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Summer Ventilation

4K views 21 replies 16 participants last post by  Cadence 
#1 ·
I am looking for some help with summer ventilation. I am in the north eastern part of PA and we are getting into our summer weather, averaging mid to upper 80’s during the day, and lows at night being mid 60’s. I have a 10 frame Lang and have a a second deep on that is probably going to be 80-90% full when I inspect on Sunday. I have a screened bottom board, but always leave the bottom sliding piece in. On top I have an inner cover (but no notch) and a telescoping cover. I plan on adding a deep super above the two bottom deeps and a queen excluder this Sunday and am wondering if I should add ventilation now. I was thinking about just starting with a few tongue depressors on the excluder, below the honey super.

Being my first year I am a little confused when it comes to this topic. I installed my package on April 22. Any and all advise is welcome!

Thank you, Paul
 
#2 ·
I would put a tounge depressor under each corner between the top box and the inner cover to start with. If you open up the hive and find mold or a wet inner cover I would add more ventilation. I have been chasing mold problems with my hives, but I think this is because they do not get enough sun light.
 
#4 ·
I am looking for some help with summer ventilation. [..] I have a screened bottom board, but always leave the bottom sliding piece in.
Hi Paul - you might want want to try removing the slide ? I find that an Open Mesh Floor (SBB) open all year round cures ventilation problems (usually seen as black mould on solid bottom boards), whilst retaining warmth within the hive itself. Location-dependent, of course.
LJ
 
#5 ·
Hi Paul. I pulled my IPM boards out last month. Hives stay nice and dry even with the torrential downpours we have had. Lifting the top cover also helps like hootowl recommended.
 
#6 ·
A half inch kerff in one side of the end of an inner cover with a small opening at the entrance is good into the high 90's for me. I have one hive with two eight frame deeps and a medium. It has the small hole of the entrance reducer showing and a one inch hole in the front of the super above it and they are fine with temps up to 100F this week and last. I like a small upper entrance for ventilation and a small lower entrance to reduce robbong pressure. When it gets really hot, I use hardware cloth as an entrance reducer, leaving an opening of one or two inches for the bees to come and go. Rule of thumb: If they aren't bearding, they aren't hot. :)

P.S. I don't use screened bottom boards. Sold all but one and you can have it if you stop by.
 
#11 ·
.... I'm in SE Texas and here it's HOT.
Indeed, TX is hot.
PA, on the other hand...

I don't worry much about ventilation in South WI.
+1 to the above - if they are not bearding, this is not hot.

To be sure - this is the exact and normal temperature they maintain inside the brood nest - "averaging mid to upper 80’s during the day".
What is there to ventilate?
 
#10 ·
Newbee here as well. Its finally hot here on Long Island and upon my third inspection yesterday i saw a decent amount of bees on the outside fanning. Not sure is they were fanning some nasimov for the returning foragers or just directing air into the hive. Either way it was warm so my questions are as follows:

1. I have a screened bottom board with a plastic slide in board underneath, should i slide the catch out during hot weather to allow the cool ground air into the hive?

2. I currently have 1 deep and just added a second deep on top. On the second deep i have an inner cover that has an oval cut out in the center. Is that enough for ventilation of should i get a screened inner cover?

3. Lets say the inner cover i have is good, if i want to feed i'd be placing the feeding jar over the hole. Wouldn't that then prevent hot air from leaving the top of the hive? If so, how should i feed? Leave off the inner cover and just place the jar right on top of the frames surrounded by a frameless super with the top cover on top of that?

Thanks all.
 
#13 ·
I keep the inspection boards closed, entrances open. Usually prop up the outer cover with a 1/4" thick stick to allow some airflow thru the inner cover hole. Works fine for me. Any smaller hives I may reduce down the entrance a bit.

If you put dimes or tongue depressors between inner cover and box there's a good chance they'll eventually fill the gap with propolis. A first year hive might not but a 2nd year hive in my area will. Hive beetles will hide in that crack and the bees can't fit and patrol it so it gets sealed up.
 
#14 ·
My hive is a 5 frame nuc that i moved to a 10 frame box on May 25th. They've drawn out 3.5 out of the 5 foundation frames i added so it seems to be growing well (I hope). I just added a second box on top to give them more space. Do i still need my entrance reducer on or should the whole bottom be open Wood Hardwood Floor Wood stain Wall
? By reducer i dont mean the small hole, the large one. See image.
 
#17 ·
Another way to raise the telescoping cover is to put a small wood screw in each corner. The wood screw head lifts the cover just enough to allow some ventilation but not enough to permit bees, wasps, moths, through. Screw spacers don't have to be re-positioned every time you remove the cover.
 
#19 ·
It was 107 here in Lake county, CA today. We use two nickels on the back corners to allow flow-through ventilation on most hives.

We have some hives (we call them our 'Super' hives), two deep brood boxes & three to five medium supers, that we place a 'Propolis screen' on top. We then prop the inner cover as much as 1/2 inch until bearding slows down, night time mostly.
 
#20 ·
i think good ventilation is important not only for keeping normal temperature in the hive, but also for controlling humidity. During the nectar flow bees evaporate a lot of water and if it becomes too humid bees will need work harder to evaporate further and also may need more cells to temporarily store the raw nectar.
so, even in areas with moderate temperatures, good ventilation still deserves attention, especially, in the regions with humid summer ( say, 60 % and higher ).
just my opinion.
 
#21 ·
I remove the IPM board in the summer, unless I am doing a mite drop count. I also replace my inner covers with ventilated inner covers. You can find them at Rossman's. I am in CT. I also don't put my hives in full hot sun all day. They get some speckled shade some time during the day. In the winter, the hives are in full sun when they need it.
 
#22 ·
High 90°'s down here now, with heat index around 105° today. Too hot to do anything outside!!
I run 8 frame, 2 deeps, under the honey supers, with SBB. Hives in full sun to combat SHB. They beard some days more than others. I made some shim entrances to put above the 3rd honey super, but that creates burr comb.
I prop the telescoping cover up with a rock or stick above the inner cover. The inner cover has a screen over the center oval, the bees always close it off with propolis. No air coming thru that hole!
 
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