Cover board blocks

[manek]

I just 3D printed a few of these custom blocks to fill the holes in cover boards. I don't use Porter escapes so this seemed like an easier path than pinning bits of mesh over the holes.

 

[Anduril]

I use small clear solid pieces of acrylic sheet to cover the holes, no ventilation and the bees propolise them down.

 

[manek]

I think a bit of ventilation is a good thing - hence the mesh holes. They've yet to be tested in anger though, so I shouldn't be surprised if the bees propolise them. Their choice...

 

[Anduril]

Using the clear acrylic I can see where the bees are and it keeps them warmer.

 

[Popparand]

I cut out a piece from scrap wood and press it in. Doesn't have to be too accurate - the bees propolise any gaps. Two minute job. Why replace with mesh when the whole floor is open plan?

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

I just 3D printed a few of these custom blocks to fill the holes in cover boards. I don't use Porter escapes so this seemed like an easier path than pinning bits of mesh over the holes.

No need to pin mesh - just put a piece of thin plywood, slate or plastic over the holes - bees don't need holes in crown boards bees will supply any ventilation they need without us turning the hive into a cooling tower

 

[manek]

I'm going to use these to fill the escape holes in my glass quilts - best of both worlds?

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

best of both worlds?

Not with holes in they're not

 

[manek]

Well, if the bees don't like it, they'll fill them in. Or I can print blocks without holes. Whatever...

 

[XYZ]

Looks decent Manek. What software are you using to make your 3D models? And which printer do you have?

Not too difficult to modify the model I'm sure. Looks like a really nice solution to neatly block the hole.
I may have to blow the dust off my 3D printer - are you sharing the file?

 

[Erichalfbee]

I use small clear solid pieces of acrylic sheet to cover the holes, no ventilation and the bees propolise them down.

Same here. Bits of Payne’s plastic crownboards cut into squares. No need to print those. I’m sure a bit of plastic bag would do

 

[manek]

I just 3D printed a few of these custom blocks to fill the holes in cover boards. I don't use Porter escapes so this seemed like an easier path than pinning bits of mesh over the holes.

Looks decent Manek. What software are you using to make your 3D models? And which printer do you have?

Not too difficult to modify the model I'm sure. Looks like a really nice solution to neatly block the hole.
I may have to blow the dust off my 3D printer - are you sharing the file?

Thanks - I just use Tinkercad (free and easy!). Here's the STL file.

 

[pargyle]

Same here. Bits of Payne’s plastic crownboards cut into squares. No need to print those. I’m sure a bit of plastic bag would do

I wonder how long the propensity for giving bees ventilation is going to continue .. I thought Bill Bielby had knocked that theory into toiuch in the 1970's ..50 years on and there are STILL people who think the bees need it ...

I was totally convinced in my first season with bees when mine propolised every gap above the brood nest so there are no draughts ...and I didn't have any holes in my crownboards ... they were all covered.

It's the same with insulation ... I still hear - "keep them cold keep them healthy" - goodness knows why..

 

[Erichalfbee]

Indeed
And people are still convinced that bees in poly hives eat more in the winter because they are more active. Maybe that’s where the keep them cold and tightly clustered idea comes from?

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Indeed
And people are still convinced that bees in poly hives eat more in the winter because they are more active. Maybe that’s where the keep them cold and tightly clustered idea comes from?

there does seem to be a propensity amongst the beekeeping community of repeating parrot fashion something written by a victorial bee dabbler with a quill pen and totally ignoring the fact that since it was written man has learn to fly and drive horseless carriages.

 

[thorn]

It's the matchstick manufacturers trying to find a new market since the decline in smoking who are keeping the myth alive.

 

[mintmoth]

Indeed
And people are still convinced that bees in poly hives eat more in the winter because they are more active. Maybe that’s where the keep them cold and tightly clustered idea comes from?

I have a polyhive next to a cedar hive, both with 2019 bought in Buckfast Q's. Both went into the winter on double brood with the top box of each having 10 frames of sealed stores, plus whatever they had in the bottom boxes. They had pretty much identical numbers of bees in October. By December the cedar hive bees were up in the top box using those stores and feeling very light, by the end of February I had to feed them.

The bees in the poly didn't start on their top box stores till the middle of February and still had untouched frames at the end of March. No contest, my bees do better, keep warmer, and eat less in poly.

 

[Swarm]

I think it is probably more colony dependent than the box they are in, I have double brood cedars where the stores is practically untouched and not one of my colonies had anywhere near ten deep frames of stores over them.

 

[Antipodes]

In the UK, if you move hives (to the heather say), do you use lids with ventilation holes (generally two at each end) similar to what are called "migratory" lids here? (see hive on left).

It reminded me of something when the discussion came up here with manek's ventilated covers. For some reason the bees are disinclined to propolise the ventilation mesh pieces when they are attached on the outside of the hole.

 

[Anduril]

No, we use travel screens, which replace a crownboard and no roof. These are temporary fixtures, basically a wooden frame with mesh. Yours look similar to the US and they appear to keep them on all year round.