Ventilation

[Tommy]

In the pictures I've see of tbh's, it looks like all the topbars are pushed together. Can you explain to me how the hive is ventilated when it get to 85 to 95 degrees.

[Michael Bush]

Bees fanning their wings like crazy. [img]smile.gif[/img] The combs are the same way in a tree. All solidly attached to the top with no space above them.

[Tommy]

Thanks Michael, I had read if it got to hot inside the hive, the comb would turn loose.

[Michael Bush]

Sometimes it does. But sometimes more ventilation can help with this and sometimes it's the CAUSE. The bees are trying to maintain a temperature around 92 F. When it's 105 F outside bringing in MORE air may not be the soultion. Evaporative cooling is what the bees do to cool it and that requires careful, controled ventilation to get that temperature. The bees do it all the time in natural hives with very small openings.

[bee crazy]

Now Michael, if you were to super above the TBH, as you do, where is the bee space for them to get to the honey super? Do you use a modified top bar in that situation? And would this create a ventilation problem in the TBH?

Thanks,

Steve

[BerkeyDavid]

crazy
you can leave a space between top bars to access a super. I have not tried it.

As for your ventilation question, it is surprising but there doesn't seem to be a big problem with the ventilation in a TBH. If it gets real hot you can prop open the top and that seems to do the trick.

Or if you still had trouble you could drill some holes. Like Michael said, the bees can usually accomodate.

[size="1"][ October 14, 2005, 09:45 AM: Message edited by: BerkeyDavid ][/size]

[Michael Bush]

>if you were to super above the TBH, as you do, where is the bee space for them to get to the honey super?

My top bar hives have no entrance per se. The first bar is back 3/8" of an inch from the front and the front cover (I have three migratory covers for the cover) is propped up 1/4" to make the entrance. Since they already come in the gap at the top and the gap at the front when I add the super I just put that super on and the migratory cover on top of that with the gap at the front still. Now the bees come in the gap between the lid and the super (6 5/8" higher than before) and down through the gap at the front of the bars (same as before).

>Do you use a modified top bar in that situation?

No, I don't.

>And would this create a ventilation problem in the TBH?

It does not seem to make any difference. Three of mine like this have a screened bottom board. The KTBH has a solid bottom and one of the TTBHs has a solid bottom. I haven't notices a lot of difference.

[willyray]

Have a 3 inch wide fixed screened bottom on a KTB, should I seal it for the winter?

[Michael Bush]

>should I seal it for the winter?

I would. A piece of cardbboard will do.

[willyray]

Thank You Will Do