From: "deelusbybeekeeper" <deelusbybeekeeper@excelonline.com>
Date: Sat, 9 Jun 2001 07:19:33 -0700
To: <BiologicalBeekeeping@yahoogroups.com>
Subject: Re: opening size

Hi to all on Biological Beekeeping:

Clay wrote:

> Also 3/4 inch I feel helps cool down hives in summer(in NY,
> opposite for you). My bottom boards are reversable yet I rarely do this.

Reply:

Yes this is probably true, having been raised in NY and gotten my first
taste for beekeeping there!Each region of this country is a little
different.

> Dee do you use top enterances? Drill holes in hive bodies?

Reply:

Yes and no on the top entrances Clay. In the ACTIVE season of summer we
crack our flat top covers back the width of a pencil for ventilation and it
also gives the bees extra flight opening ,but most colonies only use the
area for fanning and cooling of the hive and do not fly in and out.

Then we have to close the top lids by fall or the bees will propolize them
shut for our winter season. As for drilling holes in hive bodies as
beekeepers do up north to vent. No, we do not do that as it serves no
purpose really here. In fact, it does tend to draw woodpeckers to work on
the openings though for those that do, and that tends to wreck supers as the
birds try to eat free bees guarding the holes.

Also drilling holes would let out precious moisture. Here our situation is
different in that we want all the moisture we can get into our colonies,
especially if in La nina dry years and water is short, and we are taking 55
gallon barrels of water to bee yards, for the bees to have something to
drink.We want cold wet winters for our bees for more inside condensation for
water reserves, probably just the opposite of you.

Dee