# Vent Holes



## farmerjohn

Fairly new to beekeeping of several years. 
What size vent hole do I put in the bee boxes-Do I only do supers or do I also do the Brood Boxes? ANd the telescoping cover? Is there a place to get a screen cover or a cone or something to insert into the hole? Or just staple screen cloth over the hole? Do I use plastic screen cloth or metal? Only one side or all sides? 

Lots of questions I know. 

Is there any better instructions for the screened bottom boards to build on your own? 
Thanks


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## Queen Bee

Not sure about in your location but here they just drill hole in the back of the supers. The holes are the size of corks that are inserted when the 'draft' is not needed. Your girls will just close up small holes with propolis. I have had them close up 2/3 of my screen bottom board... I will be watching what others have to say.


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## indypartridge

I've got a couple supers that I bought used that have holes drilled in them. About 1 1/2" diameter. The bees use them as upper entrances, but I've never drilled holes in any of my other woodenware. 

For most of my hives, I just prop the tops open with a stick: gives them extra ventilation and provides an upper entrance. Easy to close up in the fall!


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## alleyyooper

Can't do screen bottom boards your self any easier than this.

Screen bottom boards, Billy Bob boards. - Tractor Farm And Family

Here is my summer ventilation set up.










3/4 inch holes below the finger holes, upper entrance in the intercover and proping the outer cover on the front edge of the intercover. when you want to close it up insert 3/4inch dowels into the holes, set outer cover down over the inter cover and slide it all the way back. Insert the flashing back in the bottom board.

 Al


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## AverageJo

Al, I went to your plans on the screen bottom board and it seems incomplete. It shows the base, but not how to put on the screen? What size screening do you use? 1/4 inch hardware cloth? That sounds too big but window screening sounds like it would just get clogged with pollen and propolis and wax. Also, how deep and wide do you make the slot for the flashing? How far from the top edge do you make the slot? These plans DO sound uber-simple!! Even I think I can do this with the limited tools I have.


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## tom j

use 1/4 inch hardware cloth ,, I make my screen bottom board from 2x4's ,and do not use entrance ramps ,, on the next box's I make I thought of a defer-ant way to put upper entrance's ,, want to try one first before bragging


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## alleyyooper

Slot for the flashing should be deep enought to allow the flashing to stay and slide in I do 3/4 inch. A 1/8 inch saw blade is wide enough for sheet metal flashing. Cut a 2x4 in half and that is how fafr down you cut the slots.

1/8 inch hard wear cloth is the screen size as it is big enought to allow the mites to fall thru but keeps the bees in. I use 1/2 inch staples and use a T50 Arrow stapler. With the glue used in the body rest and the nails used to install them you only need to hold the screen for a short time with the staples.
Pictures are nearly all gone and I can't fix the sticky post on this board.

The text is still OK though.
http://www.homesteadingtoday.com/li...ild-your-own-screened-bottom-board-plans.html

 Al


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## AverageJo

OK, I still think there's a step missing, but perhaps I'm just showing my gray roots... 

I get the bottom with the front and back supports and the landing board. Then you cover the top with hardware cloth and staple that down. Got it. Do you put a piece of metal over the front edge so the bees don't stub their toes when coming in? Also, there has to be another piece of wood put on top of that, around the outside and partially over the front to place the brood box on, otherwise there wouldn't be an opening, right?? How thick is this piece of wood? I guess I could go out and measure or make it as thick as my entrance reducers and just use an entrance reducer across the front and put on the other three sides??

Thanks again for posting!! I think I now have yet another winter project.


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## alleyyooper

Take a good look at this picture. The rail is 3/4 x 3/4 inch with a 6 inch entrance. You can see the entrance also the rail because the set up was painted after the assembly was complete










The girls don't stub their toes cause there isn't any thing sticking up to stub their toes on.

There isn't a step it is a ramp access like for the handicapped. My girls are sort of lazy though and fly in the hive. They use the ramp when they are sunning them selves.

 Al


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## AverageJo

OK, now I've got it... you put the screen on and THEN put the ramp on so it covers the edges of the screen?? Geesh, y'all must be laughing at me. I admit, I'm laughing at myself as well. I can build a bee hive from your pictures but couldn't figure this one out?? Geesh...


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