Printable View
Still gathering up equipment while awaiting first delivery of bees. The inner covers I received don't have a "notch" like others I have seen ... what is the purpose of the notch, and how important is it to have one? Is there a reason that some would have one and others not?
Haveing never needed an inner cover, I can only guess that it may be for some kind of top entrance or to let evil spirits out in some mystical manner.
Uper entrance and ventlation
They come both ways, & people use them either way.
I cut a notch in ours for ventilation.
You might also use it as a feeder with another box on top.
I bought a 2 7/8 hole saw for making mine.
The first equipment I bought came from Better Bee. Their inner covers don't have the notches. I saw and chisel out about an inch for ventilation / top entrances.
Brushy Mountain has nice strong inner covers ... if your buying more some day.
It actually might be better to not have one so you can put the holes where you want them and how you want them. I hate how long mine are because the bees can get up in the upper box covering the feeder and build wax up there. It would be great to not have a hole and put in a few that are round and smaller for the feeders.
I do think they are for ventilation though, but with a standard top cover it blocks most of the ventilation anyways, so...
Typically. the notch is closed in the spring/summer/fall months. Its too small for a top entrance and there is much better ways for a top entrance such as
shimming. Can also remove the total front shim on the under side of the inner cover to make a top entrance.
However, the notch is opened and placed on the bottom side of the inner cover for winter ventilation, and an opening for air and bees if the bottom entrance gets blocked by bees or snow.
Mine inner cover notches are 3/8 x 1.5 inches and I narrow the bottom entrance to 1 - 1.5 inches divided between two side inlets on the bottom entrance, to control the inlet air and amount of winter ventilation.
A hand saw and a chisel (or even a pocket knife) will make a notch in about ten seconds (after the two hours to round up the tools)
Thanks for all of the replies!