Bee proof ventilation for a shed

[robgraham]

I've kept bees for years and have always done the honey extraction in the garage - very little bee leakage. This year everything got moved early in the year into a lean-too shed on the garage side, and guess who had forgotten that one of the end walls had been left with a 50mm gap to the roof.

Honey extraction was interesting though the only danger was handling something and crushing a bee. Successfully avoided !

I've finished off what should have been done in the spring, but now the shed has no ventilation; the roof is opaque corrugated plastic so there's plenty of light and no need for windows. What do the collective suggest ?

Rob

[Steve Walker]

There are plenty of plastic air vents with integral insect screens.

SteveW

[Nightjar]

Caravan or boat vents with integral insect screens.

Colin Bignell

[The Other Mike]

Aircon is nice especially if you hand crank - occasionally I extract in my workshop which is airconditioned but mainly I extract at a friends place who has a dedicated "honey house"

He has no air con but an ancient but powerful fan maybe 18" diameter blowing in to keep your head cool, a big vent exhausting air. Both covered in fly screen available from any decent hardware shop. There are filters too, thick synthetic felt that start off white and end up filthy after a few weeks - they can be washed. There are no opening windows, and the doors have self closers and are through a lobby area

- sounds expensive but I think everything was salvaged from the tip.

Foragers fly in the exhaust stream for hours :)

The Other Mike (also a beekeeper as if you hadn't guessed!)

[robgraham]

Thanks guys - several ideas to work on there.

T.o.M - lovely to have access to dedicated premises, but my bee- keeping has to take its turn amongst my umpteen other interests; as long as the dear ladies produce enough honey to keep the family sweet, I'm happy. I had to buy in a nucleus after this past winter and was astounded how quickly they built up and produced two supers plus of honey.

Rob