Bees on crown board - silly ?

[AndreaW]

Okay folks I am new at all this so bear with me

Just starting my practical course so not too sure about everything I see yet. Have been roped into looking after someone's 3 hives which are well established in the meantime

Question is when I opened one hive today there were loads of bees on top of crown board - do they just do this? I had a feeling I had read somewhere that it meant something. There are 3 supers on this hive already above QE, on a commercial brood box - hive was very very busy although it could be normal for this time of year, lots going on in the supers, only a few frames of capped honey though.

Do I need to put on more supers or is this all normal? Thanks.

 

[freethorpe bees]

Hi Andrea

The holes in the crownboard should be covered otherwise they will get up into the roofspace.

FB

 

[Howsoonisnow]

Andrea

The holes in the crown board should be open to aid ventilation for removing the water in the nectar to produce honey.

If they want to chill out in the roof space, I don't mind.

 

[jimbeekeeper]

Hi Andrea

The holes in the crownboard should be covered otherwise they will get up into the roofspace.

FB

Many people do not cover the crown board holes!

In fact it can be a life (swarm) saver, if for any reason you miss an inspection, holiday etc it gives them that bit extra space to build in (as a very last resort).

 

[thurrock bees]

i keep the openings on the crown board open, i would add another super as ive found that when there alot of bees above the crownboard its a sign that there is too little room for the bees.

 

[northernsoul]

open in the summer!

 

[oliver90owner]

Get real. If you want to leave the holes open COVER THEM WITH SOME MESH to contain the bees. You will soon see whether the bees want that extra ventilation or not.

BEES SHOULD NOT HAVE ACCESS TO THE ROOF SPACE. SIMPLE. FULL STOP.

When will new beeks ever learn if they are told such rubbish?

Too bl**dy late when the bees are crowding in the roof! They are by then, far too overcrowded!

I learned that ten years ago. The information is now freely available on the net. I, too, have had the roof ventilators (not the crownboard) closed completely by the bees.

Then in the winter, when these same beeks put matchsicks under the crownboard (and think they are giving top ventilation), they are oblivious to the fact that the bees were streets ahead of them and have already sealed them, leaving a great big roof area for heat loss but not enough ventilation. Ha Ha.

Just think about it. It should make sense even to the average beek.

RAB

 

[northernsoul]

Disagree. If you want to tempt them in to swarming, make them really cramped and really hot

 

[oliver90owner]

Northernsoul,

Read my post again.

I said: COVER THEM WITH SOME MESH

I said let the bees decide. If they want/need the ventilation they will not proploise the mesh. I can tell you now that they will. They are not so stupid. They know far better than any beek what ventilation they need. They will not be too hot unless there is insufficient bottom ventilation - OMFs are absolutely great for that - and even on solid floors they will still propolise that mesh covering the crownboard holes. Just try it and see, then you might just stop perpetuating a myth.

The 'cramped' bit, I am afraid, is also down to you, the beekeeper. I can well understand that you might have a swarming problem if you are relying on the roof space as a means of swarm control!

RAB

 

[justme]

Get real. If you want to leave the holes open COVER THEM WITH SOME MESH to contain the bees. You will soon see whether the bees want that extra ventilation or not.

BEES SHOULD NOT HAVE ACCESS TO THE ROOF SPACE. SIMPLE. FULL STOP.

When will new beeks ever learn if they are told such rubbish?

Too bl**dy late when the bees are crowding in the roof! They are by then, far too overcrowded!

I learned that ten years ago. The information is now freely available on the net. I, too, have had the roof ventilators (not the crownboard) closed completely by the bees.

Then in the winter, when these same beeks put matchsicks under the crownboard (and think they are giving top ventilation), they are oblivious to the fact that the bees were streets ahead of them and have already sealed them, leaving a great big roof area for heat loss but not enough ventilation. Ha Ha.

Just think about it. It should make sense even to the average beek.

RAB

That makes much more sense than the previous posts. Only time I let my bees in the roof is to clean honey/nectar out of wild comb that I've put there. Other than that covered in mesh.

Di.

 

[jimbeekeeper]

99 out of 100, when the roof is removed there are no bees on the crown board, the 1 time they are they you know they should not be.

personal choice, I see no issue with them open.

 

[AndreaW]

So does this sound like they are overcrowded and need another super? The guy I am looking after the bees for has spare supers so I can easily put one on.

Sounds like the jury is out on the crown board holes being open

 

[Poly Hive]

I agree with Oliver.

Leaving crown boards with open holes is asking for trouble, not to mention wild comb every where.

In the dim and distant past it may have made a tiny bit of sense with solid floors but with OMF it is frankly silly.

PH

 

[oliver90owner]

personal choice, I see no issue with them open.

So try it with mesh over the holes - after all it will only affect them just once in a hundred inspections. When they have propolised the mesh ask yourself the question: Why did they do that?

 

[Tom Bick]

Open or closed you are right it’s a personal choice.

If they have 3 supers on now they are doing great and your friend perhaps knows what they are up to.

Given the time of year it will not hurt to put another on better safe than sorry.

 

[Poly Hive]

Tom?

Somewhere I have a slide of a travelling screen left on by way of a crown board and the bees propolised the whole thing.

Now why would they go to all that effort?

Because they hate over head ventilation is why. Seen it many many times, propolised mesh on the CB holes.

It is not a personal choice at all it is something that is being inflicted on creatures who detest it. How many hollow trees have a vent ? Not many used by bees I can lay money on that.

If you listen to the bees it makes it all so much easier.

PH

 

[Tom Bick]

personal choice, I see no issue with them open.

So try it with mesh over the holes - after all it will only affect them just once in a hundred inspections. When they have propolised the mesh ask yourself the question: Why did they do that?

Rab I know this is off topic but do you construct your hives with no roof ventilation given what you say.

 

[AndreaW]

I agree with Oliver.

Leaving crown boards with open holes is asking for trouble, not to mention wild comb every where.

In the dim and distant past it may have made a tiny bit of sense with solid floors but with OMF it is frankly silly.

PH

These have solid floors

 

[AndreaW]

Open or closed you are right it’s a personal choice.

If they have 3 supers on now they are doing great and your friend perhaps knows what they are up to.

Given the time of year it will not hurt to put another on better safe than sorry.

Hmmn he actually has put the supers on to prevent a swarm as noone had looked at the hives since last year. First time we opened them up was 12 days ago. He is allergic to bees so gets beginners in to learn and do the close up stuff.

 

[Poly Hive]

Well that is something to discuss with the owner and possibly drag hem/her into modern times.

Put on a super if you are unsure.

I have been on mesh floors since 1989.

PH