# Migratory covers leaking, new simple cover design ideas wanted.



## Aerindel (Apr 14, 2012)

So far this year it has been raining almost everyday and my new (this year) migratory covers are leaking.

Not a lot, but enough that I am getting mildew on the inside surface and on some of the frames and every time I open the cover to check the bees I see water droplets hanging from the wood. These covers where painted with four coats of oil based finish and held up for the first several weeks but have now opened up and are no longer water tight.

Yes, I know about telescopic covers and their are million other ways to stop water if that was all I wanted but I think they are pretty hideous aesthetic wise and since my hives are right next to my tower house and part of the over all look of my property I want something that fits in with the medieval/industrial style that everything else on my property has.

I also don't want something as huge and heavy looking as some of the bee roofs I've seen. I really liked the clean, simple look of a wooden migratory cover but since that has failed to do its primary job and looking for something to take its place.

I have a few ideas of my own but I thought I would ask you guys and see if anyone has come up with a simple, effective cover that doesn't look like the top off a chest freezer and would look okay on a bare wood langstroth.


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## throrope (Dec 18, 2008)

I had the same problem with my cypress migratory top and set it aside for a couple years. This year I needed extra tops & bottoms with the intention of splitting into single deeps and combining back to the number of hives I wanted and resurrected the migratory top. I trimmed the end board so the top is flat and covered with 20" aluminum flashing using a rubber mallet to bend down the sides, a utility knife to trim and a staple gun to secure. Took longer than I wanted to spend, I made another with the same aluminum roll and scrap plywood, but made that one to overhang. IMHO, nothing beats a sheet of metal, aluminum or galvanized.


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## Ross (Apr 30, 2003)

All of my migratory tops leak and the bees don't seem to care at all. It sounds like you need more ventilation at the top. Are you on solid bottoms? Can the moisture drain through and out, or is it puddling in the bottom and creating condensation under the tops? You have a far different climate and different problems to solve in Montana, but you might need to think about the problem differently.


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## psfred (Jul 16, 2011)

Sheet metal is the only way to go. You can paint it to more or less match the wood or buy vinyl coated aluminum flashing.

Any wooden migratory cover is going to warp without the metal, and probably will even with but not so bad. Ship-lap boards will be the worst, plywood the best.

Peter


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## Keth Comollo (Nov 4, 2011)

Since you aren't planning on migrating your bees why don't you just make them so they have an inch overhang on the sides with a drip edge under each edge to prevent the water from migrating??

I believe the only reason they are typically the exact width of the box is to jam em together on pallets.


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## valleyman (Nov 24, 2009)

psfred said:


> Sheet metal is the only way to go. You can paint it to more or less match the wood or buy vinyl coated aluminum flashing.
> 
> Any wooden migratory cover is going to warp without the metal, and probably will even with but not so bad. Ship-lap boards will be the worst, plywood the best.
> 
> Peter


My Advantec covers are several years old and none have ever warped at all, or allowed any moisture thru. I'm not in Montana but it gets very humid here in the summer. I only use them to feed with half gallon jugs.


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## Keth Comollo (Nov 4, 2011)

valleyman said:


> My Advantec covers are several years old and none have ever warped at all, or allowed any moisture thru. I'm not in Montana but it gets very humid here in the summer. I only use them to feed with half gallon jugs.


I second that valleyman. So far my tests of Advantec are very positive. It cuts like butter, never warps. I started using it for feeder covers and have now used it as the bottoms of the double nucs I am building. I also plan on using it for all my new top covers and building bottom boards for production hives too. Cheap and doesn't rot or warp. Not as pretty as pine from a planer but the rustic look is kinda nice too.


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## Aerindel (Apr 14, 2012)

I've never heard of Advantec before...sounds interesting.

What I ended up doing was buying a 24" wide "W" galvanized sheet metal flashing strip and cutting it up into roof sections that screw on top of the migratory covers and spray painting them a nice rust red. Since there is now a 2" air gap between the metal and the wood I had the idea to ventilate my covers while I was at it. I bought some 2" round aluminum soffit vent plugs with louvres too small to let bees through and installed one in the middle of each cover under the metal roof so in theory my cover is now protected from rain and condensation.


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## westernbeekeeper (May 2, 2012)

I'm a little late to this thread, but would those of you who have the Advantech migratory covers be willing to post photos? I have never heard of this and am very interested. Thanks.


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## wdcrkapry205 (Feb 11, 2010)

Google Advantech, the home page has a product locator. It says 84 lumber has it in my area, it is a high tech roofing/sheathing/decking product like plywood.


westernbeekeeper said:


> I'm a little late to this thread, but would those of you who have the Advantech migratory covers be willing to post photos? I have never heard of this and am very interested. Thanks.


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## westernbeekeeper (May 2, 2012)

I just came away from that page, namely the product locator page. I do appreciate the link though . It says there are no locations with Advantech available. Should I then use 3/4" plywood?


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## AmericasBeekeeper (Jan 24, 2010)

Advantec is a brand name of MDO. MDO and HDO are ply products that do not warp used for concrete forms and the like.


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## Mr.Beeman (May 19, 2012)

I personally like the telescopic covers. They keep everything dry and toasty underneath. Can't ask for any more out of a roof structure, right?


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## throrope (Dec 18, 2008)

westernbeekeeper said:


> I just came away from that page, namely the product locator page. I do appreciate the link though . It says there are no locations with Advantech available. Should I then use 3/4" plywood?


IMHO any wood that got glued back together will not survive exposure to weather. A sheet metal cover changes the game. My oldest telescoping top is Masonite with galvanized steel cover.


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## WesternWilson (Jul 18, 2012)

I don't think we can get Advantech in Canada...is there a similar product available in Canada? And what is the price and sheet sizes available of Advantech?


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## Cleo C. Hogan Jr (Feb 27, 2010)

throrope.... Advantec is guaranteed for 50 years against warpage or seperation. Of course it hasn't been around for 50 years so no one knows for sure. I have been using it for about 4 years and no problems. As you can see on this photo of Advantec with hole for hive top feeders, they have not been painted and they work fine. I do paint most of them just to make them match the hives.

I use the Advantec through the Summer without a telescoping cover. Advantage is you can feed any time through the top. When not needed for feeding, simply place a jar top with no holes in the hole drilled in the Advantec. If we get a severe Winter I can place a telescoping cover over the Advantec. In Spring, just remove the solid jar cap and invert a jar feeder and you don't have to open the hive the feed.









Advantec is the only way to go.

cchoganjr


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## WesternWilson (Jul 18, 2012)

Mr. Hogan: nice hive stands! How did you construct them?


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## Cleo C. Hogan Jr (Feb 27, 2010)

They are made from 2 inch steel well pipe. I bought out Reverand Pace's Bee Operation back about 1998 and he had 75 hives and about 25 of those stands. His sons were in the oil well drilling business and when their welders were not busy they would build him stands for his bees. I doubt that I could afford them at today's prices for pipe. I have about 40 hives on them. Wish I had 25 more of these stands.

cchoganjr


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## mgolden (Oct 26, 2011)

Migratory hives in California. Cleats are on underside and on ends









From Michael Bush website

http://bushfarms.com/images/MigratoryTopEntrance1.JPG

Cover in tin if you want and paint


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