Hi Gang,
Got my first hive up and everything looks to be going well. It’s started to get into the mid 30s here in WA.
That little round cap in the middle of the lid between the brood box and roof,. Do I remove it in the summer? Is it for ventilation, if so do I remove the little non stick mat I put on too of the frames ?
Cheers
David
I think you mean the crown board? I don’t have a cap on mine, I just use that round hole for feeding. Pretty sure you can leave it open Dave.
Mine didn’t come with a hive mat either (I have the original version), but I’m certain you can leave it there, on top of the frames.
More experienced beekeepers will chime in soon and advise.
Welcome to the forum David, you will find heaps of reading and good advice and tips from the friendly members here.
The plug you are asking about in the crown board is there for internally feeding your bees if and when it is needed. If you get bearding of your hive over the Summer it is often found that the temperature inside the hive is too hot. There are a few options you can do to help, like placing your hive in the shade under a tree, using some insulation under the hive roof and placing a vent in each end of the roof to allow air flow. Taking the plug out is not going to help in cooling the internals of the hive as doing that will allow radiated heat (heat build up in the roof) to move lower in the hive, the crown board is a pretty poor barrier against that happening but none the less it is a help and in a heat wave any bit helps.
Cheers
Hi Peter, I do not have plugs in the crown board, is this something that comes with the new flow hives?
It comes in the Flow Hive 2 and is just a wooden round plug that fits into the hole in the crown board but maybe is doesn’t now. if it doesn’t a piece of plywood will do the same thing to reduce the hot air in the roof radiating down into the super. A guy up here covers his crown board with wood shavings but I’m not sure that is a good option, I have gone for an air vent on each end of my roofs. So far my bees only gummed up one roof, on my 10 frame hive, all the rest are 8 frame hived and the bees have left them clear fo 2 years now.