General questions about the Flow Hive

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  1. Do you paint the interior ledges of the windows, boxes, etc?
  2. Does the roof need ventilation in hot climates?
  3. How do the deep and the super stay attached in high wind?
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  1. I never paint anything on the inside of the hive. The bees will wax it within a season. :wink:
  2. No. In fact the bees do better with fanning to ventilate the hive if the roof and floor are intact. You may benefit from a slatted rack (Mann Lake has them, for example) to reduce bearding in hot weather. In sunny SoCal, I love mine. My bees almost never beard.
  3. Again, after a month or two, the bees will have applied propolis and wax, making the two boxes stick together. I always need the flat blade of a hive tool to separate them. However, you need something to hold the roof on. This can either be a heavy weight, or a ratcheting strap around the hive. Depending on how much wind you are expecting, you may want to tether the hive to the ground too.
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