Beesource Beekeeping Forums banner

Ventilation

5K views 15 replies 11 participants last post by  Solomon Parker 
#1 ·
I have read you should use Popsicle sticks under the inner cover during the winter to help ventilation and cut down on moisture, I hope I got that correct but my question is if that's the case why can't I use the sticks 365? If moisture is a bad problem durning the winter can a person use a towel between the inner and outer cover to help collect the water?
 
#4 ·
In answer to the original question, Popsicle sticks are approximately 1/16" thick. Bees will readily propolize such a gap.

I find Mr. Bush's top entrances to be more than adequate, cheap, and easy to make. I have only made one so far though. The rest of my hives use a perimeter shim style upper entrance. Pictures galore on my blog and website.
 
#5 ·
#6 ·
I prop up the telescoping cover using a length of insulated wire about 1/8 inch diameter and bent into the shape of an L, placed on the inner cover. The gap I was shooting for is the largest gap that bees couldn't enter. I have the traditional bottom entrance. We don't have snow and our winters are mild, so this seems to help with ventilation all year long.
 
#7 ·
I used a regular inner cover with a notch this year, with the telescoping cover shoved close to it to keep things out but allow some airflow. I use wooden covers, we have had bad experiences with plastic ones.

Some locations have serious moisture problems, others have none, it's one of those "all beekeeping is local" things. If you don't have evidence of moisture in your hives (damp wood, mold on the frames, etc) you don't need more ventilation. If your hives are wet in the spring, you need more, but you also need to avoid a hurricane howling through the hive in the deep winter (if you have deep winter). The more tightly sealed the hive is, the more important good ventilation is, of course, same as your house. Around here, a screened bottom board with the sticky shoved in and a partially closed top entrance slot in the inner cover is prefectly adequate. In the fog zone on the west coast, this would probably result in soggy hives.

Whatever you do, I strongly recommend wooden covers that are un-finished on the inside (no paint, stain, or sealer of any kind), and if you have severe condensation problems, a condenser (a shallow with a screened bottom filled with coarse sawdust, chopped leaves, or something similar) on top of the cluster. Plastic outer covers, painted surfaces, or metal exposed to the elements will condense water that will collect on the surface and drip. Wood will absorb quite a bit, and it will move through the wood and exit the hive rather than collect and drip. Dripping cold water kills bees!

Peter
 
#9 ·
Melanie, the simple answer is that I grafted, used a queenright cell builder, used queen castles as mating nucs, and let the bees do the rest. It's about efficiency and resources. Had I not sold nucs and queens, I would have gone from 10 to 30 in one season and still made the same amount of honey. Impossible with normal splits.
 
#14 ·
I keep a piece of window screen taped over my inner cover with the top propped up with popsicle sticks or whatever. In late spring I switch to a full ventilated screen but staple window screen on this. The purpose is to keep hive beetles from entering through the top which I would watch them do until I started using the screen. They do propolize the screen but I just replace it after a while or take a small nail & poke a few holes in it during winter to keep the ventilation open.
 
#16 ·
Here's the full description. http://parkerfarms.biz/queenrearing.html

If you have any questions after that, I'll be happy to answer them. I only wrote that page earlier this year, and it may need refinement. Tell me if I missed something or if something is not clear with my narrative. I know it needs pictures. I have some, but not a complete set yet.
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top