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Author Topic: Question regarding proper usage of triangular bee escape and inner covers  (Read 3103 times)

Offline Parksguyy

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Hello everyone,
Second year beek here from the north (Ottawa area, Ontario). Looks like we have some honey to harvest and will be using a triangular bee escape to remove the bees from the honey supers. So, which way is it installed ... with the triangle facing up (into the bottom of the honey super) or facing down (into the top the deep brood chamber)?
Hello everyone,
Second question regards winter placement of inner cover. My inner covers all have a notched opening in them (the rimmed side). In the summer that notch is placed facing upward ... and thats how I left it last winter. I've been told I should have flipped it over for the winter, with the notch facing downward, providing a direct opening into the upper brood chamber. Can someone clarify that for me ... I know its extremely important to provide ventilation during our long cold winters to deal with condensation. Either option provides that ventilation, but I just want to ensure I'm doing what is proper. I also keep a bottom entrance as well, and will be using the bigger of the two on my entrance reducers. Last winter I stayed with the smaller opening plus a mouse guard. Given the amount of dead bees on the bottom boards (which I'm told is normal) I questioned just how much ventilation that little hole was providing, hense the change up this winter.
Thanks

Offline Kathyp

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i don't have notches, so i can't help you there, but do some searches on here about ventilation.  there have been many debates. 

i don't ventilate in winter.  others do.  here is my thinking:  the bees spend all of the late summer and early fall plugging up the hive so that there is no ventilation.  they expend a huge amount of energy  to keep the cluster warm in winter. 

do you have a fireplace in your house?  if so, you probably don't leave the flue open when you don't have a fire going.  why?  because the  heat from your home will be sucked out through the chimney. that's what it's for. 
why would you do that to your hive?  if there are bottom and top openings and warmth in the hive, the effect is the same for them as for your home.
heat rises.  it's going to leak out an upper entrance faster than a lower.

the danger to the cluster is moisture dripping on it.  solve that problem by tipping the hive slightly and by making sure that moisture can't get into the top.  i have cut some very thin insulation to fit over the top, under the cover, so that warmth is retained and the sideways rain can't slip under there. 

that's my thinking....others think differently. 
Someone really ought to tell them that the world of Ayn Rand?s novel was not meant to be aspirational.

Offline BeeMaster2

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Hello everyone,
Second year beek here from the north (Ottawa area, Ontario). Looks like we have some honey to harvest and will be using a triangular bee escape to remove the bees from the honey supers. So, which way is it installed ... with the triangle facing up (into the bottom of the honey super) or facing down (into the top the deep brood chamber)?
Look at the escape devise, one side has large hole and the other side has 3 small openings, they are the size of one bee. Put the large opening towards the honey super and the other side down towards the brood box. I build a couple of them and they are a pain to use. you have to open up the hive and install it below the honey supers and then wait 24 hours. Then you go in, if the wheather is still good and there are still a lot of bees left that you will need to shake off.
Try getting Bee quick or Beedun. These are the ones that smell good, like almond extract. Take 2 spare inner covers or similar size boards and staple a bath towel or a piece of cloth to them. Cut off any excess material. Spray a light coat of the bee quick on the cloths, place one in your transport vehicle (truck, wagon, wheel barrow), cloth up better yet don't spray this one until you are ready to place the super on it, place the other one directly above the honey super you plan to remove, wait 5-6 minutes (use a watch of some sort), remove the super and place it on the board in your vehicle, cover it up leaving small holes only in the corners, cardboard the size of the super works great with something to hold it down. The bees remaining will be fighting to get out of the super. Do the same to the rest of the supers, adding them on top of the first one, only leaving an opens on the top super. if the bees refuse to leave, you probably have brood in the super and will have to locate it and put that frame/s back in the hive. I do not use excluders but suspect if your super is directly above an excluder, it will make it very difficult for them to exit the box.
Democracy is 2 wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for lunch. Liberty is a well armed lamb contesting the vote.
Ben Franklin

Offline Michael Bush

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The triangle side is the part that confuses them and keeps them from going through the hole.  The "hole" side is the side they can easily find the hole, so the hole goes towards the super.  You need to make sure no bees can get IN the supers or they will rob it, so any notched inner cover etc. has to be either removed or blocked.  Now in the days of SHB, I would not leave it on more than 24 hours.  If there is brood in the super, they will not leave.

http://www.bushfarms.com/beesharvest.htm#escapes
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 Finski

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If you have a mesh floor, then do not use any openings up.

If you have solid floor, keep an entrance open in a front wall. I use 15 mm wide.

Ia have same inner cover the whole year. It is a box with 7 cm high sides.
The boar is 9 mm thick wooden slices. Insulation is recycled foam plastic matress, 7 cm thick

The structure lets moisture go through. Most of moisture goes via upper entrance.

Insulated hives are very handy even in Canada. Get polyhives and try them.
I bought first polyhives 1987.
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Offline Finski

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Don't lead respiration air under rain cover. It makes no sense.
It makes only loft wet.
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