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Author Topic: Week 50 - June 11th & 13th, 2004  (Read 4041 times)

Offline Beth Kirkley

  • House Bee
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  • Posts: 103
    • http://www.petfinder.org/shelters/GA216.html
Week 50 - June 11th & 13th, 2004
« on: June 11, 2004, 11:30:31 pm »
Friday - June 11th

For the last few days I’ve been building a double hive stand, with screened bottom boards. There are several reasons I did this, and why I designed it just the way I did.
1) hive #2 is rather large, and tends to hang outside in the afternoons, so I wanted the ventilation
2) the ventilation for both the hives will help them in brood rearing
3) the screen will also help with varroa mite control
4) I built it so the hives will be turned 90 degrees, like a DE hive, so I can easily access the frames standing at the rear of the hive
5) I also wanted the hives raised some so I can inspect without having to bend over as much
6) I have handles on each side to hang up to 5 frames while I’m doing an inspection

So, that all explained....... here’s the process

I first cut the pieces for the main frame. I used two 8'x6"x1" boards - cutting them into:
A - (1) 5 foot piece
B - (4) 27 inch pieces, with 45 degree cuts in the ends & an 1/8th inch groove down each inside edge (1/2 inch below the top edge) (picture shown below)
C - (2) 6 inch pieces
These are the only pieces of the design that would work for anyone. The other pieces (that I cut later)  would have to be modified according to your own hive. I build my hives, and made a small mistake in it, but it worked out where I can have 11 frames in each box that fit nicely.


click for larger image


I then assembled the main frame. I placed Part A as the back-board, Parts B for where the hive itself sits, and Parts C on the ends for the handles.


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Grooves: 1/8th inch deep, ½ inch from the top, on insides of frame (This is where I will slide in the 1/8th inch plywood for the landing board, and it will also help me in proper positioning of the screened frames.)


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Here is a picture of it with the landing boards before installing the screened bottoms.


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I then used one 10'x6"x2" board for the screen frames and legs. I cut the board first down the full length at 1 ½ inches, and that piece I used for the screen frames. The 10'x4"x2" was used for the 5 legs and the center bracer board. I installed the center leg & bracer boards, and cut the frames for the screen, making sure the screen frames were slightly smaller than needed. I knew a little bit of space would be needed on the edges for wrapping the screen.


click for larger image


After covering the screen frames with 1/8th inch screen, I got them installed, using the groove I’d cut to ensure proper placement. Then I put on the legs, and painted it.


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I also placed a few strips of wood on the underside so that in the winter I can slide a board under the screen to cut down the draft coming threw the screened bottom. There’s even enough space to place foam insulation under the screen if I want.


click for larger image


And lastly, here is the finished & painted hive stand.


click for larger image


Sunday - June 13th

I'm doing a little experimenting with my hives. Mostly because I've too broke to buy any frames, so I had to be inventive. It's nothing really new in the beekeeping world, but new for me, and unusual for many in the US. I've built T-bar frames for two medium honey supers. They're just simply a top bar for the frame, with a thin wood strip down the center about 1 inch away from each wall. I then also covered the strip with a thin layer of wax.


click for larger image


I then put this on the stronger hive, and placed a top entrance above that. Tommorrow I'll do the same to the other hive.


click for larger image


I hope I covered all of it. :)
Beth

Offline knightfamily

  • New Bee
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  • Posts: 10
Week 50 - June 11th & 13th, 2004
« Reply #1 on: June 24, 2004, 10:59:32 am »
Hi Beth

I just wanted to let you know that I enjoyed reading your journal. And I was able to read it from your first week - before it was wiped out.  :(
 
This is something (starting a journal) I(we) should have done when we started last year but James just jumped into it so quickly that I never even thought of it til now. Will probably start now.

Shelly

Offline Beth Kirkley

  • House Bee
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  • Posts: 103
    • http://www.petfinder.org/shelters/GA216.html
Week 50 - June 11th & 13th, 2004
« Reply #2 on: June 24, 2004, 04:40:48 pm »
Having a journal has been a big help for me. Most of this I started on my computer in just word perfect. Then when John started up the forum, there were so few of us that he spoiled us and gave us space for journaling. So I just copied my journal here.

I think we'll be able to get the journal back, what he deleted anyway. :) If not, I'll paste it here again. It's not quite as simple as cut & paste from word perfect, cause I have to do all the pictures over too. But it can be done.  :roll: I'm laughing about John erasing all those posts (mine and about 1050 others!!), but I could choke him too for it. LOL Oh well, I'm sure he's punishing himself worse than I ever would. I'm sure he feels really terrible about it. That's not what I want though - it'll all be fine. :)

Someone else posted this site: http://www.mybeehives.com/index.php. I've looked it over, and it looks great. I'm going to start using it too.

Talk to you again soon,
Beth

Offline knightfamily

  • New Bee
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  • Posts: 10
Week 50 - June 11th & 13th, 2004
« Reply #3 on: June 25, 2004, 09:19:38 am »
Yes I saw that site too. Thinking of using it too. I really hate that I didn't start when we first got the girls.

Offline Lesli

  • House Bee
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  • Posts: 420
Week 50 - June 11th & 13th, 2004
« Reply #4 on: June 25, 2004, 10:37:47 am »
For others who want to journal in a more freeform way than mybeehives.com, try www.blogger.com, where you can create your own BeeBlog on the web. I'm thinking of doing that for the less factual areas of beekeeping.
**************************
Lesli