BethsBees · Ontario, CA · Beginners · Jun 4, 2026

Wrapping for winter — when to start and what to wrap with?

First winter for my colony. Currently warm-ish days (12–18°C) but nights hitting –2°C. Locals are starting to wrap. When does wrapping help vs. hurt? Bee Cozy vs. tar paper vs. just an insulated cover?

#winter#wrapping#first-year

▲ 33 votes 💬 4 replies

4 replies

SkaneBees · Jun 4, 2026

Wrap when overnight lows consistently go below 0°C. The insulation reduces the heat the cluster has to produce; you save bees, you save stores. Just leave entrances open enough that they can do cleansing flights on mild days.

ImkerinLena · Jun 4, 2026

Top insulation matters more than side wraps for moisture control. A 5cm foam board above the inner cover with ventilation channel + a Bee Cozy = bulletproof up to –30°C.

HokkaidoHachi · Jun 4, 2026

Hokkaido approach: full polystyrene insulation box (not wrap), entrance reduced to mouseguard size, top vent. Survived –28°C with no losses.

ycankasal · Jul 13, 2026

saa

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