Hive Covers

A hive cloth is the general name for flexible, auxiliary covering materials such as fabric, polythene, clear plastic, felt or insulation boards that are laid over the top bars of the frames or placed on the upper part of the hive. The right material makes inspections easier and balances heat and humidity; the wrong material creates condensation and mould inside the hive.

What is a hive cloth for?

This page deals with cloths and covers as materials; the rigid crown board (inner cover) and the outer roof are covered on the "Hive Covers and Lids" page. Flexible covers are used instead of a crown board or together with one. Beekeepers prefer them for these reasons:

• Quick, calm inspections: By folding back a corner of the cloth, only the frame to be checked is exposed; the rest of the hive stays covered, the bees are less disturbed and less heat escapes.
• Keeping top bars clean: It limits the bees building comb and depositing propolis in the space above.
• An insulating layer: Felt, wool or a foam board forms an extra heat buffer on top of the cloth.
• Ease of application: Fondant, pollen feed and treatment strips can be kept tidy under or on top of the cloth.

Types and materials of hive cloth

Fabric cloth

Made from tightly woven cotton or linen. Traditional and still very common.

• It breathes, letting some of the moisture pass upwards.
• The bees glue its edges down with propolis and may chew the fabric over time; a worn cloth should be replaced.
• It can be washed and dried; if it is to be moved between hives, a clean one should be used.

Polythene and plastic covers

Cut from heavy polythene, oilcloth or food-grade plastic sheet. Cheap and durable.

• Bees put less propolis on it, and it wipes clean easily.
• Impermeable to moisture: Without insulation on top, condensation forms on the cold surface and water drips straight onto the frames. In winter a polythene sheet should never be left on its own; insulation must always be put on top of it.
• Bees can chew through thin polythene; once holed, it no longer does its job.

Clear cover

A sheet of clear plastic or heavy acetate lets you see where the cluster is and how large it is without opening the hive. It is handy for checking food stores in late winter and the distribution of bees when applying treatments.

Insulation quilt, felt and foam board

An insulating layer placed on top of the cloth or crown board, under the outer roof. Materials used include felt, wool, fabric quilts filled with compressed straw or wood shavings, and polystyrene or similar foam board.

• By keeping the ceiling warm, it moves condensation away from the cluster.
• The material should be of a type that does not hold moisture, or should be replaced as soon as it gets wet. Wet insulation neither insulates nor stays free of mould.
• Quilts filled with shavings or straw can absorb moisture and release it outwards; for this reason there should be a small ventilation path under the roof.
• Mice and wax moths can nest in soft filling material; check it in autumn and spring.

Outer wraps and wind covers

In cold, windy areas the outside of the hive can be wrapped for the winter with tar paper, tarpaulin, straw bales or a ready-made hive wrap. Two rules matter here: the entrance must stay open, and the wrapping must not trap moisture inside the hive. On sunny winter days a dark wrap can warm the hive unnecessarily and send the bees out flying; decide according to the climate.

Comparison of materials

How do you use hive cloths through the seasons?

1. Spring: While the colony is building up, the cloth and the thin insulation on top of it are kept to reduce heat loss. Cloths that got wet or mouldy over the winter are replaced.
2. Summer and the honey flow: Thick insulation is removed; a fabric cloth or a crown board with a hole helps ventilation. In very hot areas a dark polythene sheet can overheat the hive.
3. Autumn: Winter covers are prepared; check that the cloth fits the top of the box fully, with no gap left for robbing bees to get in.
4. Winter: Set up the trio of cloth + dry insulation + sound outer roof. The hive is not opened; if necessary, a quick look is taken through the clear cover and fondant is given the same way.

Hygiene and care of hive cloths

• At the end of the season, scrape fabric cloths, wash them in hot water, and store them only once completely dry.
• Clean polythene and plastic covers of propolis and wax residues; throw away torn or holed ones.
• Do not use the cloth from a hive where disease has been found on another hive. With notifiable diseases (e.g. American foulbrood), follow the instructions of the official veterinary service / local agriculture authority for all equipment.
• Protect stored cloths and quilts from mice and wax moths; keep them in closed, dry boxes.

Common mistakes with hive cloths

• Leaving a polythene sheet uninsulated in winter; condensation forms inside the hive as if it had been raining.
• Not fitting the cloth properly on the top bars; bees escaping at the edges build comb on top of the cloth.
• Not replacing an insulation quilt that has got wet.
• Using materials that smell of chemicals or are painted (old sacks, painted oilcloth) as covers.
• Blocking the entrance with the outer wrap.