? about the D.E. Hive and Modification Kit from Beeworks.com

[tigerfankk]

Question about the D.E. Hive and Modification Kit from Beeworks.com.
I would like to get some opinions on this product.  Sounds good if true.
Will the ventiliation really help as they say.

Thanks for any input?

[KONASDAD]

I have the same question. More ventilation is better, but i wonder if the adaption kit truly improves a langstroth. The web site indicates it only modifies a portion of the hive. For full benefits, you need the whole hive. My other question, Does a DE use standard frames?

[Bigeddie]

D.H.hives takes foundation that is 8 1\2" X13 1\2" for deeps and 6" X13 1\2" for supers. I just got the mod. kit and the bees seem to like it real well. I also have a D. H. hive complete but will wait untill spring to put bees in it, give it a test run from start to finish. Sounds good, looks good,hope it works good.

[Bigeddie]

I don't know why I keep calling the D.E. hives D.H. hives. Must be old age or maybe stung in the head to many times :!:

[Brian D. Bray]

The D.E. hive does a good job of ventilating the hive but in conjunction with a SBB can be a bit much.  A SBB used with some time of limited ventilation space at the top of the hive will work just as will as the D.E. adpation kit.  
For far too long the role of proper ventilation has been overlooked in how it affects (inhibits) both parasites and disease.  It's good to know this is becoming more to the forefront.

[tigerfankk]

Looks like they are pretty good boxes.  Here's some links from another forum.
thanks.


A search from the "SEARCH" page from the main beesource menu on "DE Hive" returns these:

http://www.beesource.com/ubb/Forum12/HTML/000194.html
http://www.beesource.com/ubb/Forum12/HTML/000056.html
http://www.beesource.com/ubb/Forum2/HTML/000367.html

--------------------
Michael Bush

www.bushfarms.com

"Everything works if you let it."

[Robo]

The modification kit does improve the ventilation on a Langstroth.  What the modification kit doesn't give you that the DE hive has is less propolizing and brace comb.

I find the DE mod kit top cover  a little cumbersome, So I use the vent box with a normal telescopic cover.

By the way,  David does not agree with the claimed benefits of SBB.  I believe his point is that the warmer/humid conditions of a brood nest without a SBB is less ideal conditions for varroa.

I do use both, but as Brian stated, it can be too much ventilation, so I only open the SBB June-August.

[Brian D. Bray]

I use a less noticeable form of ventilation at the top of the hive than what the DE does.  I made my own DE from pictures on their site and found it a bit much, even by itself--It does drop the temperature of the brood chamber slightly and with a SBB it drops too much.  By reducing the cross section of ventilation and cantilever it so that the bees must draw the air themselves by fanning seems to work better and with the SBB it works fine.  The moisture is vented but the air circulation is fairly stagnet unless the bees fan.  The slatted rack gives them the work platform from which to do this without bearding.

The advantage of the SBB is that dislodged mites fall through and out of the hive, thereby reducing the population or at least slowing the infestation rate.  This is as important as ventilation.

My experiments say the optimum is using a SBB with some top ventilation year round.  The top ventilation also reduces the humdity and, hence, the water condensation within the hive--good things to have happen.

The best solution for the bees is to find a way to untilize both practices in conjunction with each other and I believe I've achieved that.