There was a lot of talk on moisture issues in hives during our winter months at the last meeting. In the book “Keeping Bees with a Smile” there is a section about using silica gel in the hive to correct the moisture problem. I used this method last year and both my hives were dry when I opened them in spring. Just a note, I have Layens hives but I would imagine you could do the same thing with Langstroth hives. Just a thought..
“Special frames filled with silica gel work well; they’re made in the form of a box, the same size as an extra-deep frame, and two inches (50 mm) thick. On two sides, the box is covered with a fine screen or some material that water can penetrate, along with laths, spaced out a bit from one another, filled with silica gel. The box is hung inside the hive on shoulders, just like a frame. It holds 13–15 pounds (6–7 kg) of silica gel, capable of absorbing up to 1.5 gallons (5 L) of water. In the summer, this box is replaced with a regular division board and is left to dry in the sun.
The silica gel partition is usually added in place of the regular division board in late fall, before frosts begin. It is even better to add two silica gel partitions on either side of the nest area. But even one is enough to drastically improve wintering. Another option is to add a bag full of water-absorbing material beneath the frames (if there is free space beneath them). But, in my experience, the silica gel partition is even more effective.”
Excerpt From
Keeping Bees with a Smile
Fedor Lazutin, Leo Sharashkin Ph.D. & Mark