Beemaster's International Beekeeping Forum

BEEKEEPING LEARNING CENTER => EQUIPMENT USAGE, EXPERIMENTATION, HIVE PLANS, CONSTRUCTION TIPS AND TOOLS => Topic started by: randydrivesabus on April 23, 2006, 06:12:09 pm

Title: on the level
Post by: randydrivesabus on April 23, 2006, 06:12:09 pm

is that important or somewhat close to level is fine? i mean the hives. theres not much in the way of level ground around here.

my 2 packages should be here this week and i think i'm ready for them.

Title: on the level
Post by: manowar422 on April 23, 2006, 06:36:24 pm

Your comb will lean in the same direction as the hive :)

As you look straight on at the front
of the hives, It's important to level the hives
from right to left.

This makes the comb they build straight within the frames.

Most folks raise the back of the hive SLIGHTLY for drainage
of rain water that is blown in the bottom entrance.
Kinda like the floor of a garage.

Hope this helps.

Title: on the level
Post by: randydrivesabus on April 23, 2006, 06:52:10 pm

it does...i will go out and level them after supper. if i can remember where my shims are. thanks.

Title: on the level
Post by: amymcg on April 23, 2006, 08:35:00 pm

If the ground is soft, and you aren't level, once it gets some weight and height and soft wet ground, it will tip over, trust me. . .I found out

Title: on the level
Post by: Michael Bush on April 23, 2006, 08:40:01 pm

>s that important or somewhat close to level is fine? i mean the hives. theres not much in the way of level ground around here.

With foundation it's pretty important.  With foundationless it's essential.  I've had foundationless hives that leaned (not when I put them up but something settled) and the combs went from the top bars of one frame to the bottom bar of the next frame.  Not good.

Front to back isn't so much the issue as side to side.  The combs need to hang straight with gravity.

Get a level.  Anything less is not accurate enough.  :)