Beekeeping Made Easy

                      Top Cover / inner cover

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A bee hive needs a roof.   It also needs some way to ventilate the moisture given off by the bees.  The topic of top covers seems so cut and dried but it isn't.  New beekeepers are faced with an array of terms and choices when selecting top covers/inner covers.   So lets take a look at the topic:

Top covers/inner covers  

• As shown in the photo -- A traditional top cover and inner cover  Our recommendation would be to follow in the traditional beekeeping practice.

The traditional top cover is called a telescoping cover.  It fits down around the sides of the upper most super on the hive approximately 2 inches providing protection to the bees from the weather.  The top wood covering is covered with metal to protect the wood from the weather.  The bottom sides of the cover are exposed to the weather and need to be well painted to last.   The inner cover used with this top cover is  located directly below the telescoping cover.  It has a hole in the center to allow moisture from within the hive body to escape.   Ventilation during winter is extremely important.  If not for ventilation within the hive during cold winter condition, one would find the moisture released by the bees condensing producing frost and /or creating moisture droplets that would fall back onto the cluster.  This would prove deadly for the bees.  Since warm air rises, it would pass through the hole in the inner cover to the air space created between the inner cover and the telescoping cover thus carry much moist air away from the cluster.   Wood inner covers are better in our opinion than plastic.  Plastic inner covers seem to allow moisture to condense on the under side and drop this back into the hive as droplets develop.  Wood being more porous allows the moisture to be absorbed and breaths freely.

• A plastic top cover -- We rather like the white plastic top cover.  They hold up well and do not require assembly as do the wooden telescoping covers.   Plastic top covers are also sold in black.  The plastic top covers that we have used out-last the wooden ones by far and do not require the maintenance that wood requires.  Plastic top covers can also be turned over and used to place honey supers while awaiting extracting.  The dripping honey collects in the top cover and can be recovered and  prevents a messy floor.  They also require an inner cover.

• A solar hive ventilation unit -- Very expensive.   This fits on top of the hive and replaces the traditional top cover.  Promoters claim up to 30% more honey produced in hives equipped with the solar hive ventilation unit.  It would take a lot of honey to pay for such a device.  As a beginner, don't be tempted to buy anything fancy just because literature indicates it is the best.   Beekeepers have been creating and patenting various bee devices for years and years.  Moses Quinby over 150 years ago warned unwary beekeeper about people who sold a better this or a better that to get your hard earned money.  Look at what most beekeepers use for hive equipment.  That should tell you a lot!    It is sold under the name "Bee Cool" - TM   It is solar-powered and thermostatically controlled.   If you are interested they can be contacted at : www.beecool.com .

•  Migratory top cover  --   This is popular with commercial beekeepers.  It requires no inner cover but some northern beekeepers use migratory top covers with inner covers.  You may ask why there is a migratory cover!   The reason for the migratory top cover is to allow hives to sit  very close together on a pallet.  A telescoping cover has a lip that fits down around the hive body.  Thus it requires at least two inches between hives.  Commercial pallets do not allow this much room.  Often the hives are fitted against one another with no space.  Thus the need for a cover that is the same size as the top of a hive body.  The migratory cover usually is wood with no metal top to protect the wood and it does not telescope down around the hive body.  This photo was taken from the 2003 Mann Lake Ltd. Catalog.  You can email them at: beekeeper@mannlakeltd.com  or visit their site: www.mannlakeltd.com .