Help your small colonies survive winter with a pair of Heat Reflecting Insulation Boards. New research suggests colony clusters lose (radiate) far more heat than historically believed, much of it lost through the thin walls of a standard Langstroth hive. Small colonies lose it even faster because they cannot generate as much heat to offset the loss. However, a pair of Heat Reflecting Boards can salvage a portion of this radiated heat by reflecting it back toward the cluster.
Smaller colonies typically have at least one unused frame that can be removed to accomodate a pair of Heat Reflecting Boards, which are just under a half frame thickness each. We use the boards as a pair, placed against the hive’s side walls, with the reflective side facing inward.
In summer, these same boards can help cool the hive by being flipped so they reflect the sun’s heat away from the colony.
An excellent addition to these boards is the optional Heat Reflecting Top Liner for winter use. This liner is sized to place under your inner cover, Vivaldi Board, or migratory lid. It reflects radiated heat back to the cluster and also reduces conducted heat loss. It has a tabbed center hole cutout to allow for top-feeding and to allow moisture venting.
