Beekeeping Is Over If Too Much Moisture Is in Your Hive

[@WildwoodsBeekeeping]

Great Vid David! Your at 99k Subscribers! Only 1,000 more to go! God bless you and your bees

[@blessedgardener6978]

Thank you for the knowledge you give to us all. I enjoy all your videos and products to ensure the survival of my honey girls. Many blessings to you and your family.

[@robertcouture7575]

Hello I have purchased a Bluetooth temp/ humidity sensor that I install between the top of the brood and the honey dox and I can tell with out disturbing the seal. Brood minder is the company.

[@beek]

Yes, I made a video a few years ago with them. It's on my channel here.

[@josephewing7217]

I use a sugar board in place of the inner cover and a quilt box with wood chips on top of it. It seams to work so far. Zero loss last year.

[@martinamaher7176]

I also use newspaper

[@dangvalverde]

What is the computer module that you used to monitor the temperature and moisture in the hive?

[@beek]

Here is the link: www.practicaldesign.com/THUM/thum.html

[@gulliver1416]

@@beek I have a wireless temp sensor but I wanted to get one with a humidity sensor. What is the desired humidity reading for a hive in the winter for a cold climate. I live in MA and it does get down to 15 degrees at times and there are many days in the lower 20's.

[@beek]

That's a tough one and impossible to know because there are too many changing variables like outside moisture and temp, changing activity of the hive etc.

[@chrismarro1867]

How about using Damp rid

[@phyllisflorian3540]

Good question! I don't imagine it's the best idea, just based on the strong smell of that product. I'll be following for any answers. (I mean, in theory, it would collect the moisure, but you'd probably have to change it out often if it was safe to use this product...???)

[@beek]

Yea, I'd be a bit leary about using Damp Rid. But I just do not know the impact at all.

[@emilydevroy2299]

This is the best video! Answered all my questions that I was struggling to find answers to. Thank you!

[@SushikiIIer]

So i ended up with like 2 quarts of standing water in the top of my feeder cover. It was a single 10 frame deep with a 3 compartment feeder on top maybe 3 weeks after a nuc introduction. The weather here in the PNW was rainy for a few days but beyond that has been relativley warm and sunny (humidity still is maybe 40-50%). Do you think the excess of moisture may possibly be because im not using a sccreen bottom board currently?

[@bryanbeeblebrox8237]

Hi -- 1st year newbie here. I just want to share a painful lesson I learned today. I've been feeding my 2 hives since Sept 1st with 1 gal. bucket top feeders. It looks like weather in NY is going to turn cold this week, so thought I'd just pop off the feeder buckets and put the top cover back on real quick. So... cloudy and cool day, no smoke, no bee suit, got the cover off and then took off the bucket from the inside cover. Immediately the bees flew up into my face -- woohoo! 😲 So after one sting and a quick retreat, I put on the bee suit top and went back out to finish (still no smoker). Man, those bees are protective! I was again swarmed by about 100 or so right on the front of the face netting trying to get in... and a couple actually did get in somehow. Sheesh. Got that one covered and opened up the second one with bees all over me. Got the bucket off and the top back on and got out of there, wow. Lessons learned: Fall/Winter bees are mean, wear the full suit and bring smoker whenever opening the hive up at all. I'm going to make a candy board, so I'll be back out there in a week or so with that (with suit and smoker!). Note to self: I need to get a better suit -- they seem to get inside this cheap one I have too easily.

[@beek]

Yup always wear hat and veil or full suit in winter too.

[@geaj4214]

My top cover is dry but the inside side wall has water running down. I lost my colony last March because of this same thing.

[@ujku331]

What do you think about winter bee hive configuration without a second entrance on top? Most beekeepers have evolved to this configuration or at least based on my knowledge.

[@clarksbent9399]

I love your hoodie. I am a huge Rocky fan.

[@DC_PRL]

I don't agree with ventilation on top; cold air intrusion mixes with hot air inside the hive and creates additional condensation. I prefer a quilt box with hardware cloth and wood chips. Insulate with 1 inch of foam on sides, 2 inches on top. tip the hive forward.

[@LucBeeHiveNB]

I'm trying 3" foam R12 on top. With a little space beteenw top frame and foam 5/8 jammed inside a Deep inner cover , for air to flow and the condensation have more chance to form around the side.of the cluster.

[@LucBeeHiveNB]

I live north of new Brunswick canada

[@Peter-od7op]

If you tilt hives forward the moisture will collect on sides of hive witch the bees need

[@nohadboujawdeh5947]

In Europe and Middle East we use the apimaye bottom board. And on the top we use an inner cover made of 3 to 5 cm polystyrene board and we close tightly the telescoping cover with clips on the two sides. The hot air goes up to the insulation without condensation then , under pressure, will goes out from the opened apimaye bottom board. It's very practical and safe for bees.

[@theshadowoftruth7561]

Not moisture, Condensation over the top of the Cluster. Do some studies on Condensation Hives. Their is plenty of info on this subject. You are basically putting bees in a tar paper shack and asking them to heat it to 90 degrees with their bodies. That takes a lot of energy and that makes extra moisture which the condenses on the ceiling and rain downs on them.

[@beek]

I'm friends with the father of the condensing hive, William Hesbach, and that's the beautiful thing about beekeeping, we each have different approaches. I did try it a decade and a half ago, and my bees just were cutting it. When I started feeding them and providing a tad of passive ventilation with upper insulation, that worked for me...AMAZING. But like I say, this is what I do and it works for me but other things work better for others. I have to raise lots of bees all winter and I just can do that and feed my bees with the condensing approach.

[@BugFarmerBees]

Just saying hello.

[@beek]

Hello, and thanks for checking in.

[@yureopaquito2093]

Moisture is really deadly to BEE'S i got my 4 beehives dead because of moisture during typhoon with a strong wind strong rain after the typhoon here comes the moon soon and it rained for over 1 month during this month of October and the temperature drop down to for 11°C maybe the vents are not enough since i covered it with tarp for extra waterproofing but still moisture comes in

[@beek]

Wow

[@tonyjetton8352]

Hey David how do honey bees survive in a tree without you providing them with a vent? How do bees in a tree concentrate the honey without you providing them with a vent?

[@beek]

Usually the tree has a large cavity giving the hive a bit more room above and below.

[@jimbeachboard3228]

My hives have an inner cover with a single screened hole in it the size of a silver dollar. On top of that is a spacer with a screened silver dollar sized hole in two opposite walls. The top cover goes on top of the spacer. What my bees have done is use the screen in the inner cover hole as scaffolding to propolis the hole down to the size of a dime. This seems to work well for them year round and they control the ventilation. I put burlap in under the cover in the winter.

[@jedw9496]

kitty litter?

[@shannjill]

Candy board seems to absorb a lot of the moisture.

[@tonyjetton8352]

Hey David,, Just how do honey bees get water to drink in your ventilated hives when it is cold.

[@beek]

Bees really do not consume water like humans. They do need some moisture but their liquid is obtained through their intake of winter stored honey.

[@tonyjetton8352]

Bees survive all winter on honey that is only 18% moisture? @@beek

[@jasonsneeden5934]

I live in SW Washington. Constant rain between 35 and 52 degrees. Moisture is a challenge. I have two colonies in a divided 20frm deep with side by side 5f nuc boxes above. Then a 2 inch spacer with hardware cloth and cedar chips. Then nuc lids migratory. And then a 2 inch foam board form fit to the lids and water proofed . It has a 5 inch eve all around. Oh and a 2 inch hole in the bottom corner w/hardware cloth. And 8 1/4" holes in the rim of each lid to help dry out the chips. So far they are alive and well. Its almost new year. 23. Any tips , advice will be gladly recieved. Thank you

[@igorkarlic2297]

I use screen boards. Completely open. No problem with ventilation during winter and summer. Moisture is problem not cold.

[@DavidWilliams-wr4wb]

I always leave one vent , entrance in my hives now and I insulate my inner cover and my telescopic cover and I put a shim and a rapid round with pollen sugar mix dry and between the insulation and the sugar and pollen mix and it acts as a desiccant and my bees have survived winter well like this

[@Peter-od7op]

Iam 4 year bee keeper i never have used upper vents. Bees in wild dont have upper vents. I love your course i bought it.

[@garyRt23Bees]

Wondered about your opinion on something. In Winter I have always tilted my hives forward a good bit. Theory is that if water drops accumulate, they will run across the bottom of the cover to the front wall and go down the wall either out the screened bottom or the entrance. Water will only drop straight down if hive is level. What are your thought ? LOL I have been doing this for years and have several ideas i would love to share as well

[@roymaher8820]

Great topic Dave! Here in MA. in addition to quilt boxes and inner cover with escape/ vent ports I’ve had great results insulating hive walls and cover with 1 1/2” foam insulation board. Also using a combo of a piece of homasote (ceiling tile) unpainted side down between inner cover and cover, and a 1/2” screened lower hole on opposite wall of hive entrance with no upper vent This cleared upper hive ceiling condensation. I’ve had poor results with top venting, probably because the colonies are smaller, and better success by creating an air exchange below the winter cluster. Your candy board is clever, I wish I thought of it! Anyway, keep up the flow of thoughtful ideas, it keeps Winter more interesting!

[@Zarealy]

So funny, I was just researching this topic this morning. Off to watch your quilt box video!

[@dawnperry9141]

Great information! I am so worried about moisture. I have a solid bottom board, a quilt box on top and I made candy boards. When should I put the candy board on? I am in central VT. It gets cold. I am loving the videos. Thank you!

[@kylefrench7985]

Great content great video!!! Thanks David. Your advice is always welcome. I'm so glad I got my hive ready for winter early!!! We have had winter come early here in Utah we are having December weather in November! I got my winter be kind on!! Thanks for helping us to keep our bee's alive and giving our bee's a better chance!!!

[@kathyhathaway8823]

Hello David here in central NC we do have some fairly cold weather but I do not think it is as bad as a lot of other States . I run screen bottom boards closed up but not totally blocked AND I also run a screen top inter cover year round an most of all I tilt the hive forward a lot more than I do in the summer that way if there is any water in there it will run down the front wall an not on the bees . I also put sugar bricks in my top box on the frames the reason is because the bees also need water an this way they do not have to go outside an they also need it in eating the sugar bricks. So if there is ( a lot ) of water in the hive with it tilted forward it can run out the front door ( if the bees did not lock the front door ) . HaHa. Also I do not have any yet but what I have heard the Brood Minders system will help out with a lot of that to let you know what is going on in the hive . THANKS

[@CastleHives]

Good stuff, David. It is key to control the moisture.

[@reck9953]

Do you tilt the hive forward or backwards so the water would maybe run the way it’s tilted instead of staying above the cluster?

[@b2bogster]

That is really interesting!

[@WildlifeAdventuresWithVincent]

Hey hey David!! 🐝🐝👍👍

[@francinekeane9900]

Hi David Thanks for all your great videos learn so much from you. Live in Sydney Australia, temps rarely drop below 6-7 degrees C so bees still foraging through the winter but had lots of mould inside my hive coming out of our winter this year (new bee keeper- first winter) What do you think I should do?

[@beek]

I’m going to answer this in tomorrow’s video.

[@framcesmoore]

Candy boards on top for me works great hope u and your family have a wonderful Thankgiven

[@beek]

Thank you Frances and you have a wonderful Thanksgiving too! Thank you for being a loyal subscriber or 5 years!!

[@brettmcguffee8119]

Hey David! I want to start keeping bees but I’ll be moving to Virginia in about a year. It would be a 16 hour drive and about 1000 miles. Do you think I could transport my hive that far with out my hive dying or should I wait till after the move to start my hive? Thanks!

[@beek]

Hi Brett, wait and start after you move!

[@treksandpreps]

hey david. My mentor told me, in north western NJ hardiness zone 6a, put nickles in between the top of the hive body and the inner cover. he said wrapping hives creates more moisture and doesn't do any good. His qoute "no one wraps wild hives in trees. they make it."

[@beek]

But trees are thicker than hive boards that are only 3/4 inch think. I’ll address this in tomorrow’s video.

[@treksandpreps]

@@beek looking forward to it. thanks for the response. I really enjoy your content.

[@marobroski2286]

Dziękujemy.

[@janahamilton9588]

I absolutely love how sharp the picture is. Your camera is fantastic!!!

[@beek]

Yup, I always have my camera gear in the description of each video but I love my Canon M50 Mark 2. They have taken a beating with me in the bee yards. I use a Sigma 16mm f/1.4 DC DN Lens which just makes the image pop for sure. The down side is since it is a camera that also does video and not a camcorder, there are gov regulations which do not allow this camera to record longer than 29 min. at a time. Go Figure, something about imports etc.

[@roymclean1345]

Yes Mr Burns I just watched your video on trying to get the moisture out of the hive you mentioned a quilt box I feed my bees pollen Patty's in winter my question is will the quilt box work with me feeding patties

[@beek]

It should as long as you find space under it

[@roymclean1345]

Thank you and I enjoy all your videos and the help you do for beginners and experience bee keepers. Please keep up the good work.A GOD bless you