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Subject:
From:
allen dick <[log in to unmask]>
Reply To:
Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology <[log in to unmask]>
Date:
Tue, 8 Jul 2003 18:26:42 -0600
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I found this interesting:

allen
---
From: "islander" <[log in to unmask]>
Newsgroups: sci.agriculture.beekeeping
Subject: super entrance
Date: Fri, 4 Jul 2003 20:05:49 +0400

somebody wrote about how to make the bees use an upper entrance.

I had problems with humidity in the hives, mycosis on frames and combs,
ants
living on the hive roof with all the ants eggs...

I had idear to remove the roof elements by simply a sheet of thick,
clear
glass, just 1 centimeter larger and longuer than the body hive.

A french master Alain Caillas wrote "they produce almost 3 times more in
clear hives", and they become so kind girls.

It's known Clear hives are much expensive than ordinary, But I thought
maybe
I'm clever than the others(!!! we never know!!!), and only replacing
original roof by a glass I could earn a part of a clear one benefits.

I thought I will
1) guet rid of ants over  the hive
2) help to guet the hive more dry
3) say good bye to the mites as they hate the light
4) maybe if Caillas was right, they would become more kind

it happens they immediatly want to go out thru the upper of the hive,
thru
the glass (impossible) so they stay all along the day colliting with the
glass here.
and also I had a lot of water condensation on the glass inside.And some
day
with sun, the hive become very hot, too much in fact.

after that I did experimentations. I let some small openings under the
glass, the side the sun is(because they insist go out that place only),
I
put a layer of plastic insulation that let maybe 40% of the light coming
in,
no more, so protect from hard sun and also keep better the warm during
the
night (but I am in tropical area in Reunion Island), with just 2
centimeter
not covered by insulation, in the sun direction, so they can see hard
sun
from that and quicky go out at work from that place, because the small
openings are near.

It works very well. an important amount of bees use the openings, very
quickly after put the glass, just need a few days so they become used
about
where exactly are the openings. It seems as they see the sun they wake
up
and directly go at work ! I even see sometimes bees with pollen, enter
into
the hive from the bottom, and arrived inside they forguet they are still
loaded, and then go out for work from the upper openning, then realise
they
are still loaded and enter again.

mites have a few. ants none.with the isolation, no condensation inside,
and
the small upper openings give better ventilation. and the girls really
became very very kind.They love the light, can see what their job
inside...
I don't know what's the reason.Why keeping these sun lover's in the dark
?


it's simple. the same hive if you remove the roof without smoke, you
guet 20
girls on you after 2 seconds in a very bad mood you know what I mean,
and
now with light, I open without protection on me and without smoke, they
don't mind !

I can even put my bare hand into the hive, they don't bother. And the
season
is not good : rainy, cold, and no flowers, and they have a few honey
reserve.

I don't know if I can go far, remove frames, etc without smoke. This is
not
shure. Later on I will try.

So for the person who wants have upper openings, this is an immediate
way,
and it works nearly immediatly. for them to go out at least. To enter,
it's
not immediat. because when they arrive, flying  on the hive they
remember
only the old entrance. But the new born bees guet used to go out using
the
upper, and return into the upper again after work returning into the
hive.

 If somebody have done similar experiences, I would be curious to know
about.

sorry if English mistakes, I'm only french !
this file is very interesting.

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