TBA Monthly Meeting

All who wish to attend the annual OSBA Conference to be held in Florence October 28th-30th, we will have a Door Prize Drawing at our September meeting to give away one FREE ticket for attendance.  Value of $150.

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The importance of ventilation in the hive!

Ventilation is vitally important in the hive.  Moisture build up will kill bees just as sure as varroa mites or starvation during the winter months. 

Patrick Sullivan, one of our beekeepers, designed a ventilation box that he has been using year-round for five years.  He has had NO mold in his ten or so colonies since he started using them. A few of us have been using them for a couple of years with the same results.

The box is a modified medium super with pieces of curved PVC pipe facing downward to keep the rain out. It also has hardware cloth in the PVC to keep bees from using the pipes as an entrance. The bottom of the box is covered with hardware cloth. On top of the hardware cloth is a layer of stiff foam insulation. 

During the September meeting, you have three options:

• Bring your own medium super(s). We will provide all the  necessary parts. You/we will build the box during the meeting.  The cost of the materials will probably be somewhere around $15 per box.
• Order one and we will build it for you. We will charge for the materials with a small surcharge.
• Simply watch and learn how to build it, buy the necessary materials, and make it yourself at home.

The ventilation box is used throughout the winter with a white board under the bottom brood box and no inner cover is used. This allows you to lift the foam and see directly into your top box.  You will be able to see how much food is in the upper box and supplement as necessary to save them from starvation.  Food can be placed in the ventilation box directly on the hardware cloth.

We need to know how much material to buy ASAP.  Please send Claire an email telling her how many boxes you intend to build or have built.  Clairemoody503@gmail.com