# Help with damaged Deep box



## Racingbantha (Nov 29, 2017)

Forgive me if my lingo is a bit off, I'm kinda new to beekeeping.

This evening noticed that the bottom corner of my bottom Deep box is damaged, fortunately the hive itself seems to be okay overall, but there's a big hole there. I've got a spare box I can use, but I'm not sure is moving the frames to the new box is a good idea right now or is there some sort of temp fix that I should do till spring when the weather warms up?. The temps are kinda low here but not as low as they will be this winter and I want to do my best to try and protect the hive.


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## JWPalmer (May 1, 2017)

Welcome to Beesource.

There are many ways to address this problem.The quick and easy fix right now is aluminum foil tape (not duct tape) over the hole. Also small patches nailed on the box to cover, or a water based wood filler. You didn't say how big the hole was so the best solution is a guess. What caused the hole? If it was mice, you need to address that problem with screen or metal barriers.


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## rwlaw (May 4, 2009)

I’m assuming your in Michigan (I’ve not heard the name in any other state lol). It’s not a good time for switching boxes as the bees are set up for the winter and it’ll cause a great amount of stress for them doing it.
Plug it with whatever (I use plumbers putty for such things as it’s relatively food grade) and cover it w/ duct tape and do it in the spring.


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## Racingbantha (Nov 29, 2017)

I can post a pic tomorrow, but the hole is 2-3 inches on each side from the corner (so about 5-6" in length) and about an inch in height. As for how the damage was caused, it was from a heat lamp that was too close to the hive. I though it would help keep the hive warm, but that didn't work as well as I thought.


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## roddo27846 (Apr 10, 2017)

Racingbantha said:


> I can post a pic tomorrow, but the hole is 2-3 inches on each side from the corner (so about 5-6" in length) and about an inch in height. As for how the damage was caused, it was from a heat lamp that was too close to the hive. I though it would help keep the hive warm, but that didn't work as well as I thought.


I admire your honesty.


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## RayMarler (Jun 18, 2008)

If you have any, plug it with beeswax. Some scrap pieces of bee comb squished and pushed into the hole. That's what I do here whenever I need to plug a hole in a bee box.


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## JWPalmer (May 1, 2017)

Lot bigger hole than most have to deal with. Cut patches from 1/4" luan plywood and nail them over the hole with wedge cleat nails. Wear a beesuit when you do this. Seal the edges and any cracks with beeswax as Ray suggested or use a latex caulk and paint. Get a new box for the spring.


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## Michael Bush (Aug 2, 2002)

I would probably just not worry about it... but if you want to fix it permanently, I would bend some tin to fit around the corner and nail it on. If you want to stop it up for winter, warm some wax in the house where it's warm, and get it workable in your hands and then plug the hole with it.


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## Hillbillybees (Mar 3, 2016)

Sure hate nailing anything when its cold outside and stirring them up. The wax or putty is your best bet and if you must use some luan then just get a hand stapler and staple it on for a temporary fix. Next season you can easily replace it then cut it down for a super if it's a deep. Good luck with your bees.


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## mgolden (Oct 26, 2011)

Made some repairs to a friend's beehive using aluminum flashing and stapler. Staples easily penetrate the light aluminum. Bent some 90 degree corners and stapled them on.

Don't know how big your holes are, however, maybe a piece of aluminum from a pop can would work.


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## Racingbantha (Nov 29, 2017)

Didn't get around to getting those pics, but after a closer inspection the bottom tray was also damaged. There wasn't really a good way to repair the opening, so I had to replace the bottom tray. I tried to keep as many boxes together as possible. As for the deep box itself, I had a piece of leftover 1/4" plywood that I cut 2 pieces and essentially duct taped them to the side and front of the hive. It's not perfect, but it does help close up part of the opening to help keep the cold air from coming in (there's still plenty of opening for circulation). I also got a shower tent and put it over the hive, this would hopefully protect it from rain, snow and wind and help keep the tape from coming off. I hope this isn't a horrible idea as well.

I'm also considering moving the hive at some point into an old shed I have. A friend from Germany says that her family used to have a bee shed where they kept their hives in full time, so that in the winter the shed would protect from the cold.


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## Rader Sidetrack (Nov 30, 2011)

If you are concerned about the 1/4" plywood patch coming off, use some screws to keep the patch in place.

Be aware that as the bee colony eats up their stored honey/sugar over the winter, they essentially turn that sugar into energy + CO[SUB]2[/SUB] + water. That water starts out as water vapor, and one way or another, needs to escape from the hive box. The worst way to get rid of the water is to have the vapor reach a cold surface above the bees (hive lid?) and then drip onto the bee cluster as condensed water.

So a "shower tent" sounds as though it may be impervious to water vapor, and that may _not_ be a good thing.

Given adequate food (honey/sugar), a dry box, and an adequate bee population to effectively cluster, your bees can keep themselves warm throughout the winter. A top vent (slightly propped lid, or a notch/hole) is one way to vent humid air. A "quilt box" is another, and another strategy is to add a sheet of 2" foam insulation on top of the cover. The foam shifts the relative temperature of the lid vs hive sides so the condensation occurs on the walls rather than the lid.


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## Jim_in_PA (May 17, 2016)

Hillbillybees said:


> Sure hate nailing anything when its cold outside and stirring them up. The wax or putty is your best bet and if you must use some luan then just get a hand stapler and staple it on for a temporary fix. Next season you can easily replace it then cut it down for a super if it's a deep. Good luck with your bees.


Use screws....  

And for the record, I would fix externally by overlaying some thin material for the winter and wait until warm weather to swap out the box. It will be easier to do a permanent fix at that point.


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