Need a shade solution for my Texas hive

[drmanhadan]

I'm going to be working with my bees out of my sideyard, but they will still receiving hours and hours of sunlight leaving them to bake in a Texas summer. There are no trees in the area, so I figure I'll need to build a shade source. Any ideas?
(i've got a telescoping cover, if that helps)

[Intheswamp]

Looks like everybody's getting a good dose of this heat. Here is some of what I've done to help with the heat. The cardboard is quick and cheap...

http://www.beesource.com/forums/show...996#post819996

Best wishes,
Ed

ETA: Be careful working your bees in this heat...the comb can be very soft and susceptible to being damaged by handling.

[Nantom670]

why not just take two steel posts or wooden posts and put them in the ground on the west side of your hive and place whatever will shade the hive from 2pm till dark. Make it whatever time you feel best. A skid standing up, or boards tied up from post to post as high as necessary to provide the shade. Run a test one day to decide where your post will go and you got it. You can remove them whenever you want too. Mine are like this:
http://s1202.photobucket.com/albums/...t=IMG_0745.jpg

[Michael Pawelek]

You can buy cheap plastic tarps from feed stores or a TSC if one is close and just tie to driven in metal "T" posts.

[Lburou]

...snip.... Mine are like this:
http://s1202.photobucket.com/albums/...t=IMG_0745.jpg

Well done! Looking good. I like the air circulation and dryness the overhead cover with open sides provides.

[lazy shooter]

I keep my hives in full Texas sun. They made it through last summer. That's as long as I have been keeping bees. I am going to purchase some SBBs and keep on keeping on. But, if you have to use shade, couldn't you just lean a piece of plywood against the hive. I realize it might blow over in strong wind, but it would not be difficult to repair or replace.

[whiskers]

My readings here imply that bearding is a symptom of overheated bees (others please comment if this is true). If so this could be used to indicate if anything needs to be done.

Styrofoam or other insulation between the inner cover and the telescoping cover could help. Some use it in winter also. Be careful not to construct a haven for small hive beetles or other vermin.

A sheet of almost anything opaque that can support itself spaced above the hive a couple of inches to allow air circulation and secured there could help. If it overhangs so that it casts a shadow on the sides of the hive better yet. Most of the overhang should be to the south.
Bill

[Intheswamp]

<snip>

A sheet of almost anything opaque that can support itself spaced above the hive a couple of inches to allow air circulation and secured there could help. If it overhangs so that it casts a shadow on the sides of the hive better yet. Most of the overhang should be to the south.
Bill

Well, since it's summer the sun travels higher in the sky...more overhang is actually required on the east and west sides for when the sun is rising (morning) or setting (afternoon) and the angles are coming in lower, the west side especially needs more overhang.

Ed

[danmcm]

Plastic lattice on four posts over hives with some good early blooming vining perennials. It will solve the problem this year and for many to come and give a bump to spring production hopefully. Lattice allows sun in winter, wont buckle with snow (most falls through), provides shade and more when covered with grapes or something, and works great from my experience I moved and no longer have that spot or would post a pic. If you just got a few hives in couple yards not a big expense and if you can grow grapes or other crop with added benefit all the better.

[dingo983]

I passed a commercial beekeepers yard and he had built pvc frames over his hives, attached shade cloth to them and secured the stucture to the ground with rope and tent stakes.
I see alot of beekeepers in AZ leave their hives in the direct sun. I'm talking 117 to 120 deg f. With my hives, I have noticed they are much more active if I keep the hive shaded than not.

[Joseph Clemens]

I use pieces of white polystyrene foam board, one inch thick, or more. They can be painted to slow down the suns destroying them/or not. They are so light it is easy to carry them and place them, but if it's very windy you'll need to place something heavy on top of them to hold them in place. They do seem to work very well to reduce or nearly eliminate the extra stress brought to a hive by solar gain. Ambient temperature is bad enough in this heat wave, but to add solar gain to the issue can certainly push things a bit too far.

[Jaseemtp]

I would think you could impromt to with some shade cloth and a few post. Last year I kept my hives in full sun and watched em sizzle even with screened bottom boards. This year they are all sitting at the edge of a tree line and seem to be doing very well.

[Michael Pawelek]

PVC used in high heat and sunlight can be a iffy proposition when used as a structural componant. It warps in some situations and becomes very brittle.