Step 7: Inserting the Inner Lid
The inner lid is a flat wooden piece that usually has an oblong hole in it. It sits on top of the hive body. Line it up carefully. The inner lid is important to provide bee space above the frames which lets the bees move about the top of the hive comfortably. It also is designed to allow you to cover the hive without squashing any bees.
As a new beekeeper, it is important to master the skill of removing and replacing hive components in a gentle manner that does not crush any bees. If you set down a hive component and hear or feel a “crunch,” you have killed one or more bees. Use this a s a learning experience. Think about how it happened and what you could do differently to avoid that next time.
Use your smoker to move bees off the top of frames and then proceed slowly when you place the lid. Sliding components into place can nudge bees out of the way without crushing them.
Click #10 below to add the outer cover.
