# Metal On Telescoping Covers Hotter or Not?



## GoodyFarms (Jul 10, 2016)

I guess it depends on what you're comparing to. Compared to a white painted top, a metal top will absorb more heat. Compared to a natural wood colored, it probably depends on how darkly colored it is.


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## Rader Sidetrack (Nov 30, 2011)

Don't count on a metal top warming the hive in the winter months. Any heat gain that _might_ occur during a sunny period will be lost during the night-time hours.

The question is quite similar to whether a black painted hive is warmer in the winter than a white painted hive, and the answer is the same - _no_.

Black objects lose heat faster at night than white objects do, so in effect, black objects have greater temperature swings over a 24hr period than white objects do. I don't see how greater temperature swings do the bees any favors.:s

https://www.thenakedscientists.com/articles/questions/what-loses-heat-fastest-white-or-black-surface


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## odfrank (May 13, 2002)

My concern is over heating in the summer. I made telescoping covers iI plan to use with no inner cover.


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## Charlie B (May 20, 2011)

I seem to remember in 6th grade science class that heat rises so.......


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## odfrank (May 13, 2002)

I have seen melted beeswax on top of inner covers so it must get very hot under TC's sometimes.


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## Rader Sidetrack (Nov 30, 2011)

Buildings with steel / gavalume roofs have this issue come up. It appears that a white painted steel is very similar to a 'plain' aluminum color in terms of solar reflectance, and both of those colors reflect approximately 2/3 of the solar radiation back out into the sky ...
http://www.deansteelbuildings.com/products/panels/sr-sri-by-color/

.


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## tpope (Mar 1, 2015)

I have not seen any heat related problems when using telescoping covers without an inner cover.. I ditched the inner covers due to small hive beetles using them as sanctuary. The problem that I then had to solve was how to get the glued on covers off. I am presently using feed sacks. Plastic sheeting or Vis-queen in heavy duty versions will also work.


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## Fivej (Apr 4, 2016)

Not by much, but they sure make them hotter on the outside which is why I paint mine white. Easier to handle without getting burned. J


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## clyderoad (Jun 10, 2012)

Tales from the field:
I have a yard with 12 hives in it. 10 have migratory tops made of wood directly sitting on the top box. 2 have supplier made telescopic covers with aluminum tops covering thin pressed board and the tops sit on wooden inner covers. 
On every hot and sunny day this summer that I visited the yard 2 hives had excessive bearding compared to the others.
In August I spray painted those 2 bare aluminum tops with white rustoleum. No other changes to the set up was made.
Bearding noticeably decreased to about the same intensity as the 10 migratory tops.


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## JWPalmer (May 1, 2017)

I remember this summer noticing how hot the aluminum was on my telescoping tops. Too hot to touch comfortably. Turned the top over and felt the inside of the lid, much cooler. The inner cover should have an upper entrance on it that aids in ventilation. I would not want to allow the heat to remain trapped in the hive in the summer, nor do I want moisture to be trapped in the winter. SHB that are corralled onto the inner cover are not affecting the hive and are easy to squash.


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## Charlie B (May 20, 2011)

I run migratory covers with vent holes on each side. It doesn’t get hot enough here to be a concern but it gets wet and foggy. I can understand Ollie’s concern down in San Mateo because it gets much hotter there.


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## missybee (Sep 6, 2014)

I took the metal off, put some of that mylar double foil bubble wrap cut with sissors, on top of the cover, put the metal back on. We hardly ever see bearding, it also helps in the winter with moisture. We hit heats of the high 90's heat index in the 100's, the hives are full sun. 

Easy to do. Every hive top has been modified.


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## FlowerPlanter (Aug 3, 2011)

missybee said:


> I took the metal off, put some of that mylar double foil bubble wrap cut with sissors, on top of the cover, put the metal back on. We hardly ever see bearding, it also helps in the winter with moisture. We hit heats of the high 90's heat index in the 100's, the hives are full sun.
> 
> Easy to do. Every hive top has been modified.


I like your idea :thumbsup:


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## missybee (Sep 6, 2014)

If you pull the staples out carefully, you can pound them right back in with a small hammer, I use my brad nail hammer. Remove the staples with a small flat screw driver.


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## kaizen (Mar 20, 2015)

odfrank said:


> My concern is over heating in the summer. I made telescoping covers iI plan to use with no inner cover.


Wont be an issue imo........frames being glued to the cover though I think will be.


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## SeaCucumber (Jun 5, 2014)

Irrelevant because there's polystyrene under the metal


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