# Ventilation



## tmwilson (Apr 5, 2015)

They propolis pretty heavily on mine as well. I would not call it totally obstructed, but it's blocked to some extent. I have not found it to cause any issues. I bet it still lets air/moisture through even if it appears to be blocked. Another consideration, which I have not researched or thought much about until just now, is what is the moisture content of propolis? Will it gain or lose moisture readily if spread over a large surface area such as on the top cloth? So, mine do the same thing but I have never contributed any problems to it. 

How thick is your quilt and what are you using in it?


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## flapbreaker (Nov 7, 2015)

I have one square of cloth that I put down over the top bars before the quilted top box goes down. This way the bottom of the quilt box doesn't get glued down. I"m using cedar shavings in the quilt box. The reason I asked the question in the first place is that I had quite a bit of mold growth but I am almost 100% certain it's because I made a bad move in covering the hive thinking I would be helping keep it warm. It didn't occur to me that I might hold unwanted moisture in by doing this as I thought it would stay drier by not being in the rain. Live and learn.



tmwilson said:


> They propolis pretty heavily on mine as well. I would not call it totally obstructed, but it's blocked to some extent. I have not found it to cause any issues. I bet it still lets air/moisture through even if it appears to be blocked. Another consideration, which I have not researched or thought much about until just now, is what is the moisture content of propolis? Will it gain or lose moisture readily if spread over a large surface area such as on the top cloth? So, mine do the same thing but I have never contributed any problems to it.
> 
> How thick is your quilt and what are you using in it?


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## tmwilson (Apr 5, 2015)

Ok. I was just wondering if your quilt was either too drafty or possibly contained something the bees didn't like so they were trying to close it off. I use the top cloth as well and know exactly what you mean about the propolis being stuck between all the bars in the upper box making it hard to remove the top cloth. 

Sounds like you have what I have, which is cedar shavings from the planer. I live in a much colder area and my Warre's make it fine with no wrap. I used to live near Yelm WA so I know about the rain, mist, and general humidity there. I don't miss having to control the moss growing on my roof. The winters are much colder here where I am now not but somewhat less humid.


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## gww (Feb 14, 2015)

I am saying this from memory and I will not say my memory is always good. I am too lazy right now to go back and look. Here goes anyway. I had thought that abby adressed this and that the bees could also open at will what they had closed. I also think his ideal of the small entrance was to help the bees be the ones to control how much air circulated through the hive and that too bigg of one made it harder on the bees.

If I have this wrong I hope some body mediforically kicks my butt.
Good luck
gww


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## johnsof (Oct 14, 2014)

I staple a piece of #8 (1/8" mesh) hardware cloth to the bottom of the quilt box; this doesn't keep them from propolizing the bottom of the quilt box but makes it easy to remove the quilt box when I need to. I can then scrape quite a bit of the propolis off the mesh when I think it's getting too thick. 
To be honest I haven't really noted the bees removing any propolis once it's there. 
I do think that you need a layer of burlap or screen to make a tiny gap between the top box and the quilt box, for ventilation. There must have been SOME reason Warr3


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## johnsof (Oct 14, 2014)

There must have been SOME reason that Warré put it there.


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