Beemaster's International Beekeeping Forum

BEEKEEPING LEARNING CENTER => GENERAL BEEKEEPING - MAIN POSTING FORUM. => Topic started by: T.Smith on March 11, 2008, 11:07:26 PM

Title: Staggering boxes
Post by: T.Smith on March 11, 2008, 11:07:26 PM
Hello, I am sort of taking lessons from an older beekeeper and noticed that he would slightly stagger his top super. The gap left would be probably a beespace. This I assume would be for ventilation. He says to only do this with strong colonies. I am curious to see what others think of this form of top entrance. Thanks for the help.  Tracy
Title: Re: Staggering boxes
Post by: Michael Bush on March 11, 2008, 11:21:11 PM
It does make a top entrance and it does add to ventilation.  Any rain that gets in tends to run down the wall to the bottom.  If the bottom is sloped forward or is screened this works fine.
Title: Re: Staggering boxes
Post by: Brian D. Bray on March 11, 2008, 11:36:58 PM
The reason he said to do it only with strong colonies was that those 2 strips of bee space created by the offset boxes make a super highway for robber bees from another hive.  The hive has to be strong enough to fight it off.