Porter bee escapes - cover or not?

[mocko]

Hi All,

I have just got my first two nucleus colonies which I have transferred today into the brood boxes and started to feed through the hole in the crown board (Where the porter bee escapes were previously).

I was just wondering if I should actually cover the holes or not after I have removed the feeder? what is the likeliness of them building comb in the roof or any adverse problem? Opinion either side would be appreciated.

Many thanks

Andy

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Andy
I think the consensus is you should cover them - just a bit of slate or glass will do it
Emyr

 

[nonstandard]

Well Andy, that's one big can of worms you have opened ; some do, some don't.

I don't through the summer but do in the winter.

I guess you could try one of each and see what suits you.

 

[oliver90owner]

No, don't cover them completely (solidly, per se). Cover with a piece of wire gauze and see what the bees will do. That way you will learn by seeing how much top ventilation the bees actually want without allowing them into the roof space. They would have the option to uncover it later if they wanted to.

They will, of course, reduce it to what they need by propolising it over - nearly all of it will be covered as a minimum. After you have seen it for yourself, you will never bother to leave large holes as top ventilation ever again. My guess is it will be completely covered if you have OMFs.

Regards, RAB

 

[Poly Hive]

I agree.

Further make yourself a couple of proper clearer boards and you will most likely never have issues clearing your supers.

Put the holes in the corners, I use two diagonally opposite and an escape gap of 8mm.

PH

 

[YorkshireBees]

I do cover the holes on my crown boards with a thin piece of ply and find that in most hives the bees have glued it down so they obviously don't need any top ventilation.
All my hives are on OMF's I should mention.

A piece of gauze / mesh is an interesting idea, may try that if I have time.

 

[oliver90owner]

YorkshireBees,

may try that if I have time

Believe me - and save your time. I sometimes use gauze over the crownboard holes while moving bees (extra ventilation). If left on, it is glued up with propolis at the next visit.

I only wrote that as a demonstration for anyone who disbelieves me.

Regards, RAB

 

[whizzwheels]

I put a quarry tile over the hole in my bee hives and the bees glue up any gaps, so they obviously don't need any vents.

 

[huntsman666]

Depends on your hive.

I have open mesh floors on mine and cover the holes with pieces of slate, i.e. bottom ventilation only.

If your hive(s) have top ventilation then leave them uncovered.

 

[Hebeegeebee]

mocko

Why not put the porter escape back in the hole it came from?
It allows some small top ventillation, any stray bees can get back but bees can defend of wasps get in under the lid and try to get in.
And you don't get loose bees around when you take the roof off.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

mocko

Why not put the porter escape back in the hole it came from?
It allows some small top ventillation, any stray bees can get back but bees can defend of wasps get in under the lid and try to get in.
And you don't get loose bees around when you take the roof off.

And then the bees will propolise the porter escape solid thus totally useless bit of kit when it comes around to clearing the supers (or if the wrong way round a roof full of extremely stressed/dead bees!)

I hope you didn't join this forum expecting to get a straight answer Andy!!

 

[Poly Hive]

I used to have a slide of a travelling screen totally propolised, and that on a ntimber national box which proved to me once and for all bees hate top ventilation.

Porter bee escapes are yet another item which should be off the sellers lists as they are a sell and sell again item which can be easily replaced by a better system.

I am off to the bees to do some urgent work and will take some pics of my clearer boards. Which have no moving parts.

PH

 

[mocko]

I do have bottom ventilation via a varroa floor. The Hive roof has ventilation but has mesh covering this to stop anything from getting inside the top of the hive or out for that reason.

Most people I have talked to have said to cover this or buy a crownboard with no holes for bee escapes and use only the crownboards with holes for feeding.
However I think I may just cover the holes with some correx sheet I have lying around (after feeding) or does it need to be heavier material?

Thanks again

Andy

 

[huntsman666]

Andy, with an open mesh floor there is no need for top ventilation. I'd close this up.

Two other things you might consider using are a solid crown board as you say, and for feeding use an Ashfort feeder and for clearing use a Canadian clearer (much quicker in getting them down.)

Anyway, with your present arrangment there's little to worry about them putting brace comb above the crown board as you'll be scraping brace comb away from other hive parts as a bit of routine maintenance when you visit the girls.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

I do have bottom ventilation via a varroa floor. The Hive roof has ventilation but has mesh covering this to stop anything from getting inside the top of the hive or out for that reason.

Most people I have talked to have said to cover this or buy a crownboard with no holes for bee escapes and use only the crownboards with holes for feeding.
However I think I may just cover the holes with some correx sheet I have lying around (after feeding) or does it need to be heavier material?

Thanks again

Andy

Andy - I have separate feeder, clearer and blank crownboards but I'm lucky at the moment in having a free source of materials.
I should think the correx would be fine anything heavier than the bees can lift
Emyr

 

[kronkie]

I am reading this post and as a relitivly newbee am getting confused, what iis the differance between a crown board and a clearing board?

 

[huntsman666]

<what is the differance between a crown board and a clearing board?>

Clearer boards basically come in two types. One uses Porter Bee Escapes and the other called a Canadian clearer board has a number of tunnels, with no moving parts and about eight exits, making for reliable and fast clearing of the bees from the supers. However, much more expensive.

There are of course many other less popular variations.

Canadian boards cannot be used as a crown board but the one that facilitates Porter escapes can be.

Hope this helps.

 

[Monsieur Abeille]

A crown board is simply a piece of wood which goes over the top box and under the roof.

A clearing board makes a one way escape for the bees for example to help with clearing supers for harvesting .

Most crown boards have two holes in them into which you can fit porter bee escapes - pieces of plastic covering a metal "gate" whch allows one way passage for the bees - thereby turning the crown board into a clearer board.

Not all crown boards have these holes, and there are other types of clearer boards such as the Canadian

 

[Cazza]

Andy - I have separate feeder, clearer and blank crownboards but I'm lucky at the moment in having a free source of materials.
I should think the correx would be fine anything heavier than the bees can lift
Emyr

I reckon the bees would lift correx as it's relatively light and together they are pretty strong. Worth a try but a piece of wood or slate or even an old coaster all work well.
Cazza

 

[kronkie]

Thanks Huntsman and Monsieur, I wont make a fool of myself at a meeting now.