Hi
This is my first post and my first winter with my 2 WBC hives (both hives I built his year).
I recently noticed that mildew has started to grow on the inside of the gabled roofs and also on the tops of the crown boards.
It is usual for mildew to develop in winter ?
I had placed rectangle of insulation board (Kingspan) on top on a eke above the crown board on each hive as it seemed a good idea. Each Kingspan board has a 8cm diam hole in the middle "for ventilation".
Could the insulation in some way affected the ventilation within the hive?
Ive removed the insulation as a precaution.
The bees themselves seem OK, with plenty of stores in the supers (which I placed above the brood boxes).
Ive also recently treated with Oxalic acid trickling as one hive had a high varrora count.
This is my first post and my first winter with my 2 WBC hives (both hives I built his year).
I recently noticed that mildew has started to grow on the inside of the gabled roofs and also on the tops of the crown boards.
It is usual for mildew to develop in winter ?
I had placed rectangle of insulation board (Kingspan) on top on a eke above the crown board on each hive as it seemed a good idea. Each Kingspan board has a 8cm diam hole in the middle "for ventilation".
Could the insulation in some way affected the ventilation within the hive?
Ive removed the insulation as a precaution.
The bees themselves seem OK, with plenty of stores in the supers (which I placed above the brood boxes).
Ive also recently treated with Oxalic acid trickling as one hive had a high varrora count.