Kerry, I'm not sure what to say but here are some thoughts.
I have seen a couple of TBHs with leaky roofs - one was mine last winter,
when I placed the roof back on slightly wrong and the next time I inspected
realised rain had got in along one side. In the other case there was a leak
in the roof between plank joints. In both cases the comb went mouldy where
rain got in, but it is easy to see if this is the problem - when you take
the roof off the bars are discoloured an damp in a patch below the leak.
My TBHs don't exhibit problems with humidity but they are not hermetically
sealed. Their far-end entrance is covered by a grill so a through draft is
possible, and they have mesh floors which, whilst covered by a panel most
of the time, do leak a bit of air. Umm... you say water leaks out the
bottom so I guess you have a mesh floor too.
Are you sure it is condensation coming out the bottom - not nectar from
collapsed comb?
I can't remember how long you have had TBHs. Have you seen this before? If
not what do you think is different this year?
You often see slightly mouldy comb after winter - comb which got cold away
from the cluster, then had condensation on it for a couple of months. It
looks like a light dusting of grey-green powder. But mould is not normal in
summer.
Wrap copper tape round the legs to stop slugs creeping up and in. (It's
sold in garden centres.)
That's all I can think of for the moment: does any of this remind you of
any other observations that might be relevant?
Paul
On Fri, 9 Jul 2021 at 17:56, Kerry Dawson <kerrydawson99@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
wrote:
Paul, you said: If you make the top cloth too solid with flour, or
beeswax, the hive can't "breathe" into the quilt box. So, don't make a
perfect seal wirh your chosen stiffener - make it thin and leave a few gaps.
This is useful to know, because my TBH bars are very tight and form a
perfect seal. The hive carries a lot of moisture. I had to remove some
mouldy comb recently and there is sometimes moisture dripping out the
bottom. And a few resident slugs. Perhaps I should remove a spacer or two
and create a small gap between the bars for ventilation, which the bees can
propolise if they want to. This way the pillow of shavings above the bars
can take up the slack moisture and hopefully provide some humidity
regulation.
*From: *Oxnatbees <oxnatbees@xxxxxxxxx>
*Sent: *09 July 2021 14:26
*To: *oxnatbees@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
*Subject: *[oxnatbees] Re: Hungry bees
Yes, loose canvas etc. The only constraint is to be wary of things
potentially treated with insecticide. Some hessian sacks are treated thus,
to preserve foods stored inside them, so be careful if re-using those.
Paul
On Fri, 9 Jul 2021 at 14:04, mike pighills <dmarc-noreply@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
wrote:
Thanks Brian and Paul; glad it is relativly normal.
I have replaced with a piece of calico for the time being, I assume
anything robust and breathable will work?
Best wishes
Mike
On Fri, 9 Jul 2021, 13:41 Oxnatbees, <oxnatbees@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
Really good photo, love the neat stripes.
Just to add to Brian's comment...
Some colonies nibble the hessian top cloth in Warre hives, more than
others. (Top cloths are not used in TBHs or Nationals.) The gnawing through
the top cloth isn't really a problem in itself, the problem comes from the
fact that they will probably continue to chew, up through the next layer -
the one that holds the insulation in the quilt box. The insulation then
begins to fall into the hive; the bees begin building comb in the quilt
box, etc. Messy. So count on replacing top cloths maybe once a year for
nibblers, but they may last 3 years with some colonies.
The reccommended thing to do with a top cloth, in case you've got a bad
case of the nibblers, is to stiffen it with something non toxic like a thin
flour and water paste, or beeswax.
In practise, the original strictures on ingedients for the paste
(wholemeal flour etc) have been found to be unimportant. I use a thin paste
of whatever flour is around, with water and use my fingers to spread that
on a top cloth, then hang it on the washing line so it dries flat.
To apply beeswax, use a hairdryer and spread it thinly with a knife like
butter on toast!
BUT - very important - whichever method you use, it must not form a
complete seal. The hive must be able to 'breathe' through it.
Now about those stripes. They're propolis, on the underside of the top
cloth. Propolis has an interesting property - it is permeable to humidity.
The quilt box in a Warre acts not just as a heat insulatir, but a humidity
buffer. If you make the top cloth too solid with flour, or beeswax, the
hive can't "breathe" into the quilt box. So, don't make a perfect seal wirh
your chosen stiffener - make it thin and leave a few gaps.
Paul
On Fri, 9 Jul 2021, 12:56 Brian Fiddian, <brian.fiddian@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
Ours have done this too. Perhaps they are just having a look to see what’s
there?
They only seem to make one hole and then propolise it. I have put another
piece of hessian on top; this prevents the holed cloth from sticking to the
quilt box.
Regards Brian
*From:* oxnatbees-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx <oxnatbees-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> *On
Behalf Of *mike pighills (Redacted sender "mike.pighills" for DMARC)
*Sent:* 09 July 2021 10:17
*To:* oxnatbees@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
*Subject:* [oxnatbees] Hungry bees
Hi
Just doing a quick roof inspection on a Warre populated last year and
found that the bees are chewing through the top cloth, they seem to have
plenty of stores just wondering what causes this (or is it normal). any
ideas?....
Best wishes
Mike
