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Author Topic: Vented Inner Cover  (Read 27156 times)

Offline gaucho10

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Re: Vented Inner Cover
« Reply #20 on: January 09, 2010, 10:31:42 am »
Here is another shot of my New England "bee porch" recently installed on my wintering hives.  Hope it helps block some of the wind.

My favorite comedy program used to be Glenn Beck--The only thing is that after I heard the same joke over and over again it became BOOOORING.....

People who have inspired me throughout my life---Pee-wee Herman, Adolph Hitler, George W. Bush, Glenn Beck.
Notice I did not say they were people who I admire !!!

Offline Bigeddie

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Re: Vented Inner Cover
« Reply #21 on: January 09, 2010, 12:09:39 pm »
That vented deal looks a lot like what Bee Works has to offer. I have one , it works good.
God bless Us all!!

Offline wouldliketobee

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Re: Vented Inner Cover
« Reply #22 on: January 09, 2010, 01:30:44 pm »
I built a "front porch"  a few months ago I figured it would block some wind and rain , I ended up putting some 1/4 inch screen on mine had a mouse get in I have a 3/4 inch hole in a 1 inch thick inner cover that I made with a deep on top of that with dry sugar, i think I will change to 3/8 x 2 inch slot next year and make a new " front porch"  , great pictures.

Offline Finski

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Re: Vented Inner Cover
« Reply #23 on: January 10, 2010, 05:45:26 am »
I use upper ventilation straight a 20 mm hole in front wall.

Sorry to say but that system will not work.

Too strong ventilation. Bees stuck the mesh with resin.
You cannot control the ventilation, when it is good or too much.

You live quite in North. http://www.wunderground.com/US/MA/Spencer.html

Mice love to go throught that kind of upper hole.

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Offline Delmer

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Re: Vented Inner Cover
« Reply #24 on: January 10, 2010, 08:53:13 am »


Mice love to go throught that kind of upper hole.


the hole on the porch looks pretty small (judging from pic.#6)  http://www.beesbatsandbeyond.com/Bee_Equipment.html.  Maybe a mouse can shimmy thru that - they can squeeze into some small spots.   From the way it was described all of the other holes have screen covering them.  Personally, I think its a great idea-  I propped my cover up during the summer to increase the ventilation- this would be at least as much ventilation as propping the lid.


Offline gaucho10

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Re: Vented Inner Cover
« Reply #25 on: January 10, 2010, 09:43:25 am »
Finski,

I have to disagree with you.

"Too strong ventilation. Bees stuck the mesh with resin."

I have been using this design for two season already (2008-2009).  Initially I built my ventilated inner (VIC) cover with a screen mesh frame that either slides or rests over the 4" hole.  During the winter of 2008-2009 I decided to keep the screen out to see what the results would be.  I found out that the bees did enter the box but did not propolize the screen mesh.  The only thing I did not like was the fact that the bees were trying to fly out through the screen mesh.  I had to actually pry up the telescopic outer cover to let them fly out.  In my new design (2010) I have raised the location of the upper entrance hole to be directly above the floor of the VIC.  The bees now will be doing the same thing they were doing before when I had a regular flat inner cover.  The entrance hole is the same size (3/8" x 2") to defend.

I did not have any problems with mice entering any of my hives, ever.  I use a mouse guard for the entrance down below and they don't appear to use the upper vent hole to get in...so far.

By the way...I guess that I lied....When I built my first ventilated inner cover I made the center hole diameter 3".  The 1/2 gal. bottles would fit directly over the hole and would block the ventilation.  On the rest of my VIC's I enlarged the holes to 4".  The bottles now fit right into the hole and either rest on top of the frames or I can sit them over the hole with a metal frame I built to keep the bottles from tipping over.  SO far the bottles do ok just sitting over the frames.  With the 4" hole there is still enough of a gap to keep the ventilation flowing around the bottle's neck.  I will have to go through my old posts and correct my 3" to 4".  Sorry!!!!!!
My favorite comedy program used to be Glenn Beck--The only thing is that after I heard the same joke over and over again it became BOOOORING.....

People who have inspired me throughout my life---Pee-wee Herman, Adolph Hitler, George W. Bush, Glenn Beck.
Notice I did not say they were people who I admire !!!

Offline wouldliketobee

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Re: Vented Inner Cover
« Reply #26 on: January 10, 2010, 01:21:58 pm »
I don't think I would have had a mouse get into my hive if I would have went with a 3/8 X 2 slot like Gaucho used , I used a 3/4 x 3/4 dado cut in my thick inner cover , the mice I have problems with are huge, I think they would have trouble getting through a 3/8 x 2 slot , so that is what I am going to switch to next year.

Offline Finski

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Re: Vented Inner Cover
« Reply #27 on: January 10, 2010, 02:54:32 pm »
Finski,

I have to disagree with you.

I have been using this design for two season already (2008-2009).  Sorry!!!!!!

I have used that mesh hole 45 years.  It is not for ventilation.

When I stopped to make that mesh hole, mice stopped to dig holes into insulation in inner cover. They do not get in, but they piss there the whole winter.

I just told my experiences.

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Offline rdy-b

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Re: Vented Inner Cover
« Reply #28 on: January 10, 2010, 08:41:43 pm »
intrance below floor in this version-   ;) RDY-B                                                                                                             http://www.honeyrunapiaries.com/plans/all_season_inner.pdf




 http://www.honeyrunapiaries.com/store/season-inner-cover-p-50.html?osCsid=d70f71c400d606bec0402943b996726c

Offline annette

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Re: Vented Inner Cover
« Reply #29 on: January 10, 2010, 09:27:56 pm »
That's the ones I have - from Honey Run Apiaries. They seem to work really well.

Offline rdy-b

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Re: Vented Inner Cover
« Reply #30 on: January 10, 2010, 09:33:35 pm »
was the pink foam include? RDY-B

Offline gaucho10

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Re: Vented Inner Cover
« Reply #31 on: January 10, 2010, 11:59:18 pm »
rdy-b and annette,

That's where I got my original design and it has worked fine so far.
My favorite comedy program used to be Glenn Beck--The only thing is that after I heard the same joke over and over again it became BOOOORING.....

People who have inspired me throughout my life---Pee-wee Herman, Adolph Hitler, George W. Bush, Glenn Beck.
Notice I did not say they were people who I admire !!!

Offline Finski

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Re: Vented Inner Cover
« Reply #32 on: January 11, 2010, 01:08:19 am »
rdy-b and annette,

That's where I got my original design and it has worked fine so far.

From original pictures I can see that the big hole is for feeding, not ventilation.

In winter position the hive has awfully much holes.
In summer the cover is turned so that there are no ventilation much, only upper entrance.

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My experience is that it is terrible  system .

I have same covers all the year around and I can vent the hive so much that they need. The need is very small.

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In Finland , of course we have a big debate, whose inner covers are best and whose are nothing.
But still all hives do well with theirs system.

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Offline rdy-b

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Re: Vented Inner Cover
« Reply #33 on: January 11, 2010, 01:15:52 am »
finski-what do you think about the pink foam-I wonder if you can place the foam so it covers some of the hole -or you could have hole totaly open-RDY-B

Offline annette

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Re: Vented Inner Cover
« Reply #34 on: January 11, 2010, 12:26:08 pm »
was the pink foam include? RDY-B

Yes and I use it in the winter

Offline Finski

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Re: Vented Inner Cover
« Reply #35 on: January 11, 2010, 12:53:09 pm »
finski-what do you think about the pink foam-I wonder if you can place the foam so it covers some of the hole -or you could have hole totaly open-RDY-B

You live in clayton ca just now weather quite good to bees. http://www.wunderground.com/US/CA/Clayton.html

If you have a mesh floor, you need not upper entrance in winter.

Over all bees need a light air flow so that their respiration air changes.
The moisture moves out, but if it is too cold, moisture condensate indoors.

If the hive has brood, its temp is high and condensation point moves outside of the hive.

But absolutly, one finger size hole in upper part of hive is enough for ventilation.

If the hive is warm, it keeps inside dry.  Think about you homes and ventilation.
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Offline danno

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Re: Vented Inner Cover
« Reply #36 on: January 11, 2010, 01:30:32 pm »
I have honeyrun vented covers on all 30 of my hives.  I built my off the set of plans.  I dont use foam in mine though.  I use bails of straw and break off 3 inch books of it.  It still alows for some venting but insulates and obsorbs.  My upper enterances are cut in the bee space below the inner cover.  They are also only 1" X 3/8" This works very well in my snowy cold Michigan weather
« Last Edit: January 11, 2010, 01:50:42 pm by danno »

Offline annette

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Re: Vented Inner Cover
« Reply #37 on: January 11, 2010, 01:34:10 pm »
I like that your entrances are smaller than mine.  Sometimes I think the entrances are much to big that come with the inner covers.

Offline rdy-b

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Re: Vented Inner Cover
« Reply #38 on: January 11, 2010, 03:26:18 pm »
What About the diferance in the DEWPOINT -watter in air condensing at diferant temps- :? RDY-B  ;)

Offline Finski

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Re: Vented Inner Cover
« Reply #39 on: January 11, 2010, 10:40:04 pm »
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My hive set up is the same all year around. Same stuff and same insulations and same covers.

Only difference is that I put a planket of geotextile in front of hives which protect entrance against snow and wind. ( Dec-Feb)

In summer I look from number of ventilated bees, how big main entrance open they need.

Upper cover insulation is important sot that  the cover does not condensate moisture down onto frames.

Very important is to deminish the the hive so that colony fill wintering space with bees.
It keep interrior warm and move DEWPOINT somewhere out of honey stores.  

If the ventilation is too big, it spends winter food and brings the colony nearer starvation.
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With this system 20 kg sugar per hive is enough to get hives over winter from September to April and I need not worry about they condition. There are perhaps 5 kg honey/hive  with that 20 kg sugar.

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