Author Topic: Too lazy for an inner cover?  (Read 2349 times)

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Offline yes2matt

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Too lazy for an inner cover?
« on: February 24, 2018, 10:14:38 pm »
This might belong in "101"...

How much trouble will I have: I made some splits today, and miscalculated my equipment.  Normally I would have a sort of inner cover across the whole top of the nuc and feed through a hole in that. But I came up short an inner cover or feeder cover. So I just put the mason jar upside down on the top of the frames, put an empty  5fr box on and then the outer cover. Leaves a nuc sized empty space above the brood nest.

What will happen if I don't fix it?

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Offline neillsayers

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Re: Too lazy for an inner cover?
« Reply #1 on: February 24, 2018, 10:46:17 pm »
The main reason for the inner cover is the bees will propolize the telecoping cover shut and make pulling it difficult to impossible. Not as much a problem if you are in the hive often-like checking level on feed or if you are using migratory covers. :)
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Offline LazyBkpr

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Re: Too lazy for an inner cover?
« Reply #2 on: February 24, 2018, 11:03:25 pm »
Yep, what Neil said...   You will have to pry it off, and with the outer rim, prying gets difficult if you don't want to scuff up your boxes.
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Offline apisbees

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Re: Too lazy for an inner cover?
« Reply #3 on: February 25, 2018, 01:17:44 am »
The inner cover also keeps the heat at the cluster not rising to the top of the hive lid over the feed pail. In North Carolina you could still get some cold nights that could kill brood if the bee population in the nuc is not strong enough to cover all the brood. A piece of foil bubble wrap cut supper size with a hole for the syrup pail it will keep the heat at the cluster and also beep the bees from propelling the top cover down once the feed pail is removed.
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Offline yes2matt

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Re: Too lazy for an inner cover?
« Reply #4 on: February 25, 2018, 06:06:19 am »
The inner cover also keeps the heat at the cluster not rising to the top of the hive lid over the feed pail. In North Carolina you could still get some cold nights that could kill brood if the bee population in the nuc is not strong enough to cover all the brood. A piece of foil bubble wrap cut supper size with a hole for the syrup pail it will keep the heat at the cluster and also beep the bees from propelling the top cover down once the feed pail is removed.

Ok cool thanks

I have some time today to either cut a piece of corex  (probably won't insulate as well but at least cap the heat rising) or put together something more "proper" 

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Offline CBT

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Re: Too lazy for an inner cover?
« Reply #5 on: February 25, 2018, 07:23:48 am »
I have some of that and will be trying it out this year on some good and not so good migratory tops to see if it will give some warped tops a second chance.

Offline Riverrat

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Re: Too lazy for an inner cover?
« Reply #6 on: February 25, 2018, 09:12:37 am »
If I'm reading correctly you are fixing to have a big mess.  Open space in any nuc is an invitation to draw comb.  I would get something between them and the open box as soon as possible.  You will probably find a lot of the bees have moved to the top box
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Offline Bakersdozen

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Re: Too lazy for an inner cover?
« Reply #7 on: February 25, 2018, 09:22:13 am »
If I'm reading correctly you are fixing to have a big mess.  Open space in any nuc is an invitation to draw comb.  I would get something between them and the open box as soon as possible.  You will probably find a lot of the bees have moved to the top box
Riverrat beat me to it.  Once the nectar flow starts the top box will be filled with burr comb and maybe the Queen!

Offline Jen

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Re: Too lazy for an inner cover?
« Reply #8 on: February 25, 2018, 01:39:34 pm »
I'm with Rrat and Baker. Even just a piece of cheap plywood, cardboard or sheet styrofoam would work in a pinch. It's just temporary anyway.

These pics are what I've encountered in the past. It happened to me when hubby had an unexpected complicated surgery and it took me away from my hives for weeks. This took all day to clean up and killed a lot of bees. I did find the queen tho, so that was good.




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Offline neillsayers

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Re: Too lazy for an inner cover?
« Reply #9 on: February 25, 2018, 02:46:50 pm »
Matt,

My inner covers are a piece of #8 hardware cloth with burlap attached to the edges with duct tape. I place it with the wire facing the bees to keep them from chewing it up. In winter i have a quilt box filled with cedar chips on top to absorb moisture. The bees will propolize the "mat" down but it isn't difficult to peel off at inspection time.

As Jen and others have pointed out, if the bees have open space to get to, they will start drawing comb in that top box. :)
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Offline riverbee

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Re: Too lazy for an inner cover?
« Reply #10 on: February 25, 2018, 10:13:54 pm »
"How much trouble will I have"

"What will happen if I don't fix it?"

.............. :D :D :laugh:...... ;D

matt not trying to make fun, just some great posts here on what others have experienced, including myself for forgetting to put the inner cover back on...or various other things i have also done.  bees are quite prolific on wax and propolis when it comes to going outside their bee space....  let us know
what you decide and how it works out for you!
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Offline yes2matt

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Re: Too lazy for an inner cover?
« Reply #11 on: February 28, 2018, 08:17:46 am »
Pics are after I removed the nuc "super" and outer cover. 1st one is the little emergency setup I did with a couple pieces of scrap ply with a li'l gap for the feeder. Second is a "more permanent solution" (is anything permanent?) I borrowed a corex sign board big enough to make two covers and cut a round hole in the middle so they can get to the feed.

Discovered mold in my feed jar.  :( :/  gotta go punch a time clock tho so will fix tonight.

If I ever have an out-yard I'll have to get my stuff together a little better.

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Offline neillsayers

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Re: Too lazy for an inner cover?
« Reply #12 on: February 28, 2018, 12:06:39 pm »
If your lucky they'll make a work of art! :)

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Offline Bakersdozen

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Re: Too lazy for an inner cover?
« Reply #13 on: February 28, 2018, 04:01:55 pm »


If I ever have an out-yard I'll have to get my stuff together a little better.

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Boy is that the truth!
Those corrugated political signs that are plastic will work in a pinch too.

Offline yes2matt

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Re: Too lazy for an inner cover?
« Reply #14 on: February 28, 2018, 05:48:15 pm »


If I ever have an out-yard I'll have to get my stuff together a little better.

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Boy is that the truth!
Those corrugated political signs that are plastic will work in a pinch too.
Yeah that's what that is. I think the corrugated plastic is called corex.

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