Welcome, Guest

Author Topic: Built my first bee hive but....?  (Read 2718 times)

Offline Santa Caras

  • House Bee
  • **
  • Posts: 100
  • Gender: Male
Built my first bee hive but....?
« on: August 12, 2013, 11:57:06 am »
Hi all...new to this so those who have built hundreds of hives will find it unremarkable but I built my very first hive this weekend. Screened landing board all the way up to the T-cover. Jumping to the Telescoping cover that covers the INNER cover I have a question. The inner cover has a slot basically 2"x4" that has #8mesh covering both inside and outside for ventilation. Then I have the outside telescoping lid covering all this. Since the outer sits right on top of the inner...(In my opinion blocking the vent hole on the inner cover)......I dont get where the room is for ventilating like you'd have with the attic to your house.  Would it be better if there was like a 3/8" space tween the inner and outer cover so there is room to vent the air out????

Offline Santa Caras

  • House Bee
  • **
  • Posts: 100
  • Gender: Male
Re: Built my first bee hive but....?
« Reply #1 on: August 13, 2013, 10:37:13 am »
No replies?  Surely I cant be the first one to have ever looked at that and thought.........."Ummm...where's the space to vent air?"
I'm gonna rip me 4 pcs of 3/8" sq x 6" stock and lay it up on top of the inner cover for air space. I can always remove it.

Offline iddee

  • Universal Bee
  • *******
  • Posts: 10853
  • Gender: Male
Re: Built my first bee hive but....?
« Reply #2 on: August 13, 2013, 11:15:05 am »
I always put a 3/8 in. rim on my inner covers. I also would remove the screen. It gives the bees access to the area to remove ants. Without it, the ants will build a nest between the lids and rob honey from the hive until it kills it.
"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 Santa Caras

  • House Bee
  • **
  • Posts: 100
  • Gender: Male
Re: Built my first bee hive but....?
« Reply #3 on: August 13, 2013, 03:09:33 pm »
since I have the mesh on there already lookin purty and all.....how bout if i just drill a 1" hole somewhere on it for bee access??? OR.........I could kill all the ants within a 1/2 mile radius like my wife would want!

Offline capt44

  • Field Bee
  • ***
  • Posts: 740
  • Gender: Male
  • If it don't work I'll always think it should have
    • RV BEES
Re: Built my first bee hive but....?
« Reply #4 on: August 13, 2013, 05:14:20 pm »
When I build my inner cover I cut a 3/4 inch slot by 3/8 inch or so in the framing facing the front.
Since the telescoping top has space to slide just slide the top to the rear to close the slot or slide it forward to open it up.
In a robbing situation just slide the top to the rear and it'll close off the 3/4 inch slot.
Richard Vardaman (capt44)