Rain

[Kevin Mulvey]

Suggestions for keeping hives safe and dry from the effects of the incoming deluges? 

[Andrew Westbury]

Hi Kevin, 

I rigged up the attached extended roof to try to keep water out of my colony. Not sure if it will work. 

Happy Holidays

Drew 

Sent from my iPhone

On Dec 19, 2025, at 8:12 PM, Kevin Mulvey <kevin....@gmail.com> wrote:

Suggestions for keeping hives safe and dry from the effects of the incoming deluges? 

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[Andre Kruglikov]

I use corrugated plastic (from Home Depot.)  It's 22" wide and comes in 8' and 12' lengths.  A 4' piece coves a hive quite well.  I used to hold them down with a heavy block or two but switched to using straps when I switched to insulated plastic covers because they are more slippery and, given a strong enough gust, even heavier blocks will not keep plastic cover in place.

Andre, Chief Bee Herder, Honey Squeezer and Beeswax Melter

Twin Bee Apiaries

2850 Central Avenue

Alameda CA 94501

650-387-5773

On Fri, Dec 19, 2025, 8:12 PM Kevin Mulvey <kevin....@gmail.com> wrote:

Suggestions for keeping hives safe and dry from the effects of the incoming deluges? 

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[Paul Makepeace]

Sand down a 5+ degree slope on the landing board so rain doesn’t pool and drench the inside

El El vie, dic 19, 2025 a la(s) 20:12, Kevin Mulvey <kevin....@gmail.com> escribió:

Suggestions for keeping hives safe and dry from the effects of the incoming deluges? 

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[Gerald Przybylski]

• Anyone with a Solid bottom board should have the hive "tipped forward" (back an inch higher than the front) 
so that any water finding its way in will dribble out the front. 
• Screen bottom boards should be set up not to accumulate water either. 
(We don't bother with a slider under the hive because there's very little turbulence  
to push cold air up to the brood ball. The bottom bars block the wind pretty well. ) 
• "Awnings" over the entrance should make for happier bees not landing in puddles. 
(You might be able to make them out of shingle flashing bent a bit so water drips off the front edge.)
• Our guest speaker last Tuesday was Michael Bush who noted that we don't have winter here.
Our bees forage most days, and don't do a brood break. Hives aren't surrounded by snow. 
• If all surfaces of the hive are 3/4" material, half the heat leaks out of the top of the hive
(conduction through the top cover and radiation to space)  So the big Win is insulating the top of the hive.
I use a slab of styrofoam™ under either a telescoping cover or an inverted full-sheet baking pan.
(full sheet pans are $8 at business-costco, and that's a lot cheaper than a telescoping cover) 
(Bees will chew on styrofoam, so it needs something chew-proof under it like plywood.)

Only if you have a 5 knot wind blowing at the front/side of the hive all the time will you perhaps need a wind-break. 
Hives in walled/sheltered back yards won't suffer much wind-chill. 


Where do you think the bees are? 
The two near the camera are active colonies that busily forage during the day. 
You can kinda make out the bottom-boards (blue) under the green facing to the left. 
The one behind them is a dead-out this fall.  It didn't get a new queen this summer. 

Remember to "heft" the back of the hive every week or two to see how they're honey reserves are holding up.
If a hive gets light, or if the foraging activity drops way off,  it's best to investigate. 

You do your Winter-Beekeeping in October by right-sizing hives, and setting them all up with the right amount
of stored honey.   The setting up includes insulating the top if that's a thing you feel you need, and awnings 
if you feel the bees need them.  
If you're only thinking about this now, you're way late. 

That's my 2¢

[Mimi]

Thanks for reminding me that I need to put on moisture barrier top.  I’m also adding some absorbent pine shavings on top of inner lid - works well as absorbent insulation. 

Mimi 

Sent from my iPhone

On Dec 19, 2025, at 10:23 PM, Paul Makepeace <pa...@paulm.com> wrote:



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[Danny Williamson]

Hello, like Jerry mentioned raise the underneath rear of the hive about a inch or more if using a solid bottom board so the rain will not flood the bottom of the hive bottom board and drain out. I use a long strip of wood underneath to raise the back. Also its important to know if the hive is to tall and putting a piece of plywood or board on top wouldn't work and protect the very entrance from the rain coming in. So putting an awning right above the entrance is better. Here is a sample of one I found on Etsy. But if you Google search there are alot of them and there simple enough you can make your own to save money.  https://www.etsy.com/listing/799529150/beehive-awning-from-old-greenwich-honey?ref=elp_anchor_listing

On Fri, Dec 19, 2025, 8:12 PM Kevin Mulvey <kevin....@gmail.com> wrote:

Suggestions for keeping hives safe and dry from the effects of the incoming deluges? 

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[Danny Williamson]

Here is another good example of an awning. But I would lower the awning alot more than what they show in the pictures. https://www.lappesbeesupply.com/heavy-duty-weather-resistant-metal-bee-hive-awning/?utm_term=&utm_campaign=Shopping+%7C+Everything+Else&utm_source=adwords&utm_medium=ppc&hsa_acc=6497619409&hsa_cam=20950079927&hsa_grp=159271383993&hsa_ad=687997934630&hsa_src=g&hsa_tgt=pla-294682000766&hsa_kw=&hsa_mt=&hsa_net=adwords&hsa_ver=3&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=20950079927&gclid=Cj0KCQiAr5nKBhCpARIsACa_NiOiHuVGZyOjfEGtj6__FfLqPMmh80WNDa0ZfFAcomRemzQGt_HtORsaAnFoEALw_wcB

On Fri, Dec 19, 2025, 8:12 PM Kevin Mulvey <kevin....@gmail.com> wrote:

Suggestions for keeping hives safe and dry from the effects of the incoming deluges? 

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[Alan Pryor]

Fill from Phremont had a design he was sharing a few years ago made from campaign yard signs.

To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/the-alameda-county-beekeepers-association/CA%2Bxe2r9zYbfa9pJMy6jsM49fff%3DqtE9r2MOzBZeMsePiOG44hQ%40mail.gmail.com.