WE DON'T INSULATE OUR HIVES FOR WINTER. Our experience

Most beekeepers shut the hive up as tightly as they can for winter: they are afraid of a draught. Ours stay open all winter — vents under the roof, covered with mesh, and an open mesh floor. That is when the frames stopped getting damp. It came about by accident: one year I forgot to close one row on a platform. In spring I looked — not a day behind in development, and the frames dry, not a drop of condensation on the walls. The whole apiary has wintered that way ever since, and minus twenty or minus thirty changes nothing. The conclusion is simple: cold is not what bees fear — damp is. If a colony is healthy, has feed and proper ventilation, frost does not touch it. And if something better works for you, write to us and let's talk. We'll even promise you a present: it is worth that much. ⏱ Chapters 00:00 — Winter ventilation: vents under the roof and mesh 00:40 — "What is that rim for anyway?" 01:17 — A colony ready for winter, with the top open 01:44 — How it was on Dadants: damp frames, floor, corners 02:02 — An open mesh floor — and it got better 02:25 — The accident that settled it: one row left open 02:37 — The foam insert — it goes in in spring 03:07 — Why warmth is not the point in winter 03:34 — Entrances and top open all winter long 03:58 — Frames dry even in the bottom body 04:11 — A year without closing: no difference in development 04:47 — Minus twenty, minus thirty — and nothing 05:21 — Grandfather's shed and "Nastya, bring the rags" 06:17 — 540 colonies up north: why I stopped being afraid 06:32 — The conclusion: not cold, but damp 07:11 — If yours works better — write to us 07:32 — What to blank the mesh floor with, and why 08:07 — The monitoring board: counting mites 08:28 — Only half our hives have inserts 09:02 — A mesh floor takes out part of the mite Voice-over in this video is AI-generated. The content, footage and expertise are the author's own. #beekeeping #bees #winterbeekeeping #openmeshfloor #hiveventilation #apiary #beekeeper #beehive #overwintering #condensation