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Author Topic: making a bee hive  (Read 39145 times)

paul-

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making a bee hive
« on: May 20, 2004, 09:01:57 am »
I live in barbados and work as a cabinetmaker i also have a kitchen garden , but i am having problems with yields as i have veryfew bees in my area  i am thinking of building a beehive [ ihave a source for getting a brood}   i have seen many plans on the web but not sure what i should build?
{ i dont have a clue about beekeeping]
any help on what i should build would be great
thanks  paul

Anonymous

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making a bee hive
« Reply #1 on: May 20, 2004, 01:50:21 pm »
Welcome aboard!

You'll need to learn about beekeeping before you go TOO far, because you have to know what you want.  Reading a few of these posts will probably convince you that there are many many ways to keep bees.

Don't be discouraged.  Start with the typical and basic beekeeping methods, then you will develop your own style.

Typically, a bee hive is (starting from the bottom): a stand to keep the hive off the ground, a bottom board, a hive body or two (where the bees live and breed), supers (to keep their honey in), an inner cover, and a telescoping outer cover.  

You will also need frames inside your hive body.  Most people purchase these, because they're pretty cheap to buy, and labor intensive to make.


The plans:
http://www.beesource.com/plans/index.htm

Offline BigRog

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making a bee hive
« Reply #2 on: May 22, 2004, 01:19:44 am »
That seems to be the only place where I can find plans for a 10 frame Langstroth but they are not downloadable.
Anybody have plans that can be downloaded. I have a good little utility that will convert pdf to word files which makes it easier to manipulate.
"Lurch my good man,…what did you mean when you said just now that 'You've got better things to do than run my petty little errands'…….?"

Anonymous

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making a bee hive
« Reply #3 on: May 25, 2004, 11:19:01 am »
Those plans are downloadable.  You just gotta right-click on "download PDF file" then click on "save target as"

Offline BigRog

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making a bee hive
« Reply #4 on: May 25, 2004, 11:42:56 am »
DOH!

I was right clicking on the first link not the link to the pdf
All I was getting was a html file

Thanks


Here's the link
http://www.beesource.com/plans/
"Lurch my good man,…what did you mean when you said just now that 'You've got better things to do than run my petty little errands'…….?"

Offline Robo

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making a bee hive
« Reply #5 on: June 04, 2004, 10:48:30 am »
Paul,

You might also consider a top bar hive as an option.  Here are a couple of links.

http://www.gsu.edu/~biojdsx/main.htm
http://www.ccdemo.info/GardenBees/KTBH.html
http://fire.prohosting.com/topbargu/index.html
"Opportunity is missed by most people because it comes dressed in overalls and looks like work." - Thomas Edison



Offline eivindm

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Top bar hives
« Reply #6 on: June 04, 2004, 12:00:35 pm »
Robo,

as you seem to try many other things; have you also had top bar hives?  Have read something about top bar hives before and got a bit curious.  Would like to hear about any experiences.

eivindm

Offline Beth Kirkley

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making a bee hive
« Reply #7 on: June 04, 2004, 02:12:24 pm »
The 10 frame Langstroth is the most common. If I had it to do over (I built my own hive boxes) I would build the Langstroth hive, but turn it 90 degrees so it sits like the DE hives.

The site at - http://www.beesource.com/plans/index.htm - is great and has links for several things you can build.

Beth

Offline snowzerdog

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TBH
« Reply #8 on: June 04, 2004, 02:46:32 pm »
If you go through the posts you will find a topic on Top Bar Hives with a site to link to.
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Offline Robo

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making a bee hive
« Reply #9 on: June 04, 2004, 04:46:14 pm »
Quote from: Beth Kirkley
The 10 frame Langstroth is the most common.


This is true for the USA,  but not sure how available Langstroth equipment is in Barbados.  

Top bar hives provide a realatively simple approach to beekeeping where there is limited availability of manufactured pieces such as frames.

Quote from: eivindm
Robo,

as you seem to try many other things; have you also had top bar hives? Have read something about top bar hives before and got a bit curious. Would like to hear about any experiences.


Not yet,  but it is on my list of things to do :D

I would like to build a top bar hive to use as the brood chamber and winter stores,  but be able to put Langstroth mediums on top of to collect surplus.

What I find intriguing about the top bar hive is that it allows the bees to digress to their natural size, and it seems that they are much more vorroa resistant.  The draw back of the top bar hive is the removing of surplus honey. It requires destroying the comb which is way to costly to the bees. That's why I would like to try some type of hybrid.[/quote]
"Opportunity is missed by most people because it comes dressed in overalls and looks like work." - Thomas Edison



Anonymous

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making a bee hive
« Reply #10 on: June 08, 2004, 06:30:21 pm »
Hi Paul,
The best site on the web that I have seen for hive designs is Barry Birkie's site at www.beesource.com

He is evidently a professional draughtsman, because his 3D 'American Porjection' plans are the best I've ever seen. He has designs for Langstroth hives, Dadant hives, extractors, honey tanks, frames,  . .everything.

One key point - Barbados is a very hot place, so I would consider a big, well ventilated hive with open mesh floors.

Top Bar Hives seem to be very popular in the tropics.

Best wishes

Graham
Scotland

Anonymous

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hive measurements
« Reply #11 on: September 27, 2004, 08:28:07 pm »
I am new to beekeeping, and will be moving to North Arkansas in the spring. Then I will begin this new adventure. I began making my hive today and  measured wrong, of course I didnt realize it until it was together.. :x  I am 1 1/2 inches too wide inside. It should be 14 3/4. Should I tear it down and trim it down or is it ok to leave it?

Offline Robo

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making a bee hive
« Reply #12 on: September 27, 2004, 09:05:04 pm »
Depends on your plans.  If you intend to make all your equipment to match than it doesn't matter.  Sounds like room for an extra frame.  Perhaps Beth can share her measurements (Hive that is :shock: ) I believe she runs 11 frames.

If you plan on buying/aquiring standard Langstroth stuff,  I would rip it down and trim it.

If it were me,  I would correct it now and not keep building non-standard equipment.
"Opportunity is missed by most people because it comes dressed in overalls and looks like work." - Thomas Edison



Anonymous

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wrong measurements
« Reply #13 on: September 27, 2004, 11:22:38 pm »
Somehow I knew it was gonna come to that :cry:   I could put 11 frames in probably, but I best take your advice being as this is new to me and if I let it go I'll probably get myself in a jam later. Thanks for your help!!
 I hope your here next time I need help. This is an awesome site , I'm learning alot.


                                          Thanks again,
                                               Debbie

Offline Beth Kirkley

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making a bee hive
« Reply #14 on: September 28, 2004, 12:56:32 am »
I can't remember on the hive (and never telling my size elsewhere Robo :) ). I do have 11 frames, and it works fine - actually like the extra frame. BUT I plan to always make my hives, and bottom boards, etc. so my mistake of making mine a tad too big didn't bother me too much. Hive bodies and etc. are so easy to make that I'd just rather do it than spend all that extra money. I'm not extremely good at building things though, so didn't make the frames (except for the T-bar type frames).

Beth

quuenb64

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making a bee hive
« Reply #15 on: September 28, 2004, 01:39:15 pm »
I'm gonna go ahead and make the corrections, but thanks Beth, hope you can give me some pointers here and there. Im going to build everything I can, (except frames) they seem to be inexpensive. I worry about the extractor, still looking for a hand me down, even if its electric and the motor wont run. Im pretty mechanical. The smokers and everything else Ill try to get deals on, I have 7 months  probably before we can move and I can get started.

Thanks for the pointers everyone, you are all great!!

Offline BigRog

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making a bee hive
« Reply #16 on: September 28, 2004, 02:32:46 pm »
Ebay can be a good source for stuff.
And after you are registered you can make up a search name I used beekeeping and anything that came in with that name in it I got a email.
You don't see too many smokers but they are there now and then. You could also tell everyone what you want for christmas or birthday, that makes it easier.
"Lurch my good man,…what did you mean when you said just now that 'You've got better things to do than run my petty little errands'…….?"

Anonymous

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making a bee hive
« Reply #17 on: September 28, 2004, 03:50:14 pm »
Yup the Christmas Birthday list works. i got all the smoker veil gloves helmit that way one year and a pair of deeps and supers plus frames for each the next year.

 :D Al

Anonymous

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making a bee hive
« Reply #18 on: September 28, 2004, 11:21:16 pm »
if I make a new screen name  like uhh..."Charity" will ya'll donate?

Anonymous

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making a bee hive
« Reply #19 on: September 29, 2004, 08:09:50 pm »
I'll "DONATE" as many suggestions as I can cmoe up with.