Anyone keep bees on a flat roof?

[enchplant]

Does anyone have experience keeping bees on a flat roof? I have good access but am concerned about over heating of the roofing felt in summer. There is one area that has a bit of tree shade, but I bet it gets pretty hot. Any ideas?

[AllenF]

It is done all the time in the cities.   No worse heat than a hive in an attic of a home.   Just keep it up off the roof a bit.

[BlevinsBees]

I have 20 hives on a flat roof here in SF. The added heat is a plus due to the weather here, (mostly windy and fog). If your worried about excess heat just put some 1/2" plywood down painted white over the roof felt. It will need to be elevated with 2x stock to avoid excess moisture build up underneath. I do this sometimes when we get a hot spell. Works great.

[Beeboy01]

My dad used to keep his hives on the flat roof over the back of the kitchen. Every time the screened door would slam the bees would come looking for somebody to sting. The trick would be to run out the door in front of my older brothers and really slam the door on the way through.
   The hardest part of having hives on a roof is getting the equipment to them, a second story window overlooking the roof is real handy. 

[edward]

Do you put the plywood on the house roof or the hive roof?

I am giving some thought to putting a white tarpaulin down in the middle of summer when the sun is strongest and then remove it later ?

mvh edward  :-P

[GeezzzBeezzz]

enchplant : drill a vent hole the size of a wine cork in the front of each super. Do this only when your hive is big enough to defend the new openings and don't plug them up one day and take them out another. Once you take them out (summer) leave them out so the bees get used to the openings they have to defend. When it starts getting cooler - mid-August -you can plug up the holes with a cork and prevent warm air from escaping. Also make sure you use a screened/slatted bottom board it will help with ventilation. I have a rooftop hive and stand it up on two stacked bricks in each corner. Here in Chicago we have been having some cold and very windy weather lately. I just slip filler bricks in between the corner bricks under the hive to close off the bottom and prevent wind from shooting through the base of the hive. Once it's warm again I just slide the bricks out. Also, get yourself a birdbath place it near the hive - 15-20ft away and drop loose stones into it that break the waters surface so the bees can land and get water without drowning. That will help them cool the hive without having to fly too far to get water elsewhere. BlevinsBees solution sounds great - you can even use artificial turf directly on the roof with the corners weighed down with concrete block or brick. Remember bees can deal with heat if the hive is vented well and they have a nearby water source.

[redhat]

I have most of mine on my roof, everything is good except getting stuff up.

[BlevinsBees]

Do you put the plywood on the house roof or the hive roof?

I am giving some thought to putting a white tarpaulin down in the middle of summer when the sun is strongest and then remove it later ?

mvh edward  :-P

A white tarp would work too. I place the white plywood on the roof over 2x4's then place the hives on top of the plywood.

[enchplant]

Thanks everyone! I am thrilled to hear you can keep bees on the roof in Jamaica and Chicago where we know it gets hot. I have a fountain nearby where all my bees go to drink. Having bees on the roof gets them above peoples heads. In fact the worst place to stand in my garden is between my big hive in the garden and the fountain, in the middle of summer.
I love the idea of the white plywood.

[Beeboy01]

Just don't put them on the roof above the kitchen door :shock: