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Outer covers

3K views 10 replies 6 participants last post by  Michael Bush 
#1 ·
How many of you use a simple piece of plywood for an outer cover? I was trying to figure out how to keep things simple without harming the bees . I have several telescoping covers and they seem to hold the moisture in and the others that are just a simple flat cover with 2 end pieces seem to have nothing trapped inside.
I am trying to eliminate wooden inner covers as well, I have started to use a polyethylene material cover, just something to keep the bees from gluing the top cover down. I have a large roll of the material and it was free , so trying it is cheap for me : )

I have seen some commercial operations using just a piece of plywood sitting on top of a hive and the hives were just fine throughout the year. I'm sure in the winter months I would have to insulate the top etc .. But I just wanted to get some of the ideas you all have on what works for you.

Thanks

Ben
 
#3 ·
Ben... I use a simple top made from Advantec, which is an advanced form of waffer board that will not warp or seperate. It has a 72mm hole (Mason Jar top), drilled in it for feeding in Spring. After feeding, I simply place a solid jar cap in the hole and leave it all Summer and Fall. When Winter arrives, I remove the jar cap and place a piece of screen wire over the hole for ventilation, then place a normal telescoping cover for the rest of the Winter.

If I get a few warm days in January or February, I can remove the telescoping cover, remove the screen wire over the jar hole, and feed a quart or more of sugar syrup and never break the seal on the hive. When the warm days are gone, just place the screen wire over the hole again, then put the telescoping cover back on, and wait for the next warm days.

Not sure what you mean by using a polyethylene material to keep the bees from gluing the top down. Actually, you want them to glue the top down to seal the hive.

Yes, get rid of inner covers as such. They are a great place for small hive beetles to congregate and make the bees chase them.

Here is a photo of the Advantec tops in the feeding mode. As soon as feeding is over, I place the solid jar cap in the hole and leave it all Summer and Fall, and well into the Winter. Then add the screen wire over the feed hole and put a telescoping cover on for Winter.

Table Grass Pasture Furniture Grassland



cchoganjr
 
#7 ·
#9 ·
Does the rain get into the hives with the setup you use ? I have about 10 outer cover that are just a piece of plywood cut with a 1 inch overhang to keep rain from running in , i know it's not rain proof , I just thought it would work without having the moisture stay inside the hive.
I insulate the tops when winter comes anyways , so I will be trying this on some hive to see how things go , I really don't want to drill holes in the boxes for upper entrances and I wanted to eliminate the wooden inner covers as well. I did use feed bags over winter and they worked VERY well !
 
#10 ·
The other reason for using the material inner cover is because i can open the hive up a little at a time , it seems to bother the bees less when it's windy out. I have seen some people using a cotton material cover soaked with Beeswax, I think it was on Gaiabees.com .
As most everyone knows weather is never cooperative with beekeeping.

Ben
 
#11 ·
>Does the rain get into the hives with the setup you use ?

Not any more than any other setup.

> I have about 10 outer cover that are just a piece of plywood cut with a 1 inch overhang to keep rain from running in

The overhang just catches the wind and drives more rain in...

> i know it's not rain proof , I just thought it would work without having the moisture stay inside the hive.

It doesn't stay inside. It runs down the inside front of the hive and out the door... or the "drain plug" or the screened bottom...
 
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