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Author Topic: How do bees control hive temperature with a screened inner cover for ventilation  (Read 3586 times)

Offline Carol

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I am considering using a screened inner cover that has an area for air flow under the telescoping cover. It is screened so the bees cant get out or pests in...how do they control temp in the hive with an opening that they cannot control

Offline Vance G

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They will probably try to propolize as much as they can shut.  In your warm country it probably won't be fatal, but I will bet that it lessens productivity.

Offline Finski

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They cannot control such system.
It is so called "dead born innovation"
 
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Language barrier NOT included

Offline RC

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Hey, Carol. I'm only a couple of years into beekeeping, so take my statements with a grain of salt. I am also in Florida and I figured that the bees would need some ventilation to cope with our temperatures. What I observed was just the opposite.I didn't use top ventilation, but I started my hives on screened bottoms and quickly noticed that the queens would not lay near them. Wondering if the lack of temperature regulation was the cause, I moved half of them to solid bottoms and the laying pattern improved greatly.
Some of my hives are still on screened bottoms, but they are not as productive or as populated as the ones on solid bottoms.
I also can't tell that the screened bottoms help at all with mites or hive beetles. Matter of fact, I have some hives on solid bottoms, in the full sun, and these do not have hive beetles. None at all.
I'm not telling anyone not to use them, I'm just saying that I have not found any benefit from them. The only bottoms I build will be solid, at least until my observations prove to be wrong.
I personally think that the whole ventilation thing is overrated. I never saw a screen on a tree.

Offline don2

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I think the concept of the screen bottom board has more to do with the control of Varroa mites than ventilation. Believing the mites fall through the screen and cannot get back in the hive. Bees use water and fanning and gathering on the outside of the hive body for cool down. I would just use the regular bottom board with the entrance full open on a strong hive, add an upper entrance hole in the top portion of the hive body, or a honey super. It also helps to have mid day shade. Dapple if possible. my thoughts. :) d2

Offline Michael Bush

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A screened inner cover makes a great propolis trap...  Freeze it and scrape off while cold...

Bees have to cool a hive by controlling ventilation.  Just because a little ventilation is good, does not mean a lot is better...

http://www.bushfarms.com/beestopbarhives.htm#ventilation
My website:  bushfarms.com/bees.htm en espanol: bushfarms.com/es_bees.htm  auf deutsche: bushfarms.com/de_bees.htm  em portugues:  bushfarms.com/pt_bees.htm
My book:  ThePracticalBeekeeper.com
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Offline Carol

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Hive is shaded all afternoon. Guess I wont use the screen inner cover for ventillation. My entrance is 3/8" but I worry about moving it to a bottom board with a larger entrance. Afraid I'll kill or lose my Queen.

Offline don2

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The proper size bottom should be no problem. Just pick the complete box up and sit it on the bottom board.The Queen will not leave the hive un less they swarm, that is if she is already mated.  :)d2

Offline duck

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well, all I know is when we hit 100 degrees, there isnt much bearding with ventilation.. I guess they dont much get near 100 in Finland.  Bearding bees arent doing much work, just hangin around..

Offline iddee

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Bearding bees are only hanging around outside rather than inside. No difference in their activity. I like to see a beard on my hives. It tells me they have a good population.
"Listen to the mustn'ts, child. Listen to the don'ts. Listen to the shouldn'ts, the impossibles, the won'ts. Listen to the never haves, then listen close to me . . . Anything can happen, child. Anything can be"

*Shel Silverstein*

Offline tjc1

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I screened my inner cover last summer and then put thin spacers at the corners to prop the telescoping cover on top, leaving a vent space of about 1/4 inch all around. I was thinking as much about allowing humidity out of the hive as much as excess heat, as the top of the telescoping cover was damp and moldy. I also had an open SBB. They left a very little bit of propolis on the screen, right over the center hole in the inner cover. I would usually find a couple hundred hanging out up there at any given time.They seemed to do fine, survived the winter (no screened top after the late fall) and were strong going into this spring. It is true, though, in retrospect that once they moved up into the upper deep they seemed to avoid the lower deep - maybe because of the open bottom? For a first year hive, they also gave me about 20lb. honey.