# Unproven hypothesis



## planzman (Feb 28, 2012)

After doing an in depth photographic inpection on both my topbar hives made from eastern red cedar, found the following facts.
The hive was covered with a plastic tarp back in late Dec, and just taken off around 1 Mar. Opened for inspection and found drone cells galore, so did a forced split, after two weeks did this inspection on both hives.
No visible mites on any bees and only three hive beetles right at the entrance to the original hive.

Red cedar, is that my new best friend? Anybody else using red cedar, the pink smelly kind?


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## Terri (May 10, 2002)

What a interesting idea.

I wonder if a cedar stick at the entrance of a hive would be a good idea. It shouldn't help with mites because they ride the bees, but moths are PAIN in my area. It might repel the moths


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## beegrowing (Apr 1, 2014)

planzman--Pretty hive!
Terri--Few moths here but I think warding them off is a great idea.

Bees seem to like cedar just fine and it lasts longer than pine and doesn't form mold nearly as fast after a damp winter like ours usually are. A TB manufacturer in Oregon has always used only cedar. My first TB was made by my DH from specs I bought and cedar,and I love that hive the most of my 3. My second TB I bought a kit in a hurry to do a split and it's pine. The bees overwintered fine but I had moldy comb and insides on both ends they had to clean up.I also trashed a couple of the combs that were Really ugly, although from what I read I didn't Have to. Same winter the cedar hive had no mold inside and I insulated them the same.


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