Bees, Bats and Beyond
Massachusetts Bee and Critter Removal Services
Ventilated Inner Cover for Integrated Pest Management
The above picture shows an older version of a ventilated inner cover (VIC), 3" high with 1" side screened holes. It has been topped off with an empty box to allow for
winter feeding.
The picture on the right shows an inverted 1/2 gallon "Mason" jar inside the VIC used to feed honey. Jar needs a refill! Mind you that I DO NOT feed my bees sugar syrup or any other such form of chemicals as is usually the trend in major beekeeping/pollination services. My bee's strictly feed on their own pure, raw honey.
As previously stated, in order to increase ventilation within my hives, I have changed the design of the original inner covers and bottom boards. I obtained the plans for the VIC design from Honeyrunapiaries.com. I have altered a few things from the original design to fit my likings.
The reason I like the design of this vented cover is because it allows me to do several things that I would not be able to do otherwise. Aside from the increased ventilation, this VIC allows me to keep an eye on the bees without having to remove the inner cover. During the winter months I can peek through the side vent holes and see if their food (honey) jar needs to be refilled. I can also remove the top telescopic cover and take a peek through the 4" center hole to check on their activities. During the hot summer months when the nectar is flowing the VIC helps the bees get rid of all that hot air and moisture which is produced within the hive. This in turn reduces bearding and lowers the chance of developing chalkbrood disease. Chalkbrood is caused by a fungus (Ascosphaera apis) that seems to flourish in humid conditions.
The large size center hole (4" diameter) allows for a continuous air flow and keeps moisture from accumulating within the hive. The side vent holes (1" diameter) are screened with a 1/8" galvanized wire mesh. This mesh keeps mice and other possible robbers from attacking the hive. To accomplish the required ventilation it is customary for some beekeepers to drill a small hole (~1" dia.) directly on the front of the top brood box. The wire mesh usually ends up getting propolized by the bees and this stops the air flow, thus defeating the original purpose. Because of the large amount of air flow created in my new VIC design the bees do not appear to take interest in propolizing the wire mesh as they might do with small holes and gaps throughout the rest of the hive. This ventilated upper cover in conjunction with the screened bottom board work in unison in creating a well ventilated hive.
The picture on the right shows an inverted 1/2 gallon "Mason" jar inside the VIC used to feed honey. Jar needs a refill! Mind you that I DO NOT feed my bees sugar syrup or any other such form of chemicals as is usually the trend in major beekeeping/pollination services. My bee's strictly feed on their own pure, raw honey.
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As previously stated, in order to increase ventilation within my hives, I have changed the design of the original inner covers and bottom boards. I obtained the plans for the VIC design from Honeyrunapiaries.com. I have altered a few things from the original design to fit my likings.
The reason I like the design of this vented cover is because it allows me to do several things that I would not be able to do otherwise. Aside from the increased ventilation, this VIC allows me to keep an eye on the bees without having to remove the inner cover. During the winter months I can peek through the side vent holes and see if their food (honey) jar needs to be refilled. I can also remove the top telescopic cover and take a peek through the 4" center hole to check on their activities. During the hot summer months when the nectar is flowing the VIC helps the bees get rid of all that hot air and moisture which is produced within the hive. This in turn reduces bearding and lowers the chance of developing chalkbrood disease. Chalkbrood is caused by a fungus (Ascosphaera apis) that seems to flourish in humid conditions.
The large size center hole (4" diameter) allows for a continuous air flow and keeps moisture from accumulating within the hive. The side vent holes (1" diameter) are screened with a 1/8" galvanized wire mesh. This mesh keeps mice and other possible robbers from attacking the hive. To accomplish the required ventilation it is customary for some beekeepers to drill a small hole (~1" dia.) directly on the front of the top brood box. The wire mesh usually ends up getting propolized by the bees and this stops the air flow, thus defeating the original purpose. Because of the large amount of air flow created in my new VIC design the bees do not appear to take interest in propolizing the wire mesh as they might do with small holes and gaps throughout the rest of the hive. This ventilated upper cover in conjunction with the screened bottom board work in unison in creating a well ventilated hive.
Some beekeepers might worry that the large top hole on the VIC will allow for too much heat loss during the winter months. That would be true if the 4" hole on the VIC was vented directly to the outside. That is not the case here because during the cold winter months the VIC can be insulated thus creating a top layer of warmth.
Here is a short video of the VIC in action. Bees are feeding from a "Mason" jar.
And Now.......
Lets Revamp The Ventilated Inner Cover
Again...
After two seasons of using my original design of the vented inner cover I had the chance to experience its functionality. Not that the VIC did not function properly or that it was a failure but I have discovered several things that needed some "fine tuning". On January 8, 2010 I have finished redesigning and constructing my new version of the VIC.
Materials Used For Construction
The materials used to build the VIC consisted of pine boards salvaged from a trashed rifle/ammo box and a couple of wooden pallets/skits. I also used a small amount of galvanized nails "Gorilla" glue and a few staples to hold things together. Total cost of construction material amounted to ~$10.00. If you wish to construct one of these VIC's and want the wood to look new and clean you might want to go to your local lumber shop and invest some money on pre-planed material. Eventually the quality and looks of both materials will be the same, regardless.
New Changes
First of all, I have noticed that on any warm day during the winter season when bees are returning from their cleansing flights some manage to fly straight into the small screened vent holes at the front of the VIC. They fail to find their way to the main entrance and end up freezing to death. The number of dead bees had been minimal, nevertheless I decided not to include any vent holes on the front of my new design. The vent holes are now located on the sides and back of the VIC.
The second important change that I made to the VIC was to relocate the front upper vent/entrance hole from its original location to the area directly above the VIC floor board. This helped to resolve several problems associated with the original design. The original VIC allowed bees to exit the hive via the brood chamber, but during warm winter days the bees would also crawl into the VIC through the 4" access hole. They would remain there" buzzing" away in an attempt to exit the hive through the screened holes. In order to let them fly out I had to occasionally pry up the telescopic outer cover to release them. I believe that some folks in warmer climates routinely pry up the outer covers for ventilation. With the new location of the entrance hole the bees now can find their way out of the hive with no problem. Another good reason in moving the upper vent/entrance to the new location is that it now prevents any wind from blowing directly onto the bee cluster within the brood chamber.
The third change that I made was to build a "front porch" or a protected alighting board for the upper vent hole. I don't think that this is a necessary thing to construct but since I have been blessed with having a lot of spare time on my hands I decided to become more creative. Here again the upper entrance "porch" might serve in reducing the amount of wind and/or rain blowing into the hive.
A fourth change I made was to rabbet the top front and back walls to create a frame rest. Additionally, although not required, I have added a view window to the rear of the VIC. This will allow me to keep an eye on the interior thermometer which I have placed to monitor inside temperatures.
In the pictures below we see the front and back view of the VIC with observation window. As you can see, the interior of the VIC is insulated. For more information on heating and insulating a hive go to my page on Assisted Heating.
Wood Preservation
Finally, to preserve the wood, I give the exterior of the finished box three coats of a preservative. I prefer to seal all my bee equipment with a mixture composed of boiled linseed oil, turpentine and Penetrol. I make the mixes in the following concentrations:
1. For the first coat I mix 50% boiled linseed oil with 50% turpentine with a
splash of Penetrol.
2. For the second coat I mix 2/3 boiled linseed oil with 1/3 turpentine.
Again add a splash of Penetrol.
3. For the third coat I use 100% boiled linseed oil with a splash of
Penetrol.
This coating will give the wood a nice "varnished" look that will last for several seasons or so. It will eventually darken but the preserving qualities will remain active for several years to come. DO NOT PAINT OR SEAL ANY INTERIOR WOOD.
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This web page was last updated on March 2, 2011.
