preventing mositure

[usahq]

Does anybody have any tips (besides providing an upper entrance) that they feel cuts down on the condensation and mositure levels in the hive during the winter.

[tarheit]

I personally use an upper entrance and it works well, but I've seen other things used.

One beekeeper In know staples screen to the bottom of of an empty super and fills it with crumpled newspaper. He puts this on top of the hive for insulation, and the newspaper obsorbs moisture.

I've also seen a super with a solid bottom with a layer of vermica inside, a hole in the center and a second one though the side of the box. This provides insulation and allows moisture for the cluster up and either the vermica obsorbs it or it exits the hole throug the side. (A tin can is placed around the middle hole to keep the vermica from falling in the hive.

[Michael Bush]

I did a searh on "ventilation" and here are a few of the hundred results.
http://www.beesource.com/ubb/Forum2/HTML/000136.html http://www.beesource.com/ubb/Forum13/HTML/000065.html http://www.beesource.com/ubb/Forum2/HTML/000277.html http://www.beesource.com/ubb/Forum2/HTML/000367.html http://www.beesource.com/ubb/Forum12/HTML/000100.html http://www.beesource.com/ubb/Forum2/HTML/000430.html http://www.beesource.com/ubb/Forum2/HTML/000169.html

[dandelion]

Last year in the late fall I noticed some condensation on the inside of the outer cover particularly in the hives I was feeding 2 sugar/1water parts of syrup. I put a 2 inch piece of foam insulation on top of the outer cover, witha a couple of rocks on top, and the problem went away. I guess the thin 1/4 plywood with the aluminum covering was the least insulating material of the hives' walls and therefore the coldest, and that's were the moisture was consensating. My interpretation of the facts were that by adding the insulation, the moisture had a chance to escape through the top before condensating.

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[Dave W]

Greetings . . .

My top cover has a sloped roof made of 3/4" YP Plywood covered w/ painted aluminum. The 'flat' inside part of T-cover (bottom), is 1-1/2" thick (2-layers plywood). There is a sealed air chamber between the sloped top and flat bottom. It weighs 15 lbs. (Hasnt blown off yet!)

I have placed, near each corner, a #12 sheet-metal screw in the T-cover, to create a gap (approx 1/16") between T-cover and inner-cover. (Head of screw used as a spacer) Hope this helps during winter.

I have also found condensation on the bottom of my top cover when spring feeding w/ hive-top feeder. I 'assumed' it was caused by evaporation of the liquid.

Dave W

[usahq]

This is something that I do each winter, and I'm convinced it really helps cut down on moisture:
I make a ring of granulated sugar around the hole in the inner cover. I think the bees use the sugar if they need it and I also think that the sugar sops up a lot of moisture. Just my theory.

[hoosierhiver]

i've heard of filling an empty super with wadded-up newspaper above the inner cover,a few old timers i've talked to swear by it.

[Michael Bush]

Sugar is hydrophilic (likes water) and will absorb quite a bit.

[Daisy]

I hadn't thought about the sugar absorbing moisture.

This is another advantage to what I learned to do. Soaking bags of sugar in water for a minute, allowing it to dry hard, tear open one side, lay it over the bees, then cover with a blanket.

Do many ways to get the job done.