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Author Topic: Bee Space, Frames, and Ventilation in Horizontal Hives  (Read 8904 times)

Offline beek4018

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Bee Space, Frames, and Ventilation in Horizontal Hives
« on: May 31, 2012, 06:19:23 pm »
I'm considering building a horizontal hive (similar to a Tanzanian TBH) sized to use either commercial or national frames (as I live in Ireland).  My main purpose for this is to avoid heavy lifting and because I like to look of it. 

I also plan to put the hive on legs (like a Kenyan TBH) to avoid bending and stooping.

I'm also planning on using foundationless frames and not just top bars because I want to avoid the side and bottom attachment issues encountered with top bar only hives.  Correct me if I'm wrong, but shouldn't using frames keep the girls from attaching to the sides as much.  Of course you'd still get some attachment (as with a Langstroth). 

Am I better off using deep or shallow frames?  I thought deeps since I won't have to do any other lifting, but I'm concerned about the structural integrity of foundationless deep comb.

I'm also using frames instead of top bars because I'm disabled, and with use of only one hand, I tend to clutch frames in a bit of a death grip, and I undertand that can cause you to twist top bars and hold them unevenly which can easily torque and break the comb.

What I'm also considering doing is filing down the little spacer bits on the frames so that  the frames will fit flush together (as with top bar hives).  My reasoning for this is to have the same "one frame at a time" access to the hive that you gt with top bars ( meaning you only have to deal with one frame of bees at a time.

My questionis, will this cause any undue heating issues, or any other problems that I should account for now in the planning/building stage?

I'm planning on having a screened bottom on the hive for ventilation, and a pitched roof of some sort with generous ventilation.  the entrance will be a 3"-4" opening ( with landing board in the top of the hive's front wall (under the roof eaves).  And a flat top bar spacer just inside the hive entrance ( in place of the first frame) will prevent the bees from getting above the frames and building comb in the "attic space".

Any reason why these things wouldn't work?

Thanks for the help

Offline Joe D

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Re: Bee Space, Frames, and Ventilation in Horizontal Hives
« Reply #1 on: May 31, 2012, 11:55:50 pm »

The first hive I built was a tbh, it has frames.  I took 2x4's cut them at an angle, turned it around ran it back across table saw to get a wedge or point.  Cut to length, cut a knoch to rest on sides of hive, added sides and bottom to frame. My top bars are 1 1/2" wide, inside of frame is 17" at top, 11" down the sides, and 9" across bottom.  Most of my langstroth hives are foundationless also.  No problem, keep a check that they are building straight, if you catch is quickly you can just push it a little so it is straight. Good luck with your bees. Hope this helps.

Joe

Offline Keskin

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Re: Bee Space, Frames, and Ventilation in Horizontal Hives
« Reply #2 on: June 01, 2012, 07:51:56 am »
In Turkey, we are using a hive model specially designed for mountain beekeeping or wanderer beekeeping.
Basically it is six frame lang. You can use as a nuc or foundationless 13 frame hive...
Frame number can increase or decrease according to your request.

My friends' hive photographs :https://plus.google.com/photos/101040131658620327990/albums/5428178896059811409?banner=pwa&gpsrc=pwrd1#photos/101040131658620327990/albums/5428178896059811409/5668298954158061906
How many times I’ve wonder
and it still comes out the same.
                                              Conway Twitty

No matter how you look at it or think of it
You see it’s life and we just got to play the game.
                                              Sam Moore

For curious people: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cAA_LUCb0QE&feature=related

Offline VeggieGardener

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Re: Bee Space, Frames, and Ventilation in Horizontal Hives
« Reply #3 on: June 01, 2012, 01:31:50 pm »
Keskin, thanks for sharing, very interesting pics. I have lots of questions but don't want to completely hijack this thread... how about starting a new thread related to wanderer beekeeping or your foundationless techniques to go into more detail?

Offline Keskin

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Re: Bee Space, Frames, and Ventilation in Horizontal Hives
« Reply #4 on: June 01, 2012, 03:31:28 pm »
Why not? I will prepare a short file about apiculture in Turkey and main streams of beekeeping. One and only problem will be my poor English.
Now I will ask my friends to share their photos and opinions.
I guess, next Wednesday I could share this file with new thread.
How many times I’ve wonder
and it still comes out the same.
                                              Conway Twitty

No matter how you look at it or think of it
You see it’s life and we just got to play the game.
                                              Sam Moore

For curious people: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cAA_LUCb0QE&feature=related

Offline Hoosier

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Re: Bee Space, Frames, and Ventilation in Horizontal Hives
« Reply #5 on: June 02, 2012, 07:19:59 pm »
Why not? I will prepare a short file about apiculture in Turkey and main streams of beekeeping. One and only problem will be my poor English.
Now I will ask my friends to share their photos and opinions.
I guess, next Wednesday I could share this file with new thread.

I thought the pictures were VERY interesting, and am looking forward to your new post. 
BTW, your English is perfectly fine; you had a good teacher.

Offline tomofreno

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Re: Bee Space, Frames, and Ventilation in Horizontal Hives
« Reply #6 on: June 05, 2012, 01:05:14 am »
If you place the frames together like top bars, seems it might be difficult to get hold of them and lift them with one hand.  You can get an effect similar to the "one frame at a time" by using working cloths - cloths with weights on each end that you drape over the hive to block off the portions around the frame you are removing.

Offline beek4018

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Re: Bee Space, Frames, and Ventilation in Horizontal Hives
« Reply #7 on: June 06, 2012, 09:14:19 pm »
Great idea, Tomo.  Thanks for that.

I'm gonna usea frame grip for holding the frames, but the cloth idea will certainly keep the bees to a minimum.

 

anything