Farm Animals Archives - The Old Walsh Farm

There must be a better way! That is my husband’s motto.

Sounds great, right? But this kind of thinking usually ends with our projects taking five million times longer to complete and me pulling my hair out exasperatedly and wondering…why the heck can’t we just do things the way everyone else does?

But today I’m eating my words. Because this cheap, DIY beehive insulation is genius – leaves. Last year, we used free maple leaves to keep our bees toasty warm throughout the winter and they SURVIVED.

This will be the second winter we will be trialing leaves as our beehive insulation and we will update this page as we continue our test.

Why do honeybees need protection from the cold?

Not all do. It depends on where you live. Honeybees originate from Africa. Although they spread north over time to some of the colder regions of Europe and Asia, they have not genetically adapted to the long, cold Canadian -40 degree C winters. So, as their caretakers, it is our solemn duty to protect them and I take this seriously.

Except for last year. I failed two of my newly split hives that I kept at my parent’s house. I still feel guilty and ashamed. Although I protected the outsides like all the rest of my hives, I forgot to place the insulation in the top cover. I couldn’t understand why two brand new hives with plenty of winter stores would perish in the cold. Until I looked inside the cover. Stupid! Yup, still kicking myself in the butt.

Do leaves really insulate?

What does Mother Nature use to insulate? Leaves. A thick blanket of leaves protects plants from the winter cold. But what you may not have realized is that they can also be used to protect your bees from the frigid winter temperatures. Last year, we experimented with using leaves around four of our beehives with excellent results.

The R-Value of fresh leaves (I couldn’t find one for dried) is about 0.54 (per inch) using the calculations from this study. To increase the thermal resistance, we made a thick, 1.5-foot wall of leaves, which results in an R-Value of about 9.65.

But leaves have an even greater superpower. They have a high heat capacity or thermal mass (similar to that of water), according to this study from the Journal of Biotechnology. This means they are able to buffer the bees from extreme temperature changes. Leaves hold onto heat, whether generated by the sun or from the bees flexing their wing muscles inside the hive to keep warm throughout the winter. The leaves hold onto this heat and slowly release it. Some heat may also be generated from the ground where we observed some decomposition.

Although there are many other methods you can use to successfully insulate your hives, we are really impressed with leaves for two reasons:

1. They are free.
2. They are compostable and sustainable.

How to use leaves as beehive insulation

Step 1

Ensure you don’t have any open cracks and crevices in your hives and that they are properly ventilated. If warm, moist air can’t escape from your hive, it will condense on the bottom side of the inner cover and drip cold water onto your bees. We use both an upper entrance and a quilt box on all our hives. You can read more about that here.

It’s also beneficial to have some sort of windbreak – this could be a fence, bushes or plastic sheet.

Step 2

Surround your hives with several wooden stakes. Hammer them into the ground about 1.5 feet from the hives.

Step 3

Staple Tyvek building wrap to the stakes.

Step 4

Fill the area between the hives and the Tyvek wrap with dry leaves (you do not want to use wet leaves that will mat together). Although we used whole leaves, shredded leaves may work even better to create fluffier, air-filled layers.

WARNING: The leaves will settle over time so make sure to add about a foot extra and then check on the hives every so often to ensure they remain covered.

Step 5

Ensure the bees can get in and out of the hive by extending the bee’s entrance.

Step 6

Cover the top of the hives with a plastic sheet to ensure the leaves don’t get wet. We used a clear, plastic sheet, but would like to try a black plastic to help absorb more of the sun’s heat.

Don’t forget about spring feedings

If you have to emergency feed in early spring, you have to be able to take your insulation apart. Be prepared for this by ensuring you can easily remove the plastic sheet on top of the hives and remove your hive rooves.

So, what do you think of this idea? Will you try using leaves as beehive insulation? Let me know in the comments.

PIN IT FOR LATER

A thick layer of leaves not only protects plants from the winter cold but bees too. Here's how to use free leaves as your beehive insulation.

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Benefits of beekeeping

Do you like to eat?

Yes? I knew it. You were meant to be a beekeeper. Loving food is a sure sign that you should keep bees.

What? You don’t agree? Well, without bees to pollinate our crops, a third of our food would disappear.

And let’s be honest. Who wants to eat nachos without salsa or toast without jam? That would be tragic, right? And that’s why we desperately need bees and people who love food to be beekeepers.

Still not convinced? Here are my top 10 benefits of beekeeping and why you should keep bees or have a beekeeper like myself install a hive in your backyard.

Top 10 Benefits of Beekeeping

Happiness

Do you like to be happy? Aha! I’ve found another reason you’d be a great beekeeper. We’ve all heard that “more stuff” doesn’t bring happiness (at least after you’ve met your basic needs). So, what will really make you smile? Experiences. Interesting experiences will boost your happiness and bring more meaning to your life. That’s right. Bees will do all this for you. Because I can’t think of a more amazing and mind-expanding experience than opening a hive of bees and watching thousands of these important pollinators at work. I can guarantee it will be an experience unlike any you’ve had before.

Stress Relief

Feeling a little stressed out? It seems that every time I turn around someone is touting the benefits of mediation from reducing stress to improving sleep and increasing happiness. So, of course, I tried it. And guess what? It doesn’t work for me. But that’s ok. I can do something just as good for my health – open a hive. If that doesn’t force you to live in the moment, I don’t know what will. So, you want to be more mindful? You want to focus? You want to achieve mental clarity and stay calm? Open a hive containing 60,000 bees. Trust me. You won’t be able to focus on anything except your every movement, the busy hum of the bees and the intoxicating smell of honey and beeswax.

In my opinion, there is no better way to be in the here and now, fully engaged in the activity at hand. And it all ends with honey. Now that is my kind of meditation. We homesteaders don’t have time to waste. We like our meditation to be productive. So, take a deep breath, centre yourself and get a hive of bees.

Fun

Can you think of anything more fun and exciting than dressing up like an alien and watching bees dance? Ok, maybe you can. But beekeeping is a lot of fun. Really! Once you get over the fear of being stung, you will realize that bees are actually very gentle, curious and fascinating creatures. In fact, the more I study them, the more I am amazed. In case you are curious, yes, bees can dance. This is one of the ways they communicate to other bees where and how far a source of nectar is located.

Honey…and lots of friends

You thought this was going to be first on my list of the benefits of beekeeping, didn’t you? But here’s a little secret of mine. I actually don’t like honey. That’s right. I have seven hives with plans to expand even more this spring and I’m not crazy about honey. But I do like to bake with it. Honey is the special ingredient that makes the most delicious and moist breads, cakes, muffins, pies and jam.

But it turns out that most people do love this liquid gold and are eager to get their hands on a jar of local, raw honey. In fact, you will be excited to discover that honey from your own hives actually tastes different and much more delicious in my humble opinion than what you can buy in the store. Just like the veggies that come from your own garden. So, don’t be surprised when your extended family, friends and neighbours suddenly take new interest in you.

Bonus: This sweet treat is one of the only foods that never spoils. A pot of honey found in an ancient Egyptian tomb was proved to be as wholesome as fresh honey.

Of course, honey has many other uses than just as a food, which brings us to the next benefit of beekeeping:

Your Health

Having local, raw honey is like having your own secret superpower. Do you have a cough or sore throat? Honey can help treat it. Do you have a cut? Honey can help heal it faster. Do you suffer from seasonal allergy symptoms? Honey can help reduce your symptoms. Honey is a powerful remedy.

That being said, I wouldn’t advise eating jars of it unless you are Winnie the Pooh. Honey is still sugar. But it is healthier and easier to digest than cane sugar. It contains high levels of antioxidants that fight oxidative stress and inflammation as well as trace amounts of vitamins, minerals, electrolytes, enzymes, amino acids and flavonoids. To be honest, I have no idea what a flavonoid is, but apparently honey has it, and it’s good for you. So, go ahead and add a heaping spoonful to your cup of tea.

Caution: Honey is not suitable for children under the age of one.

Honey Wine (Mead)

Did you know you can ferment your own sweet honey-based wine using raw honey? I didn’t. I had never even heard of mead until I went to speak at a Mother Earth News Fair. Jereme Zimmerman gave a talk on using wild yeast to create wild-fermented mead and my mind was blown. Check out his book, Make Mead Like a Viking. Or better yet, visit him at one of the upcoming fairs and try your hand at making mead during one of his workshops.

Beeswax

Forget about commercial products! You can make your own cosmetics, salves, creams, lotions and lip balms with wax from your own bees. Of course, you can also make candles, beeswax wraps, deodorant, soap and so much more. If you are a DIY like me, having your own source of beeswax is a must and a huge benefit of beekeeping.

A Productive Garden

Are you a gardener? Then raise your hand if you like having a productive vegetable garden? A backyard beehive is your answer to a great harvest. Bees pollinate blooms within a five-mile radius of their hive. Without them, your garden may look healthy and lush, but you won’t be harvesting basketfuls of your favourite veggies. And if you happen to have a fruit tree or a berry patch, the more bees that visit your plants, the better the size and amount of fruit they will produce.

Bees are the easiest livestock to keep

So far, my bees have been the easiest livestock to care for on the homestead. I don’t have to feed and water them every day. I don’t have to clean up after them. I don’t have to trim their hooves or keep them contained. And for several months of the year, I don’t have to do anything at all. Most of the work is done in the early spring when you are first getting set up or splitting hives and requeening. During the summer, most of the work is simply ensuring the bees have enough room to expand and that there are no diseases in the hive. Work picks up again in the fall when it is time to harvest honey and close up the hives for the winter.

Bees are a great conversation starter

Beekeeping is the most popular topic on my blog. It is also a fascinating topic for discussion whenever I first meet people. Let’s be honest. Most people think I’m crazy but they are always eager to learn more about bees and the benefits of beekeeping. And, of course, if I have honey for sale.

There are many, many more benefits of beekeeping. But I’m wrapping this post up because I’m now eager to go outside and check on my own busy bees. How about you? Do you want to venture into the heart of a hive? Are you eager to try beekeeping? Let me know in the comments below or feel free to ask me questions. I’m sure you’d make a great beekeeper!

PS. Beekeeping is not dangerous (unless you have an allergy)

If you have an allergy to bee stings, beekeeping can be dangerous. Fatal reactions are rare but it can happen. One of the first things I suggest you do before getting into beekeeping is to ensure you are not allergic

Otherwise, you will discover that honeybees are not aggressive. They are actually very passive creatures. But they will defend themselves if they feel threatened. So far, I have only been stung twice in four years. Stay tuned for another article on “how not to get stung”.

Want to read more about bees and the benefits of beekeeping?
Check out some of my previous posts…

The Bees are Coming…
How to Catch a Swarm of Honeybees…
How to Find the Queen Bee…
Healing Honey Hand Salve (and how to render beeswax)

The best FREE DIY Beehive Insulation

Why do honeybees need protection from the cold?

Do leaves really insulate?