Heavy Condensation Under Outer Cover

[Beek4018]

I just went out to briefly peek under the lid of my hive and discovered heavy condensation on the inside of the plastic telescoping lid.

My setup right now is this:

I installed the package may 5th, and all seems to be progressing normally.

This past Monday I installed the second deep super ( of 8 foundation only frames and two brood frames from my lower super) above my bottom super which had 8 of ten frames drawn and filled/filling before I put two in the new super.

All along I've been using an empty deep super ( as a feed super) above the inner cover with a feeder pail on top of the inner cover hole, and the telescoping cover on top of this mostly empty super.

Today was not planned as an inspection but just a peek to see if there were lots of bees in te "feed super" as I've been expecting an increase in population with my brood hatching soon, if not already.

There were very few bees in the feed super and the bottom of the outer cover was covered with water droplets which had fallen onto the inner cover.

It's not particularly hot or humid here, and I've not encountered this problem before. Everything has been bone dry even early in the month when we had serious rain.


My questions are these:
1. Any thoughts on why this is happening, and how to ventilate or otherwise fix this?

2. I still have my entrance reducer in place, am wary of opening the hive before there numbers are strong enough. Should I remove it for better ventilation?

3. Should I stop feeding up top (and use my boardman feeder)and remove the top box?

We're expecting heavy weather all weekend, so if I'm going to clean them up or otherwise remedy this. It'll have to be this afternoon.

Thanks.

[MichelinMan]

If you've installed a second brood chamber on top of the first then I would suggest you have sufficent bee population to open up the entrance. But let the bees tell you. Is there a traffic jam in the bootom entrance ? If so , open it up. Also give them a top entrance if your inner cover doesn't have a notch cut out. They need air.

[Bsweet]

You don't say what kind of bottom board you have. I would recommend a screened bottom board and prop open the top cover to allow venalation.I winterd bees in Colorado I just closed the top cover down some. It also could be that your feeder has leaked some and collected on the inner cover. Jim

[JoeMcc]

Also a lot of evaporation of water out of the syrup. If you dont have a small notch in the front of the inner cover you can make one. That notch will go down towards the hive body.

Take a peak here...

http://ep.yimg.com/ca/I/yhst-14520694570451_2103_924712

JoeMcc

[Beek4018]

Thanks. I'll work on notching my inner cover.

I do already have a screened bottom board. but I just realized I still have white IPM mite collection board in place. Should I fully remove that, or just slide it part of the way out?

Thanks.

[Beek4018]

this wasn't feeder leak because it was on the inside of the outer cover, at the extreme top of the hive.

For now I've sopped up the moisture ( it didn't appear to have gotten below the inner cove, but was just in the empty top (feeder) super.

I opened the entrance a good bit, but not all the way, and used some wood shims to prop up the outer cover.

BTW - How would you suggest putting a groove in outside trim of the inner cover without a router?

[Bsweet]

The trim/rim around the edge is usually about 3/8-1/2 inch and can be notched with a table saw or circlular saw or even a pocket knife. I have notches cut in all four sides of my inner covers for ventalation and the ladies also use them as entrances. Jim