overwintering a topbar hive

[jennybrobst]

HI I am a new beekeeper this year and I was wondering if anyone knew how to overwinter a topbar hive here in Northeast Pennsylvania or show me a link that could tell/show me Thanks.

[larabee]

You might check Sam Comfort's information at Anarchy Apiaries or Michael Bush's information.  Sam is geographically closer.  Michael has good general information.

Good luck

[llgoddj]

Hi, I am also new, since May, and live in New York, downstate, Long Island. Not very difficult that I can see. I plan on putting fiberglass insulation on top of my top bars in the roof area, and then on the bottom end I have a hinged bottom bracket so I can clean the entire hive, and it is also screened below.  So I plan on opening up the hinged area and also placing a very thin layer of either fiberglass or a thin packing material that is rolled and air filled.  not bubble wrap but more like a foam insulation kind of like what they use for computer wrapping.

Larry, good luck

[gardeningfireman]

Last fall, I just stapled 1/4" foam sheets on the hive and then wrapped it with roofing felt. It was a mild winter, but they did just fine here in NE OH. I will do it again this fall.