Inner Covers

[Whisperwood]

Does anyone know where I can find the old style of inner covers that are flush on one side and recessed on the other? It seem that all inner cover available now are constructed from 1/4" plywood with recesses on both sides. My girls love to build comb in these recesses.
Thanks
Tim

[MapMan]

Does anyone know where I can find the old style of inner covers that are flush on one side and recessed on the other? It seem that all inner cover available now are constructed from 1/4" plywood with recesses on both sides. My girls love to build comb in these recesses.
Thanks
Tim

Probably have to make them yourself, or switch to migratory covers. I have some "old" style covers that have different recess depths too - 1/4" and 3/8", if I recall correctly, to be used in different times of the year for warmth and additional ventilation(?). I just make a habit of scraping the comb off every time I inspect the hive.

I also use the comb as a sort of indication as to how vigorous the hive is, and also new white comb gives me an idea that a flow is on, but maybe I'm reading too much into the comb building... Anyone please correct me if I got the dimensions wrong on recesses.

MM

[Michael Bush]

Sounds like Brushy Mt.'s inner covers...

[beemandan]

Rossman's are flush on one side.
I do believe, and someone will surely correct me if I'm mistaken, that the inner covers with a shallow recess on one side and a slightly deeper recess on the other are actually the 'proper' design. They allow appropriate 'bee space' on both the top and bottom when properly installed. The ones that are flush on one side, I think, are done so only because it is simpler to make that way.

[Michael Bush]

In my experience a typical box had about 3/16" clearance between the top bars and the top of the box. Sometimes it's as much as 1/4" but never more (unless you have Walter T. Kelly deeps with no raised rests in them). So it's usually a little short with a flat cover. It's usually a little tall with a 1/4" space too. I think they just like to glue the cover on well no matter what you do. But the ideal would be between 1/4" and 3/8" space total. 5/16" would be nice. So that would be between 1 1/16" space on the lid and 1/8" space on the lid.

I'm not sure who came up with the idea of splitting the space between the top and bottom (typically 1/8" space at the bottom and 1/4" at the top) but I think it was a bad idea. I think I'd prefer either top or bottom space to split. Since I'm always trying to get a top entrance, bottom space would make sense to me so I can do it without drilling holes in the boxes.