Moldy Covers

[Occam]

So here's what I'm thinking about doing.  I have a bunch of different potential combinations of equipment (permutations of solid BB, screened BB, solid IC with entrance open, solid IC entrance closed, screened IC, migratory top, telescoping top).  I've got 10 hives at the moment.  I'm going to clean all the tops, and set up as many different combinations as I can.  Obviously there are a lot of variables here (hive location, the particular colony, the weather, etc.), so this won't be intensely scientific but maybe I can at least establish some trends for my apiary.       

Are you going to pull and clean them all simultaneously and put temporary covers on in the meantime? Or simply pull one, clean it, and reset it moving on to the next?

[The15thMember]

Are you going to pull and clean them all simultaneously and put temporary covers on in the meantime? Or simply pull one, clean it, and reset it moving on to the next?

Ideally I'd pull them all simultaneously, but I don't have covers to spare and I probably won't have the time to do a job that big all at once, so I'll have to do it sequentially.  I'll just keep that in mind in my records throughout the experiment, i.e. "this hive took so many weeks to form mold", as opposed to "this hive molded first". 

[Occam]

Hopefully that helps figuring something out. I suppose ultimately though, if the mold isn't harming the bees nor the honey stores its more of a nuisance/ aesthettics thing that bothers us. Bees do pretty well keeping their hives clean and sanitized, I imagine they'd haul it out if it was bothering them

[The15thMember]

Hopefully that helps figuring something out. I suppose ultimately though, if the mold isn't harming the bees nor the honey stores its more of a nuisance/ aesthettics thing that bothers us. Bees do pretty well keeping their hives clean and sanitized, I imagine they'd haul it out if it was bothering them

Honestly, I'm not really concerned about it for the bees' sake as much as the equipment's.  My environment is hard on woodenware, and if I can try and help extend its life, so much the better.

[animal]

Thanks 15th, I'm still learning a lot. At this rate, I figure I'll be ready to build a hive and do a cutout next season .. oops! ... The hive plans I used weren't that great, and showed the inside dimensions of the top being a full 1/2" larger than the boxes in both dimensions ... and I didn't like the way it rattled ... so OCD kicked in and I added 6 screws to the super to "locate" the top when it's down. I thought that the 1/2" side-play might be to allow popping it loose by prying it sideways before pulling it off (and didn't like that idea anyway) so decided a 2" wide flat piece of metal with a notch on one side would hook onto the screw and pry against the inside of the lid with the end of the tool... was also thinking to add these screws to all of the supers and bottom .. to serve as one side of a latch to hold the boxes together and straight in case of wind or something bumping them,.. um..yeah ocd
 
The lid I made is plywood with no sealant applied before covering with aluminum coil stock. The under side is coated with paraffin
That's probably wrong too...
I hope your experiment goes great, and you post the results

[Michael Bush]

I only see mold in deadouts.  But then I only have top entrances and no inner covers.  Still, when I have mold I let the bees clean it up.  Usually it's penicillin.

[Bill Murray]

Just bee sure not to use them together at the same time.

Jim, just wondering ...Why not?

[Bill Murray]

Also, an imirie shim under the migratory cover works.

[Michael Bush]

If you let the bees choose, they always choose moldy rotten wood over new wood...  I do not believe that killing mold is in their best interest.  Preventing it might be in their best interest... as it's indicative of too much condensation.

[The15thMember]

Just bee sure not to use them together at the same time.

Jim, just wondering ...Why not?

Mixing bleach with vinegar produces chlorine gas, which is toxic to breathe. 

[Occam]

Chlorine gas is horrible stuff. I almost passed out once from opening some pool equipment in a shed and the gas being overwhelming in an instant. Nothing but water and chlorine but it was bad. I could taste it for a few days before it was gone from my throat.

[Michael Bush]

You can notch an inner cover with a chisel or router to make a top entrance.  You can also drill a migratory cover to make an entrance by angling you hole from above the cleat down through the top board until it comes out a ways inside.  If you have a bit of slack in the cleats you can slide it all the way forward and chisel or route a groove to make the entrance.  If you want a wider top entrance you can prop the inner cover on some shingle shims then slide the telescopic cover forward.  Or put an empty on top of he inner cover.

[salvo]

Hi folks,

When I got into beekeeping I read so much, Pink Pages, M. Bush, etc.

I did go top entrance on a few. I just cut out the low edge on an inner cover. That, and generous dimensions of the outer telescoping cover resulted in successful upper entrance, somewhat protected from wind and weather.

Hives did well. I went this way on some hives for several years,... until I noticed the bees were sharpening their mandibles and chewing away the rabbet edge of whatever top box they were using. I'd still be using it if those chewed boxes could still have good box to box, or even super connections, but NNNOOOOOO!

I repaired with wood putty, wood strips, coffee cans, duct tape, Bondo,...

Freakin' Carpenter Bees! Ruination of perfectly good boxes.

Sal

[BeeMaster2]

Just bee sure not to use them together at the same time.

Jim, just wondering ...Why not?

I was thinking of ammonia and bleach which makes chlorine gas.
Jim Altmiller

[The15thMember]

Just bee sure not to use them together at the same time.

Jim, just wondering ...Why not?

I was thinking of ammonia and bleach which makes chlorine gas.
Jim Altmiller

Just so we are all up to date on what to NEVER mix with bleach: Never mix vinegar, ammonia, or rubbing alcohol with bleach.  The combinations produce, chlorine, chloramine, and chloroform respectively, all of which are VERY BAD to inhale!  That is your PSA for today.     

[Occam]

I would say there were no lasting I'll effects of the head I breathed in but then I decided to get into beekeeping because I wanted an easy, rewarding, inexpensive hobby that doesn't take a lot of time..

[The15thMember]

I would say there were no lasting I'll effects of the head I breathed in but then I decided to get into beekeeping because I wanted an easy, rewarding, inexpensive hobby that doesn't take a lot of time..

  Brochure lied on that one!  The Flow Hive brochure anyway.
 

[Michael Bush]

I love that picture.  I know both of them.  Nicest people you'd ever want to meet in one of the nicest places in the world.

[Bill Murray]

Salvo, what in the world does the Pink Pages got to do with beekeepong?????