Adding a upper entrance??

[Lesli]

english version even better :-)

Thank You Viking![/quote]

I've spent time in Finland, by the way. Lovely country, wonderful people. Although I'm multi-lingual (Eng, Russian, French, Hebrew), finnish is NOT one of my languages. And for those not familiar with languages, I'll say that Finnish (along with its cousins Hungarian and Estonian) is pretty difficult for an English speaker to learn.

Luckily, most Finns speak English (at least in Helsinki, where I was). And I learned the three necessary words to get around (pardon the spelling): Olut, kitos, and pizza (beer, thank you, and um, pizza!).

[Lupus]

LUPUS:

Please read this post concerning logging in - I'm sure it will help, it's not your fault - we all suffer this quirk in the software, but you'll master it in no time:

http://www.beemaster.com/beebbs/viewtopic.php?t=399

Also, in case you accidently post without logging in - just end using your screen name at the bottom and we'll know who you are, and move the post if necessary. Sorry for this quirky log-in thingy, it has a learning curve.

Thanks for fixing me up Beemaster. I did my reading and will try to do better in the future.

[beemaster]

I want to say something about the International Gang aboard. I can not express enough how respectful I am of anyone knowing English as a second language - I know it is a very complex language and I hope ever member here in the states understands that (whether required in school or business) learning English is an amazing feat!

When I retire in a few years, it is a GOAL of mine to take Spanish Classes, I have always wanted to learn Spanish and I could kick myself for NOT taking it up in highschool.

Although French is the OTHER commonly elective language in American Schools (most - I understand that some Asian languages are being taught in some Western States) I still think Spanish is a great language to know.

I know this will spring a post or two in the FIRE RING but I have trouble with imigrants to America who choose NOT to learn English, instead live in communities where they can spend their entire life speaking their native language. I guess that goes against some political correct speaking, but millions of people have come to this great land and English was MUCH HARDER for them to learn, without schools, adult night classes, Internet, audio-tapes, etc. BUT THEY LEARNED IT!

Some imigants decide they don't need to learn English, and that The US should have to publish every document in a dozen languages - I'm against such a waste of funds. Making documents available on the Internet in English and using Language Converters like Google has is about as close to Liberal as I'll get on this issue.

Finman - thank you for the English version of the Cams pages, it really made a difference. I suppose if you took the same stance I did above then I would be copying pages into a language converter just to see what I'm missing. But the tools are there and with a rebounding economy, America and NO COUNTRY can afford to make written material for every language spoken within its borders.

Yep BigRog: I do everything I can to be a Retro-sexual. I may not tote a gun, but I pity the fool who breaks into my home or harms my family in any way. I try my best to treat women with class and respect and deal with men as I would expect to be dealt with. I have faith in my country and the young people who will inherit it. And sure as the stars shine on a clear night, I thank God every day for the gift of life in a marvelous period of time in our tiny little corner of the galaxy.

Thanks again everyone here who took the time to learn English. I had 12 years of it in school and I got mostly C's - and I speak it every day. I am very proud of everyone who can communicate here in a single language. This forum (many of you don't know) has the ability of language conversion, something I choose to keep turned OFF, partly because the languages take up a lot of server space, but mainly because I believe that the membership learns so much more by sharing English and reading how others interpret it.

I had penpals when growing up, long before I became a ham radio operator. I had written hundreds of letters over a dozen or so years and I learned a valuable lesson one day when I asked a young girl penpal if I could send her a cassette tape instead of writing: she wrote me back and said she could not speak any English at all, only write it - I was amazed and that was one of the first times I ever understood how languages are very different in writing or when spoken. This may have been the first time I had interest in Morse Code knowing that the "Q Signals" example: QSL means location or QRP means low power transmission, are INTERNATIONALLY interpreted signals. Anyone, no matter what language sends you " -.-.  --.-  -.-.  --.-  -..  .  -.  ..---  -.-.  ..  .-- " then EVERYONE who understands morse code knows what is sent NO MATTER WHAT LANGUAGE THEY SPEAK. So it may be presumptuous of me, but I always understood English to be the "International" Spoken Language and for me that was a real gift - I can't imagine speaking an Asian Language (as complex as they are) learning another complex language like English - Bravo to you all.

To Bee Boy and Buzz  ,,-,    ,,    -,    ,   /   ,--    ---    ,-,    -,-   /  ---    -,  /   -,--    ---    ,,-    ,-,   /   ,,-,    ---    ,-,    ,,-    --   /   -,-   ,    ,    ,--,    /  ,,-  ,--,    /  -    ,,,,    ,   /   --,    ---    ---    -,,    /  ,--    ---    ,-,    -,-    ,-,-,-
To those of you who do not speak Morse Code, That is what every other language except English to me looks like - now you know why I am so impressed by languages and people who speak English as an additional language, especially those who learned it BECAUSE they wanted to, not because they had to.

[Eye of the bee holder]

Please forgive me for my ignorance since I am relatively new to the world of beekeeping, but I do not understand how putting on a screened bottom board helps with ventilation, nor do I understand how pointing the entrance north helps to cool the hive.  Doesn't heat rise?  If the heat has no place to go, how will a SBB help?  I have yet to achieve the title of "Master Bee Keeper", so for those that have much more experience than I, please feel free to shed some light on this subject and help me to understand how a SBB will vent the hot and humid air out of the top of a tall stack of hive bodies.  I do understand how some keepers believe that a bigger opening "must" offer better ventilation, but I believe it is futile without an equal and opposite point for that air to escape.

To offer a suggestion as requested by the original post by Qeen Bee, I would like to suggest that top entrances and/or vents be considered as convection can not be achieved without.  The many benefits will be greatly appreciated as the colony will not have to work as hard at the task of cooling the brood chamber nor will they have to work so hard curing the honey, resulting in more time available to produce the honey.

Please feel free to correct my understanding of the hives process of climate control.  I would prefer that the facts are shared with the forum rather than opinions, as we are all trying to increase our knowledge here.

Thank you,
Phoenix

[Finman]

 I would prefer that the facts are shared with the forum rather than opinions, as we are all trying to increase our knowledge here.

Thank you,
Phoenix

When I tell you a fact, do you believe?

We have proverbs: "Finnisman do not believe untill he see." And Finnisman do not believe untill he tries himself (at least 3 times)". For someone 20 is not enough.

What is difference with opinion and fact? When I started beekeeping 42 years ago, every one had final truth and every alone had the the right way to nurse bees and others were liars. And this day beekeepers are same kind: If you know a little, you know all.

The fact is that I have used 40 years upper entrances and others say, they haven't.

There is really 20 ways to handel bees and everybody must capture from fligth how they manage their bees. Mostly people do otherwise as I advise. But you cannot mix opposite methods, only one logical.

To me the honey yield at autumn tells me only fact how I manage.  There is many reasons how beekeeping can slide down and you do not see  yourself. If I choose wrong pasture, it is disaster of that summer.

"Don't do as I tell , but use your own brains".

Sorry about learning about facts. I have no skill of small talk  :roll:

[Beth Kirkley]

Eye of the bee holder says:

I do not understand how putting on a screened bottom board helps with ventilation

Many, if not most hive, do have a way to ventilate at the top. Either the telescoping lid has vents, or just the fact that you have an inner cover and outer cover with a small space inbetween gives the air a way to get away from the hive central. Imagine you were in a box - would you be cooler in it with a solid bottom? Or an open bottom?

Eye of the bee holder says:

nor do I understand how pointing the entrance north helps to cool the hive

If your hives are sunny on the south, but shady to the north; then you get good sun warmth in the winter, but good shade in the heat of the evening. It's also a often said that you should have the hive in a place where it can receive good morning light so the bees get out early while the nectar is still moist from morning dew. BUT, if you do all this, AND face the entrance to the north - it serves this purpose...... often in the evening the bees will hang out on the outside wall in front of the hive. It's still so hot inside, and so they stay outside (doing nothing) till it cools off. But I'm thinking, (someone please correct me if I'm wrong) if it's faced to the north (should be the shady side) then the bees will possibly cool off and go back in faster.

I've only been doing my hives for one year, so I have very little background to share. I would imagine that not all of the advice you find will fit your particular situation. Many things depend on your environment and where you live. Main things to remember that are bad: too hot, too cold, too moist. How you achieve the right environment for the bees could be a little different for you than it is for me.
Beth

[Finman]

Eye of the bee holder says:

I do not understand how putting on a screened bottom board helps with ventilation

BUT, if you do all this, AND face the entrance to the north - it serves this purpose...... often in the evening the bees will hang out on the outside wall in front of the hive. It's still so hot inside, and so they stay outside (doing nothing) till it cools off. But I'm thinking, (someone please correct me if I'm wrong) if it's faced to the north (should be the shady side) then the bees will possibly cool off and go back in faster.

I've only been doing my hives for one year, so I have very little background to share.

Many things depend on your environment and where you live.

Main things to remember that are bad: too hot, too cold, too moist.

How you achieve the right environment for the bees could be a little different for you than it is for me.
Beth

On summer sun is shining strongly. Hive must be in sunny place. Inside it is as warm what ever direction you have entrance.

You can see ventilating bees outside entrance. They ventilate hot summer, not hive.

If you put entrance to north, sun does not warm entrance of hive and the cooler bees.

If have installed many time my hives to north and they collect honey and fly very fine.  Believe me, 40 years experience in Filnland climate.

But if you put your hive in the shadow, in Finland yield will drop to half. That is my experience.  Wildy palce is also as bad. It blows inside hive.

WISE WORDS BETH:

Many things depend on your environment and where you live.

Main things to remember that are bad: too hot, too cold, too moist.

How you achieve the right environment for the bees could be a little different for you than it is for me.
Beth

In my home yard I have hives in two point. 25 m is the distance. Another gets 16 hours sun, and the another 5-8 hours.  Sunny place is windy, and unsunny is shallow. There is difference between places during spring when it is cool. In summer difference has no meaning.

In winter sun shines only 2-4 hours. At spring sun is most important.

But most importand thing is that my whole home yeard is warm and shallow place. Wind goes over , because I have forest on 3 side, and open to south.

When I transport  my hives to forest pastures, I ike put them in the place, where is sunny gliff inside forest and trees shelter from wind.

[Eye of the bee holder]

Thank you Finman for clarifying part of my confusion.  I agree that the inside temperature would be the same regardless of which direction the hive entrance faces, but yet the entrance would be cooler if it faced north.  

As for the SBB cooling the hive... Picture this...  If we had a housefull of people in a 3 or 4 story home in the middle of the hottest part of summer and we all had remodelling to do in the attic.  Would it help to cool us off if we opened all the windows in the basement and did not bother to open the windows upstairs?