Welcome, Guest

Author Topic: level hives  (Read 4710 times)

Offline tina

  • House Bee
  • **
  • Posts: 85
level hives
« on: April 16, 2011, 06:53:59 pm »
how level do hives need to be. I have just bought a rough hive with a metal bottom board when i put it level dew was running in each morning so I have tilted it a little forward. it stops the dew running in but will it affect the combs?

Offline Jim134

  • Galactic Bee
  • ******
  • Posts: 3045
  • Gender: Male
    • Franklin County Beekeepers Association
Re: level hives
« Reply #1 on: April 16, 2011, 07:08:49 pm »
Are you doing the hives foundtionless  :?



   BEE HAPPY Jim 134 :)
"Tell me and I'll forget,show me and I may  remember,involve me and I'll understand"
        Chinese Proverb

"The farmer is the only man in our economy who buys everything at retail, sells everything at wholesale, and pays the freight both ways."
 John F. Kennedy
Franklin County Beekeepers Association MA. http://www.franklinmabeekeepers.org/

Offline hardwood

  • Galactic Bee
  • ******
  • Posts: 3482
  • Gender: Male
  • Alysian Apiaries youtube.com/MrBeedude
Re: level hives
« Reply #2 on: April 16, 2011, 08:43:40 pm »
If foundationless you want the hive level from side to side so that when they draw comb in relation to gravity (plumb) they draw relatively straight comb.
Front to back doesn't matter as much and the hive should be tilted slightly forward to shed moisture as you have done.

If on foundation it matter little.

Scott
"In the first place, we should insist that if the immigrant who comes here in good faith becomes an American and assimilates himself to us, he shall be treated on an exact equality with everyone else, for it is an outrage to discriminate against any such man because of creed, or birthplace, or origin. But this is predicated upon the person's becoming in every facet an American, and nothing but an American...There can be no divided allegiance here. Any man who says he is an American, but something else also, isn't an American at all. We have room for but one flag, the American flag...We have room for but one language here, and that is the English language...And we have room for but one sole loyalty and that is a loyalty to the American people."

Theodore Roosevelt 1907

Offline tina

  • House Bee
  • **
  • Posts: 85
Re: level hives
« Reply #3 on: April 16, 2011, 08:46:23 pm »
Thank you both for your answers   I have foundation frames but am gradually going to swap to foundationless frames

Offline Michael Bush

  • Universal Bee
  • *******
  • Posts: 19805
  • Gender: Male
    • bushfarms.com
Re: level hives
« Reply #4 on: April 17, 2011, 12:58:27 am »
Forward is fine.  Side to side should be level.  More so if it's foundationless.
My website:  bushfarms.com/bees.htm en espanol: bushfarms.com/es_bees.htm  auf deutsche: bushfarms.com/de_bees.htm  em portugues:  bushfarms.com/pt_bees.htm
My book:  ThePracticalBeekeeper.com
-------------------
"Everything works if you let it."--James "Big Boy" Medlin

Offline tina

  • House Bee
  • **
  • Posts: 85
Re: level hives
« Reply #5 on: April 17, 2011, 01:53:06 am »
Thanks again   I'm going to go back to your site for advise on how to gradually swap to foundationless.

Offline Grieth

  • House Bee
  • **
  • Posts: 113
  • Gender: Male
Re: level hives
« Reply #6 on: April 17, 2011, 06:11:20 am »
The hive box should tilt a tiny bit forwad, so that dew, rain, etc runs out the front entrance. Otherwise, filthy water sits inside the hive - bad for the bees and rots (or in your case rusts) your box.  It seems that moist hives also contribute to chalk brood.  I also think it makes it a tiny bit easier for them to be good housekeepers as they can roll their rubbish out down hill ;)

Wouldn't mind seeing a pic of your metal base hive - only every seen wood and weathertex before.
"The time has come," the walrus said, "to talk of many things:
Of shoes and ships - and sealing wax - of cabbages and kings”
Lewis Carroll

Offline tina

  • House Bee
  • **
  • Posts: 85
Re: level hives
« Reply #7 on: April 17, 2011, 06:10:44 pm »
It's just a flat metal sheet with a lip bent down front and back, looks homemade. I was just grateful to get any type of hive here, the SHB and Cyclone Yasi has had a bad affect on the hives up here. (north queensland)

Offline tina

  • House Bee
  • **
  • Posts: 85
Re: metal bottom board to grieth
« Reply #8 on: April 24, 2011, 01:28:20 am »
qualitybeekeepingsupplies.com.au   have pictures of them on their site

Offline Grieth

  • House Bee
  • **
  • Posts: 113
  • Gender: Male
Re: level hives
« Reply #9 on: April 24, 2011, 02:53:05 am »
Thanks.  Had only seen timber or weathertex ones down here.  I would image rust is an issue, esp in NQ?
"The time has come," the walrus said, "to talk of many things:
Of shoes and ships - and sealing wax - of cabbages and kings”
Lewis Carroll

Offline tina

  • House Bee
  • **
  • Posts: 85
Re: rust on metal bottom board
« Reply #10 on: April 24, 2011, 03:27:32 am »
mine isn't rusty    it has been inland from here   but i think it would rust pretty quick here as we have salt water all around us    i will be changing it as soon as new hive arrives       i didn't mind buying an old hive it was the bees i was wanting  actually the frames look pretty new as does the foundation   i'm very happy with the bees   nice and placid and busy

Offline ozbee

  • New Bee
  • *
  • Posts: 30
  • Gender: Male
Re: level hives
« Reply #11 on: April 30, 2011, 05:14:55 am »
 beehives are a lot tuffer than you think  i am still turning hives back up from yassy and as long as the water can drain out whether front  sideways or upside down  they will crank along unless the toads are giving them a hiding. the angle on a frame   cell is only six degress  so even if the frame is upside down you wouldn't notice the change the townsville club does have burdekin meetings also.

Offline Grieth

  • House Bee
  • **
  • Posts: 113
  • Gender: Male
Re: level hives
« Reply #12 on: April 30, 2011, 09:50:50 am »
You're a tough lot in NQ!  Even your bees.  Hope next season goes better.
"The time has come," the walrus said, "to talk of many things:
Of shoes and ships - and sealing wax - of cabbages and kings”
Lewis Carroll

Offline tina

  • House Bee
  • **
  • Posts: 85
Re: level hives
« Reply #13 on: April 30, 2011, 06:33:01 pm »
thank you i bought my hive off the president in townsville   i'll ring him later and find out about the ayr meetings    i'd love to join a club

 

anything