see pic: my hive lid and inner cover has a notch cut out of them. thats it for?

adamant · October 24, 2011, 07:05:07 AM

i am wanting to relieve the moisture from my hives. i noticed that they have a notch cut out. whats it for and can i use it to vent w/o causing robing?

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Jim134 · October 24, 2011, 07:24:56 AM

Why is the outcover notch out ???

BEE HAPPY Jim 134 ):

Hemlock · October 24, 2011, 11:02:17 AM

Quote from: adamant on October 24, 2011, 07:05:07 AM
i am wanting to relieve the moisture from my hives. i noticed that they have a notch cut out. whats it for and can i use it to vent w/o causing robing?

You can put that inner cover on with or without the notched top cover. The bees my use it as a top entrance which is fine. If they have a bottom entrance now it may be a while before they use the top entrance. It will allow passive exchange of moisture from within the hive. If you place the inner cover with the notch UP it will bleed less heat.

Make sure the hive has a slight forward angle so any condensation can run down the front wall and out the front entrance. Instead of dripping through the cluster or puddling on the bottom board.

Quote from: Jim 134 on October 24, 2011, 07:24:56 AM
Why is the outcover notch out ???

To match the notch in the inner cover. The edge of a top cover can obscure the notch in the inner cover. Had a problem with the bees not wanting to use the top entrance. Bees couldn't fly into or out of it directly. They had to crawl past the top cover first.

T Beek · October 24, 2011, 02:42:15 PM

I'd recommend using the inner cover w/ notch in "down" position with top cover matching , especially if not using some sort of vent box above inner cover. If notch is turned upwards bees will be less likely to use it as entrance, because they will be forced to leave the hive in order to access the hole and depending on available space between inner and top cover they may not have access at all.

There was a time when most, if not all factory made inner covers came w/ a notch.

thomas

Shanevrr · October 24, 2011, 09:34:44 PM

no purpose for that cutout in top cover unless your inner cover has cutout also, even still you dont need it. if you have an inner cover with notch, put notch up. Thats All you need. Depending on who made it, putting notch down can mess up bee space at top of frames and cause berr comb

Jim134 · October 24, 2011, 09:54:22 PM

Quote from: Shanevrr on October 24, 2011, 09:34:44 PM
putting notch down can mess up bee space at top of frames and cause berr comb

In the winter time I put the notch down (October to March) no flow on in
New England.

BEE HAPPY Jim 134 :)

Shanevrr · October 24, 2011, 10:01:31 PM

Yes some can but Hemlock has a good point with heat loss, not to mention some inner covers are made to go on one way, and can also help with having extra space for putting dry sugar on top of inner cover for emerg feed

rdy-b · October 25, 2011, 01:51:10 AM

you see that black discoloration in the top--thats because the notch in the inercover was run in the up
position-run it in the down position-RDY-B

Hemlock · October 25, 2011, 09:02:50 AM

Quote from: rdy-b on October 25, 2011, 01:51:10 AM
you see that black discoloration in the top--thats because the notch in the inercover was run in the up
position-run it in the down position-RDY-B

My understanding is that those black stains come from condensation. Condensation occurs where warm humid air contacts a cooler surface.
Are you implying that the warm humid hive air does not go above the inner cover when the notch is down?

The notch down (boy can beeks split hairs or what!) puts the hole right where the bees are clustered. Cold air isn't coming in but the heat has a direct flow out. The notch up causes the heat to take a more circuitous path out. leaving the heat pocket around the cluster intact while still venting moisture.

my way around all this is to vent above the inner cover. I don't have a notch and use a vent box instead. One small hole with mesh over it. The vent box is 2½ inches tall. The top inch is 1 inch insulation (no condensation there) while the bottom 1½ is for bee activity and dry sugar if necessary. But, i'm thinking of reducing he bottom space to 3/8".

To each there own. This ain't about right or wrong.

T Beek · October 25, 2011, 11:04:24 AM

Quote from: Shanevrr on October 24, 2011, 09:34:44 PM
no purpose for that cutout in top cover unless your inner cover has cutout also, even still you dont need it. if you have an inner cover with notch, put notch up. Thats All you need. Depending on who made it, putting notch down can mess up bee space at top of frames and cause berr comb

Huh? That's not my experience or the experience of the Canadian Beek who taught me. Notch down remains my recommendation still "if" using as an entrance.

thomas

rdy-b · October 25, 2011, 06:48:38 PM

**Are you implying that the warm humid hive air does not go above the inner cover when the notch is down?**
what i think is it is best to evacuate as much moister as possible before it soaks the inercover and the top-if the notch is up all that must pas up and through the hole in the inercover and is absorbed in the process - and while where on the subject i think
the inercover and telescopic top are for the birds :loll: they are water trapping and producing nightmares--back to the drawing board with that one :) ---RDY-B

backyard warrior · October 27, 2011, 10:02:19 PM

t Beek brushy mountain still sells inner covers with the notches built into them incase you didnt know Chris

Hemlock · October 27, 2011, 10:08:27 PM

Quote from: rdy-b on October 25, 2011, 06:48:38 PM
and while where on the subject i think
the inercover and telescopic top are for the birds :loll: they are water trapping and producing nightmares--back to the drawing board with that one :) ---RDY-B

What are you using on top then?

rdy-b · October 28, 2011, 01:07:33 AM

migratory tops are my pefered selection-- ;) or any version of the same -RDY-B

T Beek · October 28, 2011, 07:53:16 AM

backyard warrior; I like them and have a couple from BM but I prefer to build my own. I like a deeper telescopic cover than can be bought as well so I build those too.

I guess if I lived in a warmer climate I'd likely use migratory covers and actually my Long Hives use a modified version of one, mine are insulated.

thomas

rdy-b · October 28, 2011, 05:24:04 PM

**I like them and have a couple from BM but I prefer to build my own. I like a deeper telescopic cover than can be bought as well so I build those too**.

telescopic top i could see that in snow country--but its the inercover that adds to the moisture problem
Have you tried PILLOWS instead-I understand great sucsess with them--RDY-B

http://www.honeybeeworld.com/spring/images/img005.jpg

T Beek · October 28, 2011, 06:20:49 PM

I don't have moisture issues w/ an inner cover that's vented above.

Are we talking about little, itty bitty bee pillows? That's just too cute :-D

thomas

rdy-b · October 28, 2011, 07:03:10 PM

Quote from: T Beek on October 28, 2011, 06:20:49 PM
I don't have moisture issues w/ an inner cover that's vented above.

Are we talking about little, itty bitty bee pillows? That's just too cute :-D

thomas

notch up or down-RDY-B

T Beek · October 29, 2011, 06:47:22 AM

Notch down, always down.

thomas

rdy-b · October 29, 2011, 02:33:49 PM

Quote from: T Beek on October 29, 2011, 06:47:22 AM
Notch down, always down.

thomas

these posts come up on a regular basis during winter --we will use that as the gold standard- ;) RDY-B