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Marco666

New Bee
Joined
May 24, 2015
Messages
61
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1
Location
Seaford
Hive Type
National
Number of Hives
3
Hi everyone,
I've got a polystyrene Hive and it came with a plastic sheet that I think it is supposed to go between the brood box and the roof. The issue I've got is that when I put it in place, the bees can't walk on top of the frames anymore. Is that a problem? Should they have more space at the top or it is ok for them to move from a frame to another using just the bottom of the frame?
Thank you very much.
Marco.
 
Hi everyone,
I've got a polystyrene Hive and it came with a plastic sheet that I think it is supposed to go between the brood box and the roof. The issue I've got is that when I put it in place, the bees can't walk on top of the frames anymore. Is that a problem?

not at all - it's designed that way so that the bees don't glue the lid to the top of the frames - and that really is a PITA
 
Should they have more space at the top or it is ok for them to move from a frame to another using just the bottom of the frame?
It isn't a problem. Bees will attach comb to the top of whatever cavity they live in, so can't normally walk above the top of the comb.
 
and if the bee space in your hive is correct, they should be able to go around the sides of the frames as well.
 
Marco, that is the way most polyhives are sold.

Doesn't mean its the best way, but its sort of adequate, and its cheap.

A stiff/rigid (not sagging) coverboard with a frame to provide beespace over the frame topbars is a great improvement.
Same goes for a rigid wire Queen eXcluder in a beespace frame.

The beespace frame makes it VERY much easier to replace coverboard and QX after inspection, without crushing bees.

You can buy framed polycarbonate coverboards for not much under £20. I've made some (that work perfectly satisfactorily) from twinwall glazing sheet, 10mm sq stripwood, some glue, staples and aluminium sticky tape. Cost probably under £7 each.

For the future (Autumn) you may want to make a (framed) plywood coverboard with a hole in it. Such a thing can be the basis of a clearing board (for emptying bees from supers) and a feeding board (supporting some sort of feeder). If you put a 3" approx rim on one side and a 10mm (beespace) rim on the other, you are set for both jobs. Its only needed for a few weeks of the year, and ply supports weight better than plastic, so I compromise on the transparency...
 
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