Hi! My new bees are building comb on the inner cover. I asked about this in a flow FB group and someone said the inner cover is supposed to have a shallow side and a deep side. But the top and bottom of my cover seem exactly the same. Is there something wrong with my cover? Thanks!
Welcome to the forum, Carolyn.
It sounds like you have a strong, healthy colony. It’s not unusual for bees to draw comb on the tops of the frames, in the space above the inner cover or anywhere else that exceeds bee space (6-9mm 1/4”-3/8”). Some colonies are more prone than others. Check they have enough room to store honey, do you need to harvest?
Some beekeepers scrape off the extra comb every time they’re in the hive, others don’t bother. It’s up to you, as long as you can remove frames for inspection without undue force.
Inner covers with thicker rims can have a shallow side. The Flow ones are symmetrical with thinner rims and maintain correct bee space.
Mike
Hello and welcome to the Flow forum!
There is nothing wrong with your inner cover. Bees often build above the inner cover when they are running out of space in the hive. You need to do an inspection of the brood box to see how much empty space they have. If every frame has mostly drawn comb, 80% full of food or brood, and every frame is covered with bees, they are ready for a new box.
In your climate in the US, you should probably have 2 brood boxes, so hopefully you have a second one ready to go on the hive. If the above criteria are fulfilled, you can add it now. If you don’t have a second brood box, order one ASAP if your local beekeepers run double deeps for brood on their traditional hives (I bet the vast majority do). If it will take more than a week or two to arrive, you could add the Flow super, then switch the super out when the brood box comes.
Please let us know if you have more questions. 