These are great idea. I use a thick canvas over the top. It not only helps with winter drafts, but most importantly, it prevents the crack sound of the inner lid when you take it off. The bees don't care for those noisy cracks.

Your organization is always on point. Lets keep saving bees beekeeper from California.

Hello, very well explained, how much I learn on your channel. I work in Brazil with beekeeping, one day if possible I want to have the experience of working with bees in a country like yours to acquire more experience. Our beekeeping is long overdue, still but because we don't have government incentives and because we deal with Africanized bees. Here we do not have much control over the issue of humidity and cold because it is a subtropical country. But over time I'm learning to get better at beekeeping.

I can't apply your whole method since I winter outdoors in doubles in southern Ontario but understanding your system helps me understand what I am doing here and perhaps make changes. Happy New Year thanks for all the honest real life beekeeping videos spanning a full year. Perspective .... yes.

Have watched this in the past and made some of these foamies. I am using top hive feeders it seems to help to keep the Ants out. Also added rims to the to the lids. Very useful. I will keep adding rims to the lids this winter so it can be used all-round. Thanks again for sharing, Awesome!

Hi! Thank you for this other great video. I winter my bees outside just like your neighbour does. I am in southern Alberta, Lethbridge and our winters here are not constant at all. It could be -36 C at night and + few degrees C in early afternoon the same day. It is called chinook with strong wind like today, over 100km/h. So the insulation wrapping helps to keep the wind away from directly hitting the hives and the temperature not to change too rapidly inside the hive. Specially cool down too fast so the bees got time to cluster again. Lots of times I see frost build up around and inside the top entrance tube. I use a 3/4" underground irrigation pipe to extend the top entrance through the insulation. I think, in our northern climates it is necessary to insulate/wrap the hives for e better survival rate. I did a cut out from a fallen hollow tree close by the river in the flood plane in the early spring and was wandering how come they could survive the really cold and strong winter last year 2017-2018. So I did measure the wall thickness of the hollow and it was between 3-4" all around. So this thickness of wood was enough for them to successfully survive in this area. Thank you for your great informative videos. There are some other beekeepers in my area who also follow you. Have an other great year.

Though we don't have near the winter weather as does Manitoba, here in Northern Kentucky we have dropped below -20F in winters past. Those who are not prepared for such extreme cold typically take a big hit in terms of lost hives. This makes your winter related videos extremely helpful. Wintering indoors is a no go because we have several days with highs in the 50'sF and occasionally 60'sF. Be nice if temps stayed consistently below freezing so hives could stabilize. We have to stay on top of winter feed to ensure hives don't starve. I'm using dry pollen feeders and they have been a huge success with bees. My wife and I have also been able to identify feral hives as we observe flight pattern to and from feeders. Thanks for the videos. Happy New Year to you and your family.

great video really explains the differences with having top entrance and not having.

I've started experimenting with the foil bubble wrap on a few hives going into this winter. What I've been seeing is the foil wrap helps prevent overhead condensation which is perfect.

I saw you demonstrate these at The MBA / RRAA field day you generously hosted on your farm last June. I've been using them ever since. A note to anyone that still uses Paradise Honey - Polystyrene brood chambers, these pliable inner covers Ian is demonstrating here solves that irritating bur comb issue with the lids in the summer season. Keeping them on in the winter however will negate the design advantage of the outer cover. Great video as always, Ian.

I’m thinking that the foil facing on your foamies probably acts as a radiant heat barrier as well. Keeps the little buggers warmer. Though that’s not much of an issue with overwintering in a shed, but might help on those cold spring and fall nights.

Nice intro!

Down one hive for whatever reason 47 strong hives with large winter nest truely amazing.. the few Italian strain colonys I have are extremely dry inside no stores left ... gave them sugar added water .. if they don't make it no biggy just not suited for northern climate.. carnie strsins haven't even started on stores ..compleatly such down almost look died so little movement.. plan on using your inter covers on my nucs to hold that heat in

Great video. We have tough winters here in the Adirondacks too and I’m wondering about your bees in the shed. How do they get out and relieve themselves in the middle of the cold season? Thanks Jeff

Many Thanks Ian! Your blog is a Huge benefit for me I'm going to make some of your outer & inner covers to use this coming season. Question ~ outer cover, 1/2" rim: Would there be any benefit making the rim thicker ? .. perhaps 3/4" ~ 1" ? ... or just stay 1/2" ? Thanks Again!

Tnx Ian for the video..you are a Legend..! How can i get so big clusters in winter..? I get max 4-5 frame streets occupied 🤷

Thank you for your videos, I am a new hobbyist beekeeper and I find your videos very informative. Do you keep that bubble isolation in the summer time as well?

I use a screened inner cover due to Africanized hybrids I have. I can open the top and see safely. Got tierd of being attacked. Gives the bees a moment to settle down.

Happy New Year from the USA great videos and info. Question - when rearing queen cells do you select your larvae from a 24 hr tested clean cell hives. To only get the cleanest most efficient queens . I did this in my operation with great results over just a few years.

Ian, are you using the one, the two foil layer sandwiched or the plain bubble wrap for that purpose?

It be pretty intreasting see how your niegbor packing his hives for winter .. I've got mine wrapped with 2" foam on top in doubles pretty standard for Michigan... nucs are packed pushed together in banks of 6 ...leave the south face with only tare paper to collect solar heat so the cluster can move around

Hi. I may have missed it but is that 1/2" foil you use under your top covers? Thanks for all the videos. I live in western Wisconsin and the winters here are unpredictable just like other parts of the country I guess. Two years ago in December I lost all 14 of my hives due to an extreme cold snap that lasted over 2 weeks and the bees did not break cluster and did not move to new honey stores. Lesson learned.

Hi Ian Steppler!!! I have two questions for you if you have time. Thank you very much at that little look at the neighbors bee hives. I have been trying to winter outside here in North Dakota for a while with mixed results. This year I gave my bee hives a wrap of R19 insulation with a black tarp covering. What do you think is R19 to much? And Is a square of four hives clustered together and wrapped the best way to winter outside where you live? I have learned so much from your videos so thank you, thank you and more!

HI Ian! I'm wondering if you ever clean those foamies, or do you simply do away with them in case of contagious disease? Do you have a regular cleaning schedule for them to prevent passing around pests? If yes what methods do you use? Beekeeper from Western France.

That's really cool stuff I wonder how many people are losing bees because of a lack of condensation. It's counterintuitive everyone here is saying "vent vent vent" but maybe a little less venting is what they need

Where did you buy your Reflectex? I can't seem to find it? And do you find it helps with both the heat and the cold? And do you keep in on all winter?

did you use these back when you wintered outside? Im wintering outside and trying to figure out what I should use with a migratory cover. Thanks in advance

your nucs seem really strong when u split them in June , then they overwinter with new queen making the winter bees.Wrong video I know but did I follow that right? I got bee fever can't wait to try some of your techniques

Ian, first year/winter beekeeping here in upstate N.Y.. 40°f today, All 7 hives doing great. I already put sugar cakes on them but I decided to put pollen patties on them today, is it helping putting pollen on during the winter?

Could you do a video on a scenario on if you had to soley depend on the bees(and a day job) could you financially be successful and make enough to start a grain/cattle operation? I dont have a farm or any inheritance. I just dont want to get my hopes up to come and find out that after all expenses, 1000 hives make $10 a piece.

what is your favorite queen bee for north ?

What about ventilation to prevent condensation?

I use the #8 duck canvas for mine. See UoG channel.

Nerds a decent inner cover cus his roofs are crappy