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Author Topic: Getting started- What kind of hive  (Read 3891 times)

Offline KONASDAD

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Getting started- What kind of hive
« on: April 25, 2006, 04:44:16 pm »
Similar to other posts, I am attempting to get started in Beekeeping. Obviously, I need hives first. In doing some reading, I have become intersted in Beeeworks DE Hive. It seems to prevent some problems by its design. Is this true? Recommend any other suppliers? Also, I live in Southern New Jersey, and am trying to locate some bees to populate my hive. Am I too late to mail order soem girls? Any thoughts about getting started would be appreciated. Thanx in advance for your expertise and opinions.
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Offline Shizzell

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Getting started- What kind of hive
« Reply #1 on: April 25, 2006, 07:07:25 pm »
Unfortunately your probably too late. Maybe you can still order a shipment that will ship at the end of May. =\ Anyways: www.gabees.com/catalog

I don't know about the hive you are talking about. I would just go with a standard langsroth hive if your just beginning so a lot of people know what your dealing with. Tip: Try and order your bees around september/october so you get your first pick on bees :D

Offline Michael Bush

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Getting started- What kind of hive
« Reply #2 on: April 25, 2006, 09:23:41 pm »
>I have become intersted in Beeeworks DE Hive. It seems to prevent some problems by its design. Is this true?

A DE hive is, on it's own merits, a very nice hive design.  The downside is that it's not a standard size.  You can't buy many of the things you can buy for a regular hive.  You can't buy a triangular bee escape, a bound queen excluder, a hive top feeder, an imirie shim, a screened botom board, a slatted rack, a double screen board, a front door, a moving screen etc. etc. etc.

I had four of them and they are quite nice, but, IMO it's not worth fighting the standard.

That said, I run all eight frame mediums.  But Brushy Mt sells practically anything I'd want for an eight frame hive.

> Recommend any other suppliers?

There are many.  I buy a lot from Brushy Mt because they have all the eight frame stuff.  I also buy from Dadant, Mann Lake, Betterbee, www.beeworks.com, and Western Bee Supply, depending on what I need and what they stock.
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
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Offline Hi-Tech

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Getting started- What kind of hive
« Reply #3 on: April 26, 2006, 12:01:13 am »
The starter kit i purchased from mann lake (http://mannlakeltd.com/catalog/page1.html) was nice and while i am sure it was a very newbie thing to do, it gave me most of what i needed.
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Offline mick

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Getting started- What kind of hive
« Reply #4 on: April 26, 2006, 05:13:06 am »
Dont forget to give yourself plenty of time to prepare the hive. Paint it oil it or whatever!

Offline Michael Bush

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Getting started- What kind of hive
« Reply #5 on: April 26, 2006, 08:39:45 am »
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
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"Everything works if you let it."--James "Big Boy" Medlin

Offline KONASDAD

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Getting started- What kind of hive
« Reply #6 on: April 26, 2006, 11:29:57 am »
Thanx group. Also, Bush farms, Thanx for the links. great, practical advice which is appreciated. I had reached many of the same conclusions as you, but its difficult when you have no practical well of knowledge to draw upon. One question regarding your belief of using medium supers for everything. Like the redundancy concept. Since you have less width, and only eight frames in your configuration, Do you increase the number of supers from two to more than two for brood/storage chambers so the hive would winter more safely?

Again, loved the links and thanx again group.
"The more complex the Mind, the Greater the need for the simplicity of Play".

Offline Michael Bush

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Getting started- What kind of hive
« Reply #7 on: April 26, 2006, 11:25:43 pm »
>Since you have less width, and only eight frames in your configuration, Do you increase the number of supers from two to more than two for brood/storage chambers so the hive would winter more safely?

I've also switched over from Buckfasts and Italians to Feral black bees. They overwinter on a much smaller cluster.  I don't use an excluder and I leave them whatever I think that size cluster needs for the winter.  So some are as little as two eight frame mediums and some as much as four.  But if you want the math, two eight frame mediums is equivelant to one ten frame deep.  Three ten frame mediums is equivelant to two ten frame deeps.
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
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Offline Jack Parr

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Re: Getting started- What kind of hive
« Reply #8 on: April 27, 2006, 08:05:40 am »
Quote from: KONASDAD
Similar to other posts, I am attempting to get started in Beekeeping. Obviously, I need hives first. In doing some reading, I have become intersted in Beeeworks DE Hive. It seems to prevent some problems by its design. Is this true? Recommend any other suppliers? Also, I live in Southern New Jersey, and am trying to locate some bees to populate my hive. Am I too late to mail order soem girls? Any thoughts about getting started would be appreciated. Thanx in advance for your expertise and opinions.


I just read your profile. Quite interesting.

My advice to you, depending on you age and physical ability, would be to consider using all medium size boxes/hives. That is if you are going to use standard equipment that you will purchase from the bee equipment supply houses. Of course if you are into body building then go for the big stuff, however in view of your posted occupation I somehow think that pumping iron is not your forte'.

A deep box, full of frames, full of honey weighs in at some 80-100 lbs US. A medium weighs in at some 60 +/- lbs. Believe me removing deep boxes from a stack calls for some muscle.  I do it, lift deeps, and now regret that I didn't research this potential problem before I commited. I am going to reduce one of my two brood boxes to one deep and one medium and use all mediums for honey supers. Now of course brood boxes don't weigh in at 80-100 lbs, when they contain just brood with some honey and pollen. However the bees don't follow your plan exactly and will store surplus honey in the deeps. The weight is in the honey.

As far as hive and box configurations are concerned the bees don't care. Hive boxes are for beekeepers. You can do anything you like in any way you like if you so desire. You can use anywhere from 0 frames to any number of frames in any configuration that please you. If you are able to build your own equipment there is really no limit to what you can do,  The bees really don't care. However if you are like most you will purchase your equimment from the supply houses and stick with standard stuff and if that is the case I would recommend using all mediums, or, go to the gym :wink:

Just like in your occupation, preliminary preperation is the key to success in getting involved in this hobby.  I have exactly one year in this activity and based on the history of beekeeping that is really only a blip in time. I have done much reading and MORE importantly I observe what is going on in my hives and the management of same. However I live way south LA and our climatic conditions are different than yours in NJ. Bees are attuned to their enviroment and one should take that into consideration. Actually you are at an advantage over me since most of the beekeeping lore is about keeping bees in Northen climes. So I would be cautious on how I use the poop posted in these boards. After you become at ease with bees you should eventually be able to seperate the poop from the POOP :idea:   :wink:

Offline KONASDAD

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Getting started- What kind of hive
« Reply #9 on: April 27, 2006, 01:26:08 pm »
Thanx again group.
Jack Parr- my brief case weighs sixty lbs every Monday morning and the salt for my water purification system uses eightylb bags of salt. It is a lot of weight. My only conscern in downsizing, is the bees I am likely to receive this year will be ina deep brood box and sold as a complete hive. I will find out probably next week as a commercial pollinator may take pity on me and sell me a hive w/ Italians and a queen in-house. If I do not get these bees, I will buy package bees next spring and can use smaller mediums which I think sounds practical. Doing what I do for a living has tought me a type of patience that most people dont understand and are incapable of doing. My wife calls it stubbornness. LOL!!!!
"The more complex the Mind, the Greater the need for the simplicity of Play".

Offline thomashton

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Getting started- What kind of hive
« Reply #10 on: April 27, 2006, 02:21:44 pm »
Quote from: KONASDAD
Doing what I do for a living has tought me a type of patience that most people dont understand and are incapable of doing. My wife calls it stubbornness. LOL!!!!


Well, now you have to tell us what it is.

I am guessing lawyer.
After 18 months of reading and preparation, my girls finally arrived on April 11th (2006)!

Offline ConfedMarine

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Getting started- What kind of hive
« Reply #11 on: April 27, 2006, 03:01:53 pm »
While you're preparing yourself and your equipment, I would suggest contacting your local beekeepers assc., agriculture extention office, pest control business's, etc. to let them know you would be interested in a swarm if/when they get one.
It is not what you think you are, but what you think, you are.