LOVE the comments. All of them.

[@svenschoeppner]

In Germany we say: Not the cold cause of winter losses, but the cluster size.

[@sergiopajci4037]

Hahahaah well said

[@aakesson1]

Love your videos. It's fun to see how other bee keepers handle the winter. My bees have NO chance without insulation since I live in a sub-arctic climate. I don't do anything to battle moisture more than using net bottoms year round. The result is often 3-4 moldy frames in the lower box so I always put frames I want to scrap on the edges in that box. When it comes to Varroa I'm one of the lucky few who don't need worry about that. We don't have them... ...yet...

[@timmo7913]

Hey Jim, N. Idaho here. Well we're both right on track weather wise, and winterizing. I treated w/OA vape Oct. 1 but still had a handfull of hatches after that. I finished all 6 hives this past weekend. Still the old fashioned tar paper way, but really like your black coroboard idea. (I'll see how it does for you first 😁). However, I have been picking up old election candidate signs (made out of the same stuff) and using them for my awnings. It's cold and rainy here now too. Bee season sure is short for us. Best of luck with your girls this winter. I believe you continue to be on track with them and they'll winter fine. Thanks for your videos. Newbees and old keeps both benefit from them. Keep up the good work, and come on spring. Happy Holidays my friend. T.O.

[@timothyodonnell8591]

Do you tilt the hives forward to help any condensation flow out the front? If so, what do you use to create the tilt and how much tilt is there?

[@vinofarm]

Yes, 3/4" shims under the back end. I'm trying 1" foam insulation boards UNDER my hives this year to prevent the wind flow under the hive stands from pulling heat out of the hives. I put 3/4" blocks under the rear of the insulation boards so the whole platform is tipped. The hives sit flat on the foam boards.

[@alschneider2820]

Am very new to beekeeping but absolutely love your videos thanks so much for doing those and keep them coming please, looking forward to adding hive number two next year.😃

[@j.davidweidner9119]

All nice , but getting those mites under better control would probably be much better for all your colonies = IMO

[@vinofarm]

Did you miss the part where I treated for mites?

[@j.davidweidner9119]

Vino Farm - No - saw that - and saw you treated - excellent - they are the scurge of the earth. Not being critical I promise - I just believe they are the Number 1 cause of winter death, but many people (not saying you) tend to blame moisture and cold before they look at their varroa problem - Keep up the great work - I look forward to your videos - you do an excellent job

[@drrota]

You can use OAV, as long as its above 37F - the nice thing is you can do it AFTER you wrap - you just need a front entrance - or if you have screen bottoms - under the hives will work too. Keep up the good work!

[@dbcrn859]

People love to repeat what they've read/heard, no matter how false it is. "Cold doesn't kill bees". Of course it does. Cold can kill almost anything. I lost my first two colonies one winter when we had a stretch of almost two weeks where it didn't get over 10F. They all starved a few inches from frames full of honey. Will definitely build some kind of insulated cover for the new colonies. Thank you for the ideas.

[@vinofarm]

Thanks for the support!

[@baddestbees3347]

I love the chloroplast idea, very slick.

[@dianaroemig6202]

I am getting my bees (2 nucs) in 2 weeks. I've been reading everything i can re beekeeping. Then I found KZbin...sorry I'm not young, lol. Anyway, I was researching different hives, as I'm in central PA I was worried about cold, wind, wet. I am so glad I decided on the Apimaye hive. It's a plastic covered foam insulation hive, most of the extras are incorporated into this hive. More expensive at first, but when you consider all the extras I see you building/buying not so bad after all. And the WORK! I can skip all that. I love your channel and look forward to following your progress. Great production, btw. I'm learning so much here, thank you.

[@johnw8419]

Have you ever looked into the BEE Cozy wrap? $21 dollars for a double. They are easy to use, insulate and last a long time. Very good if you only have a few hives. Good call on the Apivar- dont forget to take it out. Thank you for the video. s

[@vinofarm]

I have seen the bee cozy, but it did not appeal to me. Theoretically they are reuseable, but I imagine they get pretty gross after a year or two. My foam shells look like new after two years!

[@jdm0128]

Amazing Video!!! Thanks

[@josephchianelli3623]

Dang man way to late to be treating, you should have treated around the first of August and then do a wash in October and retreat if needed.

[@vinofarm]

Joseph Chianelli You Just described what I did. Mite counts were almost zero in August. Tested and put in strips first week of October because the levels went up. Apivar is perfectly fine to use in October.

[@janist553]

@@vinofarm Bees must be mite clean befor they breed winter Bees. Damaged bees have damaged fat + virusies.

[@peteGbee]

@@janist553 never knew bees must be anything, did they tell you that they need to be treated at certain time or is that just what you do? Everyone does it different and guess what some people dont treat at all and have thriving bees survive year after year based on superior survivor genetics that can handle mite loads. If it works for him then what does it matter when he treats?

[@janist553]

@@peteGbee How many bee colonies do you have? And how yrs as beekeeper.? There are full world of 3 bee col. "experts". And africanizet bees as varroa tolerant. In Nordic Europe with Winter, you will get emty survivor hives in spring. We don't have survivor bees, that feed mites, produce honey and survive.

[@davidrusso3183]

Hey Jim! Love watching you take care of your bees. Just something I noticed. The Vivaldi boards with the inner covers underneath are essentially quilt boxes. Last winter I put it in an inner cover underneath my quilt box, and the moisture was not able to fully escape through that small hole that is built into the inner cover. The quilt box needs to literally just sit on top of the uppermost frames. That way, the entire bottom of the quilt Box is open and available for hot air to come through.

[@vinofarm]

Whatever works for you... Heat will find it's way to the highest spot no matter how small the hole. The warm air carries moisture. When it hits the cooler burlap, the moisture should condense into the burlap. That's what I've experienced. I personally don't like the idea of an entire ceiling of damp wood chips over the bees. Again... your experience may be different, but I have never witnessed any moisture problems or even 'wet' burlap in any of my hives.

[@bradgoliphant]

Very helpful video. thx

[@Miniredfoxette]

It's so cool with that lip of the cover it's like a little shelter at the bees entrance

[@vinofarm]

That's the idea!

[@hadrast]

I've seen advice from a lot of different people that top and bottom entrances should be mutually exclusive during winter months in colder climes to limit air column flow and heat loss. Thoughts?

[@vinofarm]

I heard the opposite. The bees create the flow they want. They'll actually plug the top hole as needed if there's too much ventilation.

[@corymad1]

great video!!

[@MuskratOutdoors]

We do the same with the vent boxes, but I used a burlap sack stuffed with straw. Idaho winters can be rough. In fact it's snowing right now. November sixth.

[@user-uy2kg2xk4x]

great idea

[@pmac5621]

Did you do OA treatments for the mites? If so, what method?

[@vinofarm]

PJ Mac Apivar strips.

[@pmac5621]

@@vinofarm I'm wondering if anybody is going to make a cheaper version of the Provap 110. Lucky enough I had a nice beekeeper use it on my hives and it works great but the $500 price tag is a bit out of my reach.

[@PrestonCovell]

Very interesting concept. Living in Texas we don’t have to worry about the cold like this although last year we got the coldest winter ever in years with snow on the grown in Houston for a week. Lost half my hives because they couldn’t get to food. Opened up dead frozen hives with food stores on the side they couldn’t get to. Very unheard of here. I do like the thought of creating some nice extended roofs to make sure the entrance is not blocked with chloroplast.

[@timtrotman6779]

Do the mites become resistant if you use the apivar strips too many times?

[@vinofarm]

I think it would need to be a LOT of overuse over many generations of mites. I treat about once per year. I've used the strips now two years in a row. Next year I'll switch it up.

[@lialos]

But the short answer is “yes”

[@bethsiegfried271]

Hi, just wanted to say thanks for the videos, they've been extremely helpful to me. I'm the middle of my first winter here in southeast Colorado. So far so good. My 1\2 care property boarders a 31 acre property that is part vineyard, part white, red, & yellow clover. Also alfalfa all day long. Hay production is big here. Have you thought about planting alfalfa?

[@hobbycollector655]

Good video. I like the look of those screens you made for the vivaldi boards. How did you make those?

[@vinofarm]

Coroplast with a square cut out... then I Gorilla taped a piece of screen on the back. Nothing fancy. They've lasted a year now. The bees on two of my hives chewed through the screen. On several other hives, they propolized the screen completely closed. About 40% just left them alone.

[@isedhooah3683]

I've seen these (corrugated plastic sleeves) before but gave up hope when I saw on Devan Rawn's page and UoG that they were only made in Canada. Then you go an do something as crazy as just making your own! Why didn't I think of that!?! HAHA! Did you use 4X8 sheets of this? Did you find out any tricks when cutting/folding these? I believe I need a video of you making these.... haha! Please and thank you!

[@vinofarm]

I'll probably make a video at some point. Yes, 4x8 sheets. One 4x8 can make 1 double deep and one single deep. If you plan your cuts, there is very little waste. The trick to folding is to SCORE it first with a straight edge and a dull pizza cutter. Don't cut through. KZbin search "Folding coroplast".

[@TheOriginalCheezWiz]

I also saw these last year in Devin"s video, but have no idea on where to get the raw materials. I want to make my own as well and skip the tar paper.

[@vinofarm]

TheOriginalCheezWiz Devan lives right in Ontario and can just buy them from the guy that makes them. I located the materials at a sign supply shop in Rhode Island. Making them is simple. Finding the materials is way harder.

[@adamfredrickson7908]

Paint one side of your hives black, point it north in the summer and south in the winter.

[@gapey]

Looks like neat stuff. So where did you find that coroplast? Do you tilt your hives forward in the winter? Didn't look like they were.

[@vinofarm]

I just pinned a comment about the coroplast... The hives are sitting flat on insulation, but the insulation IS tilted. I've never put anything under my hives before, but I'm trying it this year. It's an attempt to keep the wind from sucking heat out of the hive as it blows under the hive stands. There are 3/4" blocks under the back side of the insulation boards.

[@mikeadams9550]

Bravo ! !

[@joshuanemet5621]

I am just starting out and live in CT. I have been watching a lot of your channel and really enjoy it. Our weather is pretty much the same and these sleeves are awesome. Do you have plans for them?

[@vinofarm]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/q2LUZX5tbs-Nh6c

[@npbwolf]

did you plant to flowers this or last year? and how was the draft this year ?

[@normjacques6853]

I use white coroplast for bottom boards, under #8 screen/hardware cloth, to both close off the bottom in Winter and so that mites are easy to spot after treatments. Seems like a genius idea! I would suggest, though, that you keep an eye on them for awhile...to see if you're getting frost accumulation near the openings. Coroplast has NO ability to 'breathe' while tar paper will, albeit to a limited extent. At first glance, though, it looks like one of those "Why the #$%^ didn't I think of that??" solutions! The covers you fabricated look almost machine made!! Nice job, Jim!! :-)

[@iselldfw]

We might need to do this here in N Texas if we have the extreme freezing temps like last year!

[@beeasinbob]

You could use a window screen spline roller to save a pizza cutter and any future squished pizza slices.

[@bryanvyse3333]

Im in ontario and use the black coroplast, nice shout out to Wellington

[@edwardcoffin6128]

Michael Palmer has a video talking about all the old books he buys about beekeeping from all the old timers. And as he reads the books he discovers they did things years ago that he figured out himself thinking that he discovered in when in fact they have been doing it the same way years an years ago. I believe people who keep bees just rack their brains an figure out what best works., with all that said, I just built my vent shims the same way you did and I used burlap... How interesting!!!

[@vinofarm]

Edward Coffin There’s always simultaneous independent invention and discovery. I try to give credit when I do something I saw someone else do first. These hive wraps are old news to Ontarians. I’m just surprised no one outside of Ontario has figured out how to do this and made a video about it. It’s just too valuable not to share!

[@Maximusrex4575]

The corrugated plastic is brilliant! I worked with the stuff for years used as totes for heavy files and its pretty dang near impossible to damage it. Those are going to last you a very long time.

[@vinofarm]

It's definitely a very useful material. I have SOOOO many other ideas of how to use it around the farm. Stay tuned.

[@anthonyappleyard5688]

Wild bees likely often nested in hollow trees, & a hollow in a tree trunk is narrowish and tall and the bees overwinter can keep on going up.

[@WriterDreamOfSweden]

Have you thought about using preinsulated beehives? They have thicker walls than yours and have foam insulation in the walls, so you just have to wrap the outside with your coroplast. Everyone uses these in Sweden since our winters are famously terrible.

[@bc58]

Very nice. I lived in bc Canada for a while and had bees. I did the tarpaper and I know what you mean about waste. How is the wind where you are ? I had to start ratchet strapping my hives down. Even with a block on top wasn't enough. The wind took it off and lost my hive. It was a good honey producer too.

[@OneOfDisease]

With all the sugar and sugar water you give your bees would your honey pass some of those tests that verify if honey is pure?

[@vinofarm]

I don't harvest honey from hives that are fed sugar. Everything I've fed them since the harvest will be consumed over the winter. In the spring, the strongest hives will get supers and will NOT be fed. Whatever ends up in the super is definitely foraged. It's pretty easy to keep that separate when you're seeing the hives regularly. The "flows" that happen are obvious and that nectar fills up obvious frames in the hive.

[@OneOfDisease]

@@vinofarm fair enough, thanks for the answer.

[@mikeknop6067]

I Where did you find that black stuff that you put around the outside of the boxes for winter

[@luckydubeinrc5165]

very neat, professional look Vino , i have african bees :) cause i live in South Africa , i do not have that cold winter, barely reaches 0 degrees in winter, flowers all year round, to put a spin on things my ladies do not need a queen and can survive without one, they are the Capensis species, (western cape bees) i don't think they are hardy against cold. We had big forest fires here, destroying our bee population a few years back. i started in beekeeping trying to make a difference and make em survive. In my second year of beekeeping and learning every day. 1 St thing i learned, they are not killer bees, very gentle, even while working them, i am still cautious though... To top things i did not know bees swarm in winter ! well they do i caught to swarm in 3 days, about 4 days ago... that's new from what i have read on the net.. regards Johan

[@emmanuelsanchez201]

Like your video about winter preparation, i live in Vancouver B.C for next winter i will try your procedure, i had been trying to solve this condensation of my hive, although we don’t get much snow, here only rain rain rain, It’s been 4yrs now i have tried all methods of reducing moisture, it’s killing my hive, almost back to zero again, I can’t expand, i am just wondering you didn’t show in your video if you reduce your bottom entrance during winter time, if you are up to what dimensions the entrance should be? May we know?? Thanks in advance

[@Diypics]

Two thumbs up

[@jp_the_ojp]

Wow you have some many comments lol. I'm not sure how you keep up with all this.... Anyway, if you have time, could you explain the purpose of the coroplast/tar paper wrap? Would the rigid foam insulation not provide the same benefits as the coroplast? I've actually never had it explained to me so just asking. Also I saw a few years ago you used the formic acid mite away strips. Would you still recommend those? Thanks again.

[@vinofarm]

This is the first layer. It's for late fall/late winter wind protection. There will be a foam layer going on in a couple weeks for actual insulation. MAQS was very effective for killing mites, but the time and temperature where they are OK to use is very specific and difficult to time with honey harvests. If all the stars align and the weather is right, they are effective.

[@jp_the_ojp]

@@vinofarm Thanks! I used formic pro this year based off of your previous video with the MAQS. I think maybe it's a newer product, anyway it says you can leave it on with honey supers. But it did say day time temps from 50 to 90.... . It worked really well for me this year, no problems so far. Kind of pricey though.

[@keithdiaz8166]

What is the reason for not feeding inside the Vivaldi Board? Did you have a bad experience in past winters? BTW- I have been using Reflectix for winter wrap. I had some left over from a project and decided to use it. It is not expensive. It’s not bulky. It is reusable, easy to fold up and store, and has an R value of 8. I also cut it up into rectangles and make a R16 pillow which I place under the bottom boards and in top cover. Reflectix is easy to fit around the hives. I wrap, staple tight along one seam. I then pull off and turn it inside out so the seam looks good. Hives look like spaceships but the bees seem to stay warm and dry.

[@vinofarm]

I figure why not give them the food right where they are? Rather than making them climb up into a damp, chilly attic. No offense, but every time I see hives wrapped with that reflective wrap, I think about the wasted solar gain that is shining off the hives. I want everything BLACK to absorb as much heat as possible. Inside the hive makes sense, though. I just imagine you're reflecting heat AWAY from the hive when that's on the outside.

[@keithdiaz8166]

Vino Farm - You are likely correct with regard to lost solar gain opportunity. Ideally, it would be good to slow loss of heat generated by bees and gain heat from sun. I’m tempted to buy a few broodminder data loggers to monitor hive temp and humidity. I had a roll of R8 Reflectix sitting in the corner of my basement and used it last winter. One big advantage to Reflectix over plastic and roof wrap is that it is a vapor retarder. Bee genetics and hive health likely play a bigger role in survival than both Reflectix or solar gain. For example, Michael Palmer doesn’t even use an entrance reducer. The entrance is wide open protected by hardware cloth. His bees are hardy. This summer I was fortunate to pick up a few queens bred from his Northern stock. Good luck with the bees!

[@vinofarm]

Yes, Palmer is amazing. He does have decades of breeding to get to where he is. So far I have one colony that's made it through 2 winters. That colony produced 4 new colonies this year. It will be interesting to see if they all survive. Then keep propagating them. Genes definitely have a lot to do with it, but I still want to increase everyone's odds as much as possible.

[@danh1202]

Just wondering what should I use foam board or coroplast it is very cold here near Ottawa Canada ...similar to your winters I guess . Allot of people here seem to like bubble wrap

[@hyfy-tr2jy]

another great video but a few questions 1) seeing as we aren't into full on winter yet do you worry that loose sugar now will just feed hive beetles? 2) Your varoa test, as you state, had 11 mites in your check. If you are doing it per instructions wouldn't 11 suggest you have a pretty significant infestation? 3) on your hive wraps being that plastic is water tight, do you worry at all about condensation forming on the inside of the plastic wraps thereby holding moisture against the hives?

[@vinofarm]

hyfy1970 We don’t have hive beetles. Nights are in the low 30s F, so I’m not worried about insect problems. I got 11 mites from a sample of about 300 bees which is not super high. I got the treatments in and there’s nothing else I can do at this point. I’ll be monitoring moisture on the inside of the plastic. It’s open at the top and not clinging tight, so there is some air flow between the box and the plastic. There is going to be a little warm up this weekend so I’ll peek in to see how they’re doing after about 10 days and a ton of rain. It might be a good idea to just cut some notches in the bases of the wraps to allow water to escape if needed.

[@hyfy-tr2jy]

@@vinofarm thanks for the thoughtful response!

[@Tarbuckle1970]

Is there any specific reason you stopped feeding them up in the vivaldi board? I was just preparing to build a couple for that specific reason. Thanks for the great videos.

[@vinofarm]

Tom Arbuckle I like the idea of giving them food right where they are rather than making them climb up to a cool, damp attic. Basically, making it easier for them.

[@Tarbuckle1970]

@@vinofarm That makes perfect sense. I think I'll try may hand at some sugar cakes for winter, placing them directly on to of the frames. I've tried the fondant process, but botched it both times. Thanks for your thoughts

[@matthewsweeney2577]

What at this time of year in your area might still provide pollen. I enjoy your videos, thanks

[@vinofarm]

Matthew Sweeney Nothing! The intro part of the video was shot 3 weeks ago when they were still finding goldenrod and late sunflowers around.

[@anneniles3156]

How are your bees doing this winter? Cant wait to see more videos from you!

[@Seraphiram]

Add mouse guard or entrance reducers for all your hives if you haven't. I'm a little worried you will get mouse under the plastic flap shading the entrance and they will try to chew into your hive. Maybe you want to put a filter on the top entrance to prevent other bugs from getting in and feasting on the sugar.

[@vinofarm]

Watch the video... there is a mouse guard installed right under the flap. They are on year round for us.

[@roland7511]

Do you use an entrance reducer while using a mouse excluder? Or is it just the mouse excluder during the winter?

[@vinofarm]

Just those mouse guards all winter.

[@themulletexpress]

Did you cut the plastic at the back of the Vivaldi board or just cut the front out. I wasn't sure if we needed to cut out the front and back?

[@vinofarm]

You certainly could, but I'm going to be wrapping the backs with insulation so I didn't bother.

[@themulletexpress]

@@vinofarm thank you! This is my first winter and I'm in New Jersey so I know my weather is similar to you.

[@fschinagl]

Our bees like to plug up the bottom hole in the Vivaldi board with wax and essentially completely stop the escape of moist air from the hive. Have you noticed a similar effect with any of your hives? We are using a flat plastic screen taped flush against the hole instead of your metal mesh on shallow frame. By comparison, the insert from the original design provides an incentive for the bees to keep the bottom hole open - at least so long there is food. Did you stop using the original version for any particular reason? Thanks

[@vinofarm]

They did not plug the holes over the winter. However I left them on all summer for summer ventilation (with the burlap removed) and about half the hives plugged the holes over the summer. I made new screens for this winter and they all have clear holes now venting into the burlap. I'll see if they start plugging them again. I think with the burlap right up against the screens, there isn't as much air movement and they don't feel the need to plug the holes. The moisture can still get up into the Vivaldi space, that way.

[@nerome619]

any point in passively heating the hives?

[@SS-eq4wj]

Could you use a shallow Super on the inner cover? 5 5/8” tall? Or is that too much room? I could add more burlap to take up the space. Rather than building a box?

[@vinofarm]

Sounds fine to me. The other thing to do if you have a table saw is to take a deep and slice it horizontally into three equal sections. A deep would give you three 3" vivaldi shims.

[@SS-eq4wj]

Vino Farm oh! Yes. Even better. Thanks. Love watching your videos. Thanks for sharing.

[@ZachSeely]

Just noticed at the end there was a bee that fell off the platform. Do you think the black flap at the bottom is not providing enough space for them to fly away? Not sure if that's a huge concern for winter, just sharing an observation.

[@vinofarm]

I'm going to put a block of wood under the middle of each flap to make sure the center does not sag under snow. They also have a permanent upper entrance.

[@mariasanchez0101]

Have you been able to determine the R value of just using the sleeve? Did you still add the foam boards Around the hive?

[@vinofarm]

The sleeves are not for insulation. They are a wind break and add to the heat on sunny days. Watch part 2 for insulation.

[@mariasanchez0101]

@@vinofarm thank you so much!

[@SulejmanSulejmanieurocafe]

Is it the green coffee bag material used at the top? If it isn't then can I use the coffee bags for it?

[@vinofarm]

We call it burlap. Yes, they transport coffee beans in burlap.

[@kennapop3]

I only finished this season with one hive ( of two ) Lost one the on the first night. the queen died and whie a pound or so moved in two the other hive I just went with one. Four Med boxes 80% full of bees brood and food. No honey for me. I used Hop Guard II four times (early may., Mid June early Sept and the second week of Oct.) for mite control only looked a few time and no mites. I like the design of your Vivaldi boxes. No Fondant this Year? or did you just use syrup? I Am using 10 frames and plan on using deep full bottom brood boxes next year. Med frames require too much manipulation.

[@vinofarm]

Still need to add the outer insulation and will probably drop in fondant in December if we get a warm enough day to open the hives. (There's always one odd warm day in there.)

[@kennapop3]

@@vinofarm I fed some sugar patties after the syrup soon after switching to the Vivaldi boxes and I found bees on both sides of the screen in the boxes. I think screens like yours may be better. I use hive a top 2 gallon feeder and had more than a few bees in the syrup. So frame feeders may be better. Mann Lake has the coroplast covers, I am using tar paper and a bee cozy this year I plan on cutting a piece of blue one inch insulation to put on top of the wick. Will you still be using your foam jackets?

[@johnmoore5293]

I have 2 kinds of arborvitae green giant and another. Green giant grows with one solid trunk and grows faster than the rest.

[@vinofarm]

These are 'Nigra' and respond well to topping and pruning. The giants would be way too huge for this purpose.

[@alamenahlesetif]

hello

[@garyg2]

it seems weird to use vivaldi boards to control humidity like that, because you're adding a chamber on the top where the warmest air in the hive will rise to and then ventilate right out, and even if that stays warm, the bees can't access that warm area. you're basically providing an easy escape route for the warm air, and prioritizing humidity over temp. i know many people have success with those, but maybe just insulate the top to hold in that warmth, and look into other ways to deal with humidity

[@vinofarm]

It's not letting warm air out. The air doesn't just flow through the vivaldi board. The moisture goes up there, but the burlap is pretty well packed in so there's not a lot of "flow" up and out. However they do what they do... 11 out of 12 hives survived last winter and I will be doing the exact same treatment this year.

[@patrickedgington5827]

Just one question why put vents holes on both sides of your attic if the corplast covers the back ones?

[@vinofarm]

One vent has proven to work fine to keep the burlap dry. I thought front and back holes would create too much chilly cross ventilation. In the end, I just did it the first year and never changed it because it worked.

[@AshGreen359]

Ever try Saskatraz bees, they are supposed to me more varroa resistant

[@toddharris8764]

Thanks for the videos. I find them very good. Appreciate it.

[@drrota]

Nice! - that's my plan for next year - thanks for all the great ideas!

[@clockonawall]

Now that it has been a few years how has the coroplast worked? Do you still like it?

[@vinofarm]

Coroplast works great as a wind break/ rain shell, but it has zero insulating value. I don’t use these sleeves anymore, but they may have value in certain climates. Watch some of my more recent videos from the past two season to see what I’ve been up to.

[@philippedelabays9218]

Another great video! Thank you for all the valuable info. It will be my first winter here in Newfoundland, Canada I have 2 hives and hopefully I will have 2 hives in the spring. Thanks again for sharing your experiences and for your good tips.

[@Marcs-Adventures]

Great video! Very interesting stuff for sure.

[@Anonymous-mb9kc]

I watch a variety of channels on bee keeping to research different solutions to similar issues. You are the first I have seen using the Coroplast as a solution here in New England and it's brilliant. Keep up the great work Jim!

[@vinofarm]

Not my idea!!! I just share what I learn. Thanks for watching.

[@Dloweification]

The plastic look good, but keep in mind that if there are any holes or cuts in the plastic then it's not going to act as a very good insulator. The best (practical) insulators use trapped air to slow the transfer of heat from one interface to another. In a home, this is called closed cell foam, where the foam pulls in air into very small individual pockets and the pockets aren't big enough where the air can really move around and cause a convection current. Though the most common one in homes is insulation fiber which does the same thing, just not as well. The best of the best in terms of insulation is a vacuum. That's why the best thermoses will be vacuum thermoses where there is no air at all to transfer the heat. It can only radiate which is very slow.

[@vinofarm]

This is part 1: Wind / snow/ rain protection. An entire insulation layer will go over this in a couple weeks. Stay tuned for part 2.

[@Dwamak]

gooooo beeeeees

[@p.markmcgonigle4568]

How much burlap do you use? Is there such thing as too much burlap?

[@vinofarm]

I just stuff it so it fills the space while remaining a bit "fluffy" with some air flow. We have long, cold, windy winters. I want the cavity filled to stop breezes, but not so full that the burlap can't "breathe" a bit.

[@ajgardner8525]

I would like to purchase some of the good queens on the east coast. I live in Redmond Washington 600’ elevation It gets cold for this area. Would love some new queens for this area

[@LanzerSystems]

As someone with hives in MN, I appreciate this. Thanks!

[@Sqeptick]

Looks good, and the internet has been pretty kind so far in the comments!

[@bluzervic]

Love it, nice video and great for instructional too. I use Coro for some of my Christmas decorations and it is available year round and cheap. See you on the next one.

[@DuneGames]

Nice idea. At 12:45 the hive just before the camera is "smoking." Steam?

[@vinofarm]

Dune Games That’s just the smoker sitting on the ground. You can see it at 12:58.

[@DuneGames]

@@vinofarm I was curious if it might be the smoker, but from the angle it seemed the smoke was coming from the hive. Good to know. Mystery solved - Merry Christmas.

[@jesseruss9987]

What about using sound board(cealing tile) for moisture management?

[@vinofarm]

I've never tried it. Burlap is cheap, reusable and made from plants. I just like it. It's always worked for me.

[@jesseruss9987]

@@vinofarm Thanks for replying, I appreciate your feedback. I watched your intro video and a few others. Absolutely stunning, bravo. Im excited to see future videos. God bless.

[@catherinefoltz2824]

Is there a reason you couldn't put a mini hoop house around the bees in winter? Seems like wind and rain are the biggest issues.

[@vinofarm]

It was a thing I considered. But I don't want it on in the summer, so it would be more of a hassle than I want to deal with putting it up and removing the plastic every year. These coroplast wraps go on in seconds and store flat when not in use. They should last for many years. It's a far more flexible and simple solution.

[@4Hourclean]

Where is the guys name in ontario for the winter cover

[@lisanowakow3688]

Did your bulbs come up?

[@vinofarm]

The allium, tulips and daffodils did. Fewer than 5 crocus out of 1000 and maybe 3 grape hyacinth out of 1000. I'm hoping they just had a bad first year and more emerge next spring. Definitely not the field of flowers I had hoped for.