Beekeeping in the dog days of summer
Record-breaking temperatures over much of North America have beekeepers wondering how to keep their bees from over-heating. Think of it as a question of comfort and do for your bees what you would do for yourself. The basics come down to lowering humidity, maximizing air flow, and providing plenty to drink. Okay, margaritas with little […] Read more
The best ventilated gabled roof
A ventilated gabled roof is one of my favorite pieces of beekeeping equipment. Warm air holds moisture, and the warmer the air, the more moisture it can hold. Since a summer beehive is loaded with moisture from both bee respiration and drying nectar, the hive can quickly become a damp, mold-infested environment that is not […] Read more
Hive five: the best ventilation equipment
Here is an update of a previous post: my five favorite ventilation aids for a summer beehive. After experimenting for another year, I have dropped the ventilation eke from my favorites and replaced it with a ventilated gabled roof. The ventilated gabled roof is more efficient in my opinion, and assures a nice dry hive […] Read more
How to make a screened inner cover
Screened inner covers can give your hive a lot of good ventilation. They are used in place of regular inner covers and are designed the hold the telescoping cover up on two ends (or two sides) so that air can flow from the hive and out from under the telescoping cover. The screen is tacked […] Read more
Should my hive tilt forward?
Maybe I’m becoming too cynical, but here’s another beekeeping discussion that makes me crazy. It usually begins when someone asks this reasonable question: “If I’m using a screened bottom board, do I still need to tilt the hive forward?” The answer is “no.” Tilting a hive forward is important for anyone using a solid bottom […] Read more
Honey bee quilt show
Well . . . not exactly. But mention moisture quilts to a beekeeper and his creativity takes flight. Although our “quilt show” wouldn’t feature bright cotton fabrics meticulously cut and sewn, I’m sure it would be equally inspiring. The post I wrote last year about making moisture quilts for a Langstroth hive garnered more comments […] Read more