inner cover bee slot.

[dixie1]

for those of you who still make some of your own eqpt....on the inner cover, how wide do you make the bee slot at top,in order to aid the bees with a small entrance/exit through the top,and to help aid in a little ventilation ?....i know some don't like to use them, thats ok....just want to know if there is a set size some of you use, or do you just eyeball it ?

thanks

dixie

[Mr. C]

I put a couple notches in mine last Fall for Winter ventillation. The are the same width as my little oscillating tool, 3/8" by about 1 1/2" ish. Seemed to work fine, but I'm working on a completely different inner cover design atm.

[honeyman46408]

7/8" wide 5/16 deep

[max2]

I have no slot in my inner cover but allow for a gap at all edges. It allows for free movemnet but has stopped comb building in the lid pretty well.

[Michael Bush]

I always make it the size of a mason jar lid...

[Mr. C]

Hmm I may have misread, I am not sure if you are asking about the entrance hole that goes to the outside or the one in the center of the 1/4 plywood/masonite. Last year I made a couple and put in a 4x4 hole to feed over because it offered better ventilation. When I had one of the "store bought" ones with the oval bee escape hole they bearded out even with the top propped open. After reading "attic ventilation" under Walt Wright's point of view I tried the larger hole and it worked great. Now I have some crappy inner covers I refuse to use in the shed somewhere. I had to use shims to hold my jar feeders in place though. I'm making some ventilated inner covers next week, I will probably try some long narrow slots or maybe multiple holes for ventilation.