Migratory Plans?

[CountryBee]

Does anybody have plans to make migratory covers for a 10 frame hive?  They are easier and cheaper to build I have heard.

[AllenF]

Plywood squares to fit your boxes are about the cheapest way you can go. 

[fish_stix]

3 suggestions; (1) look in a beekeeping catalog and make a copy of what you see. (2) order a migratory cover and duplicate it. (3) Find a local beek and copy his.

[CountryBee]

Thanks!  About the plywood, won't it bent up or down during the winter and lose its flatness?  It needs a front and back to stop the wind from pulling it off, how tight.  I use rocks on my regular covers, but they use a lot of wood and time.

[hardwood]

I use 3/4" concrete form plywood with a feeder jar hole in the center. New the plywood ain't cheap, but you can often find left overs or slightly used sheets from the bigger construction sites for 4-5 bucks ea. You can get 10 covers from a sheet.

Scott

[Michael Bush]

>About the plywood, won't it bent up or down during the winter and lose its flatness?

Sometimes.  That's what rocks are for...

>  It needs a front and back to stop the wind from pulling it off

No.  It does not.  I never put them on.  I just cut it to fit and put a rock on it.  Anything hanging over the sides ADDS to it blowing off.

[CountryBee]

Will honey bees survive a NY winter with these kinds of covers, they do not have an inner cover?

[AllenF]

I bought a bunch of old old equipment from an old old man a couple of years back.  Almost all he had was homemade.   In the deal were a bunch of the plywood tops.   Well painted over the years.   He even used the aluminum printing plates to top the plywood on a couple.   I don't have any on any hives anymore, but I keep them just in case and have used them when needed.   
If you are worried about winters in NY,  wrap them up, top in all for the winter.  I think they will do fine.  A little fresh air from around the tops in the winter will help keep the moisture down.

[CountryBee]

My father in law works for a printing place so he gets me some used aluminum from there.  :)
Do you use a top entrance also?  It would cut down on moisture, no?  Last year I wraped my hives with r-10 blue foam board cut and rachet strapped on each of my hives.  I left a 2" slit at the bottom for the entrance.  They survived on 4 frames of honey, but we had a mild winter.

[Dubhe]

Nod Apiary Products was giving away free plans for a clever migratory cover ripped from 2x4s and sheathed with 1/2 inch plywood.  The design was quick and cheap to build, resisted warping, and provided a space on top for formic treatments or feeding (dry sugar or baggies).  I filled this space with rigid insulation to moderate both winter & summer temperature extremes.

[CountryBee]

Thanks :)

[eastsidebuzz]

Cut your top 2 inches larger then the box. Then use a 1x2 on each end. That will give you 1/2 inch space. Rip down some 1x2 into 3/8 strips. Nail them around the whole top underside. Leave a gap in the middle of one of the two ends 1 inch. This give you an opening for a top entrance. I will see if I can post a picture of mine. It is how I do all of them. I also drill a hole in the center for a feeder bottle.

[CountryBee]

Thanks :)