Spacers under crownboard

[RogueDrone]

Can some one explian the reason for this ? I was at the LBS today and notice the Apiary manager had blocked the Holes in CB but put spacers under each corner what pupose ?

Please explian difference venting through roof space venting under roof space.

Confused.com

Colin

 

[itma]

Yes, its own-brand burger time again!

 

[richardbees]

Did he use the traditional matchsticks as spacers?

His reason is to avoid a cold draft up through the centre of the cluster but give some air circulation around the edges of the bb to vent damp air. I always used to do it before using open mesh floors (omf) as imo these provide sufficient ventilation.

 

[VEG]

Does he have shares in swan vesta?
Is he on the committee of the BBKA ?

 

[RogueDrone]

Spacers 3 or 4mm hardboard.
Richard thanks for explination.

What are current thoughts worthy or not?

Volin

 

[richardbees]

Volin

You will have noticed derisory comments above!

I used to do it when my hives had solid floors but with omf it's not necessary. However, I think it's agreed that the holes in the CB should always be blocked unless being used for feeding or for 'bee escapes'

richard

 

[oliver90owner]

I used to do it when my hives had solid floors

Well, I don't even do it with solid floors. Raising the brood box by 3mm works much better. Of course, one has to beware of driving rain, but that is easily countered, if one actually thinks about it.

 

[For want of a better word]

if one actually thinks about it


Classic Tractor Man.... nine more posts to go for the 10K !


As to matchsticks...for some tradition and good old fashioned dogma die hard ... does he sprinkle icing sugar over the bees too ?

 

[Luminos]

if one actually thinks about it


Classic Tractor Man.... nine more posts to go for the 10K !


As to matchsticks...for some tradition and good old fashioned dogma die hard ... does he sprinkle icing sugar over the bees too ?

Then what?
Time for his first service?

 

[For want of a better word]

Then what?
Time for his first service?

A new crank and a rebore perhaps?

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Can some one explian the reason for this ? I was at the LBS today and notice the Apiary manager had blocked the Holes in CB but put spacers under each corner what pupose ?
Colin

Cos he's an eejit and just following old dogma

 

[VEG]

old school tie cos thats how it has always been done
these new fangled ideas lol

 

[MuswellMetro]

Can some one explian the reason for this ? I was at the LBS today and notice the Apiary manager had blocked the Holes in CB but put spacers under each corner what pupose ?

Please explian difference venting through roof space venting under roof space.

Confused.com

Colin

until 1946, no one really ventilated the top crown board, until Wedmore published his 1947 book "The ventilation of bee-hives" in which he said hives needed ventilation as langstroth proposed in 1852 quote " a small week colony need through ventilation"

having read Wedmores 1947 book it contains some unscientific statements of what's going on in a hive and air flow,, his theory on brood temperature and cluster reaction to cold and warmth is blown out of the water by books like the Tuatz Buzz abouth bees and other papers on cluset behaviour

But alas some still follow wedmore's ventialtion methods though i expect none have read his book and now have massive 45x45 cm open floors

The hardoard insert you saw used was wedmore's preferred method rather than matchsticks or coins

 

[user 6228]

The match sticks at the corners loses more heat than leaving the feed hole open. The match sticks doubles the heat loss of a wooden Bnat. But since the Wooden Bnat loses lots of heat its quite an achievement.

 

[Madge]

until 1946, no one really ventilated the top crown board ...

Did they only use the entrance (and probably reduced) as venitlation?
Kitta

 

[Cazza]

Did they only use the entrance (and probably reduced) as venitlation?
Kitta

I was taught to keep bees by a dear old man who was definately practising pre-1946 methods. He used only the entrance, reduced only at wasp time but open with mouseguards in Winter, glass quilts with hessian sacking as insulation all year round.

His bees were fine.
Cazza

 

[itma]

A week or two ago, I learned about a rather orthodox, senior and respected beek who made a point of adding (Kingspan/Celotex-type) insulation above his crownboard when treating with Apiguard.

YES!

The one reason most often given for ineffective Apiguard treatment is "weather too cool when applied" --- so, to try and avoid the problem of poor vaporisation, insulate to raise the ambient temperature inside the hive! Simples!

Got me thinking - when is top insulation ever a bad idea? Er ...


Even in high summer, insulation would help prevent overheating, and thus diversion of more production staff to aircon duty.
However, my heterodoxy extends to thinking that a trace of top venting (maybe a small second entrance high in the hive) might be no bad thing at the very peak of the season. But not in winter, unless you are anticipating Finman-style persistent deep snow.

 

[PBee]

[Snip] Even in high summer, insulation would help prevent overheating, and thus diversion of more production staff to aircon duty.
However, my heterodoxy extends to thinking that a trace of top venting (maybe a small second entrance high in the hive) might be no bad thing at the very peak of the season. But not in winter, unless you are anticipating Finman-style persistent deep snow.

Commonly used in parts I believe to provide rapid access to the supers during a honey flow for the returning foragers and reduce congestion/traffic in the brood box. One of the supers is pushed forward enough to create an entrance. I do it sometimes but bees being bees some colonies use the extra entrance and others are reluctant.

 

[Dishmop]

old school tie cos thats how it has always been done
these new fangled ideas lol

Yep, its all millimetres now.

 

[Dishmop]

Even in high summer, insulation would help prevent overheating,

A friend has a house/shack in Portugal mountains.. The roof was just tiles.. Nothing else. He put insulation in but he couldnt get some of the older locals to believe that it would also keep the house cooler in the summer.