Beemaster's International Beekeeping Forum

BEEKEEPING LEARNING CENTER => EQUIPMENT USAGE, EXPERIMENTATION, HIVE PLANS, CONSTRUCTION TIPS AND TOOLS => Topic started by: gdog on August 28, 2013, 07:49:34 pm

Title: Top ventilation for winter
Post by: gdog on August 28, 2013, 07:49:34 pm

Can those of you who have a nice set up for ventilating hives in the winter show some pictures of what you have so I can get a better idea of how to set up my hives. I live in the area of Milwaukee Wisconsin.

Thank you

Title: Re: Top ventilation for winter
Post by: Michael Bush on August 29, 2013, 09:22:29 am

http://www.bushfarms.com/beestopentrance.htm (http://www.bushfarms.com/beestopentrance.htm)
http://www.bushfarms.com/beeswinter.htm (http://www.bushfarms.com/beeswinter.htm)

Title: Re: Top ventilation for winter
Post by: OldMech on August 29, 2013, 04:04:25 pm

Use care!!!
   I put top entrances on two of my hives two days ago built as shown. Reduced lower entrance to 1 inch.    Came home that afternoon (95 Degrees, 78% humidity) to find both hives packed with dead sticky bees filling the lower deep. I do not know if they could not figure out how to get out or what the issue was.  Pretty sure they overheated due to the packed and tiny lower entrance.
   Might wait until its cooler and less ventilation is required so they can adapt.
   I wish I had.



    Perhaps a larger entrance at the bottom until they figure out the top entrance is there?

Title: Re: Top ventilation for winter
Post by: Michael Bush on August 29, 2013, 10:06:21 pm

Gradual works best for things like entrance changes.  Add the top entrance.  Wait a few days.  Partially block the bottom entrance.  Wait a few days.  Reduce the bottom to about one bee wide and wait a few more days.  Then block it.