Just wondering

[doak]

How many know what a Manipulation Cloth is, and use one?
If you don't have one here's a good receipe for one.
Get a piece of good thick smooth cloth. Doesn't have to be real thick. I used 10 or 12 ounce white sheeting .you can fold it over a couple times and sew about 4 times across and down, evenly spaced. then once diagnal from corner to corner.
get a standard 10 frame empty super to measure. You want it to be longer one way than the other.
The long way lays across from side to side.
4 strips of wood one half x one inch the length of the short side.
Nail the strips together with the edge of the cloth between.
Your cloth needs to be long enough to let hang over the side enough to stop just above the carring/lifting cutout.
The width would be from front to rear of the hive, all the way to cover the exposed frames.
As soon as the top cover's are removed and a couple puffs of smoke are used, spread the cloth on.you can roll the cloth back one frame at the time to just past the middle, then switch sides.
No more having to put the top back if you have to run back to the , truck, car or shed for something
I have 4 and use them as much as I do the hive tool and smoker.
  Just a little tip.
doak

[Michael Bush]

>How many know what a Manipulation Cloth is

I do.

> and use one?

I have one.  I think I used it once.  :)  It's one more thing to mess with and my bees are nice enough that it's just more trouble than it's worth to me.

[tillie]

Cindi made a fancy one - if you search the site, you'll see a picture of it.

Linda T