Has anyone tryed or is using the D E Hive modification kit from The Bee Works?
check with Robo, he has a mod that you can do yourself.
Yes, they work but you don't get all the benefits of the DE Hive with just the modification kit. It has been discussed many times here in the forum. Do a search on DE hive and you will get the in depth scoop :-D
You can find the mod kit assembly instructions here -> http://robo.bushkillfarms.com/downloads/
Personally, I find the vented top cover to be overkill. You can replicate the results easily by modifying a standard solid bottom board and making a vent box out of an old medium super.
(http://bushkillfarms.com/photos/d/176-4/Modified_Langstroth.jpg)
see I told you Robo was on top of it :-D
I made some top vent boxes last year but the plans that I found didn't use a inner cover under the box. I dadoed in a 1/4 pc of masonite at the bottom. This worked out very well for me this winter. I put a book of straw in the box that vented well and sucks up the moisture and insulated. For quick inspections I can flip it up without straw falling out. This summer I will build and use them for all my colonies
This is like the ones that I use.
I do have a pdf. of the plans if anyone is interested.
(http://img141.imageshack.us/img141/1113/allseasoninnercover.th.jpg) (http://img141.imageshack.us/my.php?image=allseasoninnercover.jpg)
Admin note: I took the liberty to attach the plans for you - Rob....
Damonth,
The ones I made are possibly identical to what you have. This is my first wintering with the ventilated cover and I really like it for various reasons.
1. Good ventilation in conjunction with screened bottom board. SBB is adjusted according to your local weather/location
by "sliding" tray/board.
2. Easy inspection during winter. I have a removable center screen "slide" within the ventilated cover so that I can keep bees
out during warm weather. During cold weather I can remove "slide" and allow bees to access interior feeding area. See
attached pics.
3. I don't have to remove telescopic cover during inclement weather to check on food. I just peek through side screened holes.
4. Like I said before, this is my first year using these. The past few days we had strong winds (30-40 mph). Winds did not
affect bee cluster in top center of hive, directly under feeding jar. Possibly due to side holes being drilled in upward angle.
5. Hive is entirely insulated with 1" foam.
6. On pic I have lifted telescopic cover temporarily so bees could fly out. Temp was 35-40 deg. F. Bees have been using upper
vent hole as a entrance since February when they reached upper supper.
(http://img13.imageshack.us/img13/9194/008kbk.th.jpg) (http://img13.imageshack.us/my.php?image=008kbk.jpg)
(http://img13.imageshack.us/img13/1691/009sdt.th.jpg) (http://img13.imageshack.us/my.php?image=009sdt.jpg)
(http://img13.imageshack.us/img13/8821/010vnh.th.jpg) (http://img13.imageshack.us/my.php?image=010vnh.jpg)
(http://img13.imageshack.us/img13/7469/insulatedhivewith4deep.th.jpg) (http://img13.imageshack.us/my.php?image=insulatedhivewith4deep.jpg)
Those look like the ones I use from Honey Run Apiaries. I love them and never have any bearding in the summer with those.
(I meant the ones that Robo is using)
I have had three or four of them. They are nice. They are well planned and thought out. They are probably more wood and expense than they are worth as you can accomplish the same thing many other ways, but they are very well engineered and planned for the right amount of ventilation. I also like working the hives the warm way.
A couple of weeks ago we had a day near 50 and windless that I took adavatage of by sneaking a peak. As I stated earlier I filled these with straw. One of my colonies of the 4 that have these boxes the straw was wet (this colony was huge and had wolfed down almost all of 80#s of honey) so I dumped it and added another book of straw. Also a big slab of candy. All were bone dry inside
great ideas thanks