Author Topic: ventilated hive tops vs D.E. hive ventilated tops (Read 3231 times)

BEE C · « **on:** September 12, 2006, 06:50:50 am »

I am interested in the D.E. hive ventilation aspect. I don't have the cash to 'solve' my propolis problem, but helping bees to ventilate the hive in summer and winter appeals to me. I cut a three inch by six inch ventilation hole in one of my inner covers and used it as the lid for one of my hives this season. ( screened of course) My field notes are bad...but I noticed that I have had a great harvest off of these new package hives. I think the ventilation given to the hives (I switched the inner cover between them periodically) seemed to help. Does anyone use a D.E. mod ventilation box or something similar that they find helps. I like the idea, and it makes good sense to me, but what specs do people use. I want to make my own version of a D.E. hive ventilation top but don't want to over/under do it. I can't find blueprints of the D.E. so don't know exactly how it works for measurements. Does anyone have any ideas. I will definitely use a screened inner cover next summer, but I am insulating my hives for winter and would like to make a modified top outer cover incorporating the D.E. Principles. Thanks...

Hi-Tech · « **Reply #1 on:** September 12, 2006, 04:57:41 pm »

Here is what i did and it works great...

I took a medium super and with a tablesaw cut it into 2 equal peices. Basically i ended up with 2 supers about 3 inces tall (super shallow supers?).

I then drilled 5 one inch holes in the back and covered them with 1/8 hardware cloth to prevent the bees from going out that way.

I then use it in place of a top cover between my uppermost hive body or super and my tele top cover.

They now do a whole lot less bearding and it didnt give hive beatles a new place to hide....

Zoot · « **Reply #2 on:** September 12, 2006, 05:33:39 pm »

I got this idea from Brian D.

I fabricated several modified Imirie shims with the addition of a screened slot along each side, about 4" long by 3/4" high. I also drilled 3/8" holes in the front member that worked well as top entrances. I credit these combined with my slatted racks with the health of my colonies (not a single mite yet) and the surprize honey harvest I got (hadn't originally hoped for honey this year due to late start). I experimented with placing the shims just above and below my inner covers.

Michael Bush · « **Reply #3 on:** September 12, 2006, 09:59:50 pm »

I had four DE hives and I still have about four or five DE vent kits. I liked them a lot and I made several of my own. My method was to make an inner cover with two holes ths size of a quart jar lid screened with #8 on the bottom. These provide a lot of ventilation and allow me to use jars for feeders. I made several different variations of vent boxes. Some were as small as a one by three with 1" screened holes around it. Some were one by eight boxes (7 1/4" deep) with vents on them. Both worked fine.

The DE Vent kit has a few advantages. There are two positions for the top. One for winter and one for summer. The bottom board is turned 90 degrees to make the hive easier to work and give you the "warm way" for any drafts. The bottom board is very light and durable. The stand is pretty nice too.

In the end I arrived at top entrances and Screened Bottom Boards, which solved my skunk problems and my ventilation problems.

BEE C · « **Reply #4 on:** September 12, 2006, 10:54:44 pm »

Thanks for the replies,
Hi-tech, if I'm mentally grasping this correct, you use the vent box directly over the tops of the frames with the telescopic outer cover over this?
Zoot, i don't know what an Imirie shim is? I picture screened slots along something like what hi-tech described, is that correct?
Michael,
I have been making screened bottom boards so that i can clean the floor during early spring, and I use top and bottom entrances pretty much all the time now for air flow. I was curious, what do you have for ventilation during winter?
I think I will just make screened bottom boards and some sort of vent boxes for winter and summer. Just need to figure out what is too much venting for winter. I will drill holes in my inner cover at four corners, and then put a vent box over that. i want to make a roof on the vent box that vents through the pitch at front and back. A slight pitch will be ok because I built hive stands with rests for the boxes when they come off, so no need to use the tele lid to rest them on. Thanks steve

Zoot · « **Reply #5 on:** September 12, 2006, 11:22:09 pm »

You could probably find some pictures of one in Brushy Mt's or Better Bee's sites or catalogues. It's basically a simple 4 sided shim that's usually 3/4" high but can be a bit smaller. Imagine simply cutting the bottom 3/4" off any hive box - that would be an Imirie shim.

George Imirie "invented" it years ago though I suspect beekeepers have always made them. He's allegedly appropriated credit for a few other tidbits but he is still considered to be one of the last old school masters. His "Pink pages" are a hoot to read and often contain useful info.

As for the shim - people around here also use them to make space for pollen patties, top entrances, etc - very useful.
I have noticed a tendancy for the bees to fill the space with burr comb.

Hi-Tech · « **Reply #6 on:** September 13, 2006, 12:51:22 am »

That is correct. I thought they might build a lot of burr comb but so far it has been very little.

Brian D. Bray · « **Reply #7 on:** September 13, 2006, 02:51:45 am »

>>The bottom board is turned 90 degrees to make the hive easier to work and give you the "warm way" for any drafts.

It also makes it easier to work the hive from a wheelchair. The upper entrance would do the same job as a vented shim. I'm glad that ventilation is becoming such an accepted management technic. For years those beekeepers I came in contact with thought I was crazy.

But as Zoot points out proper ventilation can increase a hives harvest as they don't have to work so hard on ventilation themselves and can, therefore, devote more workers to foraging.

One of these days I'll get around to telling you guys how to get the most out of and the versitility 5 frame nuc boxes.

Zoot · « **Reply #8 on:** September 13, 2006, 11:51:01 am »

Brian,

I hope you will do that some time soon (elaborate upon the methods of 5 frame nuc management). I hope to have some in the spring, probably via the lazy man's way of simply purchasing several from some reputable local people. I had hoped to start at least one this past August by pulling frames from my bigger colony but my inability to find the queen ( an apparently strong, vibrant queen) in that has continually confounded me. The educational benefits of the experience (managing nucs) would be, I'm sure, worth the effort.

Brian D. Bray · « **Reply #9 on:** September 14, 2006, 01:22:18 am »

It is worth the experience.
Try this one: Take a Deep nuc box and mount boards on each side and across the ends so that it resembles a migratory top with the nuc sticking out of it. Inside mount 4 cross peices (it might be easier to do this first) about four inches apart. You can now use it to install packaged bees into a hive by placing the queen between frames as usuall and turning the package upside down inside the altered nuc box. This is my no stress method--no more shaking the bees out of the package.
With the cross pieces you can feed grease patties, bee candy, feeder cans, or put up to 5 frame feeders on a hive at once.
It also works well when introducing a nuc to a larger box. Allowing the hive to remain in a space it's familiar with and yet enable it to move down into the new box at the same time.