Plans for moving screens?

[Troy]

I am planning to make some top screens for moving my bees. I bought one from Brushy last year, it was OK, but left something to be desired.

I made 2 different designs myself last season, and they are not perfect either.

I'm looking for alternative designs.

Brushy's design has the screen on the bottom of the shim and the side a bit lower than the ends so that the bees can get ventilation. The shortcoming of this design is that if I go out to the hives during the day or the day before and put the screens on, then a fairly large number of bees crawl into the space between the cover and the screen and just hang out in there, and never find their way back inside the hive.

I tried to remedy this by making my own screen tops with that side opening a bit bigger and cutting a piece of wood to fit in there. The thought was I could go and place it on the hive, and block it off, and then on moving night, I could just push the blocks in and strap it up and go. (Placing entrance blocks in too, or course). This worked pretty good too. The problem is that I keep losing these pieces of wood, because they are not attached.

I thought about taking a honey super and cutting it in half, so they are about 2 1/4" tall. Screen the bottom and cut out some holes all around the thing and screen them too. This way the bees would not be inclined to hang on the screens, but the ventilation would still be good.

Thoughts?

Alternative designs welcome.......

[Barney]

Hi:
I'm not sure if you just need them to move or want to keep them on all the time. Here is the way I make mine and I have moved with them as well as leave them on all the time.
I just make a frame the size of the box, install 1/8 mech screen, trim off the excess then put a 1/8 strip of masonite (you can use wood) over the frame on the screen side. I cut 4 (one on each side) 2 inch vent slots approx 1/8 deep on the non-screen side. The vents allow air in between the top but are to shallow to allow the bees in. This will also allow you to see your bees without removng a inner cover. When I move them I put duck tape across the screens to hold them in place. I make my frames 5/8 them add the screen and strip. I hope this helps
Barney

[brooksbeefarm]

I make a 3/4 inch shim with a brace in the center, covered with 1/8 hardware cloth.I attach the screen with 6 wood screws and cordless drill.1 center front, 1 center back and 2 on each side of the hive.2 of the screws strait across from each other on the sides I leave up about a 1/4 inch, so the top cover doesn!t close off circulation.You can do this the day before or a week before.All my hives have screenbottom boards and I use hive staples.To close them up. I go out the night before I move them and screw a solid piece of wood across the entrance and load them.Never had a problem yet,but I usally don!t move over 6 or 8 at a time.Hope this helps.

[dug_6238]

This is a little less involved. I move my small hives this way sitting on the front passenger seat beside me in my Focus. Two-story boxes get moved this way in the back of my ExploDer.

http://i190.photobucket.com/albums/z...eadyToMove.jpg

For each person with different requirements, a different solution serves. Find out what works best for you.

[brooksbeefarm]

Some day the girls will find a escape route and your Focus will take a differnt route with a woman driver.One of our club members had this happen to him, and when he told the club everything he went through alot of the members were on the floor laughing.Hope this doesn!t happen to you but it is something to think about.Good luck!I foregot to ask do you drive with your bee suite on?

[dug_6238]

Not on, but I do keep it handy. The clothes basket with my smoker, tools, etc. always has an extra ratchet strap and roll of duct tape in it.

Brooks, you are not wrong!

[Ross]

Mine are simple, just a piece of 3/4" plywood the same size as the box, no overhang. Drill a 2" or so hole and staple screen over, any screen smaller than a bee. When I unload I just set a scrap of lumber over the hole and they are my migratory tops.

[Michael Bush]

Since I went to top entrances I cut my SBB down to the size of the hive and blocked the entrance. Putting these on top, upside down, works perfectly.