Ventilation question

[David Stewart]

Checked on the girls today. Nuc installed in a 10 frame box in mid April. Everything appears to be going great in fact I was somewhat suprised to note that they have filled a medium 95% with capped honey and are now working on MY honey. With the warmer weather approaching I decided to increase the air flow a little. Didn't go prepared and ended up using a stick (roughly 3/8 inch) to prop up the inner cover. Second guessing myself now and wondering if I should have placed it under the telescoping cover and left the inner cover tight to the super? Also- fyi, started with a 10 frame deep with a medium on top. When I installed the medium, the queen didn't move up into it for brood. Couldn't switch out frames between the deep and medium to encourage them to move up so kind of stuck there. Looks like ready or not, I'm going to overwinter in a single deep w/medium for stores.

David

[BaldyLocks]

Typically you keep the inner cover tight to the hive body and prop the outer cover with a stick or whatever. The hole in the middle of the inner cover will allow air to flow through and ventilate the hive

[David Stewart]

Ok thanks...second guessing paid off this time. I'll swap it around tomorrow. Don't want to tackle that task at night and they've been stirred up enough for one day.

Thanks again,
David

[Michael Bush]

Either one works. The advantage to propping the cover is you'll get less burr comb, but also less ventilation. smile.gif

[David Stewart]

Thanks for the replies. Michael- re: my pm to you, turns out I was a bit premature and worried over nothing. Plenty of brood space and still a very nice tight brood pattern. The peanut shaped comb that I had decided were queen cells, were simply burr comb with nothing in them. Amazed that what looked "exactly" like supercedure/swarm cells in the book, can be totally wrong. Went completely through the hive today and learned a couple of VERY valuable lessons.
Lesson#1- Open a hive on two consecutive days and you can expect a docile hive to become somewhat "angry" with you.
Lesson#2- My first sting was much easier than I imagined, guess the complete stinger didn't get all the way through the shirt.
Lesson#3- At present, I'm not allergic to honey bees.
Lesson#4- Contrary to the wifes theory, I don't have "killer bees" since only one nailed me although several acted as if they wanted to.
Now I'm just hoping that after I've messed with them so much that I haven't ticked them off so bad they kill the queen. AHB country here and I don't trust those drones down the road.

[LaRae]

Stewaw how far into OK are you? I had heard AHB were on the TX/OK border but not 'deep' in the state yet.

A friend of mine in OK is getting bees next spring so I'd like to warn her if needed!


LaRae

[David Stewart]

I'm in Southeast Oklahoma (Choctaw county). Technically they haven't been identified in my county yet. Confirmed one county over and while it may comfort some to think they aren't here, you're kidding yourself if you believe that. So far AHB have been confirmed in 17 counties in Oklahoma spreading primarily from the SW corner and moving East and North from there. Here's a link to the OK Dept of Ag with the most up to date info.
http://www.oda.state.ok.us/agri-ahbhome.htm

[LaRae]

Thanks Stewaw, my friend is in the Tulsa area so I'll let her know.

Have you become an 'expert' on identifying AHB yet? <G>

Another thing...keep them in OK, don't want them here!!

LaRae

[Lew Best]

Hey LaRae

Catch mal on chat & quiz him; he deals with the AHB in south tx a lots! Not sure if he's been on when you were; he's not there often.

Lew