Mouldy hives

[Mellifera Crofter]

We received an email from our chairman warning us about mouldy hives as a result of our long, wet winter. We have a very good and considerate chairman, but I'm not sure about his advice this time. He suggested replacing the affected crown board and roof (that's fine) and increase ventilation through the hive by checking that vents in the roof and crown board aren't covered or clogged up with propolis. He also suggested adding extra ventilation by lifting the crown board with match sticks. With an open mesh floor air will then flow up through the hive keeping things dry in the process.

I think he was mainly referring to wooden hives, but even in my polys I occasionally see some mould in the corners of inner plywood crown boards (meaning they fit inside the hive) and I'm sure I'll see mould on some of the outside frames of some hives when I open them in the spring - but usually the insides of the hives are nice and dry. I don't have top ventilation, and I don't remove the inspection trays (but there are openings in some trays and they're fairly loose-fitting).

I don't want to reply to his email and squeal, 'You'll create a draught through the hive' (so I'm doing it here!) - but also because I realised that I don't have an alternative suggestion to remedy mouldy hives if, at the same time, I want to avoid a draught. I might suggest increasing the insulation above the crown board - will that help? Are there still people here using top ventilation?

Kitta

[The Drone Ranger]

Hi Kitta you can just leave an empty rapid feeder over the hole left by a porter bee escape in the crown board
What happens is the moisture rises into the cone of the rapid feeder then condenses and ends up in the feeder not back in the hive
That's the plan anyway

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[Mellifera Crofter]

Thanks DR. That sounds like a good plan, and one I haven't thought of before.
Kitta

[madasafish]

. I might suggest increasing the insulation above the crown board - will that help? Are there still people here using top ventilation?

Kitta

I have placed poly cosies on top of all my wooden hive .. and an extra cover on my MB poly hive.to insulate roof and roof junction.. to prevent condensation. Works so far in a VERY wet winter..


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[greengumbo]

I got that email too Kitta and was a bit alarmed at the matchstick advice as I think its outdated.

[madasafish]

I got that email too Kitta and was a bit alarmed at the matchstick advice as I think its outdated.

"outdated" is not the word I would use.. but my choice is very rude...

[gavin]

Sounds more than a bit 'BBKA'. I've never heard of a Scottish beekeeper advocating that until now.

It will increase their use of stores, increase the risk of isolation and plain starvation and set back spring development. Insulate the tops, try to winter relatively strong colonies, dummy them down or shift to a nuc box if small.

[alancooper]

.....Sounds more than a bit 'BBKA'. It will increase their use of stores, increase the risk of isolation and plain starvation and set back spring development. Insulate the tops.....

I have put 1" insulation board into the roofs of my wooden National hives, cover the crown board escapes/feed holes and I have mesh floors. Largely I do not get condensation and am satisfied with this set-up - but this thread has reminded me that when I initially put in the mesh floors I was concerned about too much ventilation. In the very windy west of Ireland am I setting back spring development?

[The Drone Ranger]

You never know alan
The hives might periodically relocate to new sites with better forage (dependent on wind direction )

[AJS Bees]

I have Lyson, Abelo and a Payne's Hives all have open mesh floors and are open all year round out of 38 hives only one did not come through the Winter and that was due to being too small a cluster going into Winter. Bottom ventilation is a good thing less moisture and a larger warm air mass in the hive. I have to say I did initially take a lot of convincing but it does work and on single Nucs too.