Oh No! Not Matchsticks Again?

[ericbeaumont]

do not know or understand that roof ventilation has nothing to do with hive ventilation - at least it should not.

Agreed, but in practice a wood hive is sold with an OMF, a crownboard with feedholes and a ventilated roof. The novice beekeeper has no idea of the outcome of this disastrous combination and the supplier isn't going to tell them - supposing they knew - so in the real world roof ventilation equates to hive ventilation in the unquestioning minds of too many.

To complicate matters for the beginner the purpose of the crownboard holes is not explained, and it takes a while to unlearn the retailed set-up, seal and insulate the crownboard and improve thermal efficiency.

Truth is that a genuine crownboard has no holes, but who is to tell the beginner? It takes an open mind and a few years to convince them that suppliers are more interested in selling the same-old than producing better beekeepers.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Agreed, but in practice a wood hive is sold with an OMF, a crownboard with feedholes and a ventilated roof. The novice beekeeper has no idea of the outcome of this disastrous combination and the supplier isn't going to tell them - supposing they knew - so in the real world roof ventilation equates to hive ventilation in the unquestioning minds of too many.

And then you throw the BBKA in to the mess, and chaos ensues

 

[Vergilius]

Agreed, but in practice a wood hive is sold with an OMF, a crownboard with feedholes and a ventilated roof. The novice beekeeper has no idea of the outcome of this disastrous combination and the supplier isn't going to tell them - supposing they knew - so in the real world roof ventilation equates to hive ventilation in the unquestioning minds of too many.

To complicate matters for the beginner the purpose of the crownboard holes is not explained, and it takes a while to unlearn the retailed set-up, seal and insulate the crownboard and improve thermal efficiency.

Truth is that a genuine crownboard has no holes, but who is to tell the beginner? It takes an open mind and a few years to convince them that suppliers are more interested in selling the same-old than producing better beekeepers.

The other day I was helping out a supposedly quite experienced beekeeper on an OMF set up, who wouldn’t let me tell him he was wasting his and his bees’ time scraping off the propolis that covered the annoying mesh things he’d whacked on the feed holes. ‘They need air flow’ I think were his words...

 

[Gilberdyke John]

The other day I was helping out a supposedly quite experienced beekeeper on an OMF set up, who wouldn’t let me tell him he was wasting his and his bees’ time scraping off the propolis that covered the annoying mesh things he’d whacked on the feed holes. ‘They need air flow’ I think were his words...

Experience or longevity does not necessarily equal competence

 

[Antipodes]

Agreed, but in practice a wood hive is sold with an OMF, a crownboard with feedholes and a ventilated roof. The novice beekeeper has no idea of the outcome of this disastrous combination and the supplier isn't going to tell them - supposing they knew - so in the real world roof ventilation equates to hive ventilation in the unquestioning minds of too many.

To complicate matters for the beginner the purpose of the crownboard holes is not explained, and it takes a while to unlearn the retailed set-up, seal and insulate the crownboard and improve thermal efficiency.

Truth is that a genuine crownboard has no holes, but who is to tell the beginner? It takes an open mind and a few years to convince them that suppliers are more interested in selling the same-old than producing better beekeepers.

 

[Antipodes]

With this sort of lid, up to 150kg of honey per hive can be gathered in two months. The holes in the lids are like this for transportation but generally remain open once the hives are on site. Apparently it makes little or no difference to honey gathering ability etc.

 

[hemo]

The other day I was helping out a supposedly quite experienced beekeeper on an OMF set up, who wouldn’t let me tell him he was wasting his and his bees’ time scraping off the propolis that covered the annoying mesh things he’d whacked on the feed holes. ‘They need air flow’ I think were his words...

Sounds like the teaching from bunch at the LBKA I'm still a member of (at least for the remainder of the year).

 

[BigAshW]

I kept them like that all year but all the floors are Under Floor Entrance now

Now I have a nice free supply of pallet wood I'm working on making all my floors like this.

Once I sort out the multi function crown board and roofs from the same timber I'll only have to buy boxes and QE for my hives. Will be putting a good slab of insulation in the crown boards once the feeders are removed for winter as well.