Beemaster's International Beekeeping Forum
BEEKEEPING LEARNING CENTER => TOP BAR HIVES - WARRE HIVES - LONG HIVES => Topic started by: Bob Wilson on June 24, 2019, 09:39:32 pm
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I went to Walmart, and in their fabric section they had several rolls of vinyl of various thickness. The thickest vinyl was maybe $6 a yard, 58 inches wide. So, I bought 2 feet (24X58 inches) for $4. It has been a great buy. It covers the whole hive, so no rain gets through the cracks between the 4 migratory tops. It hangs slightly around the sides and sheds the rain. It has no weight and is easy to remove. It folds back nicely if I want to remove just one top. The longer I use it the more I like it.
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I used left over vinyl wall covering before. It was also 54 inches wide. Worked good. I stapled it on the sides.
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I saw a few photos of Michael Bush's long hives. His also were migratory tops, butted end to end along the top. No plastic. No extra roof. I guess the bees do propilize the inside. I just kept thinking of rain seeping between the tops and dripping onto the combs beneath, chilling the bees. I guess I will stick with the vinyl overcover for now. It is working well.