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Offline drgenegarris

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Stuck
« on: May 30, 2005, 12:58:43 pm »
Yesterday I went to check the hive.  I had been away since Thursday and wanted to see what was happening.  It really was too late in the day to be messing about with the bees but I "needed" to check on them.

Hive inspection went along easily.  Some burr comb was removed;  I saved it and shared with the good wife and my dad.  The comb had honey in it.  When I went to lift off the hive body to examine the one underneath... I couldn't.

My bottom box has cleats so I put one foot on a cleat and grabbed the recess of the top box... All my strength and nothing!

I do have what I call a "extreme discount" hive tool from the local Wally Mart.  
Frabique en Chine might be the problem because it bent when trying to unstick the hive bodies.

Anyone have a similiar experience?

Offline Lesli

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Stuck
« Reply #1 on: May 30, 2005, 01:14:04 pm »
"Real" hive tools are pretty cheap. I'd get one. :)

Besides that, though, they can be "stuck" because they're really heavy. A full deep can weigh 90 lbs. Or the bees have built lots of bridge comb between the two. Or they've propolized heavily.
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Offline Jerrymac

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Stuck
« Reply #2 on: May 30, 2005, 01:16:59 pm »
Did you paint these boxes? Did you give plenty of dry time? I used some sort of polyurithane and even after it felt very dry they would still stick after a few days of being stacked.

Did the bees find some cement?  :shock:
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Offline drgenegarris

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Painted 3x! and dry before assembly
« Reply #3 on: May 30, 2005, 01:24:55 pm »
I was fortunate to have lots of time to get my stuff together.  I made 3 deep hive bodies and put 2-3 coats of paint on each.  I purchased an existing hive and now one of the boxes I made is stuck to it.  

I suspect I just need a bigger lever and I suspect that the bees did a great job of propolizing the insides;

Hopefully next week it will be dry enough for me to pry the boxes apart on my next hive visit.

Offline Jerrymac

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Stuck
« Reply #4 on: May 30, 2005, 01:47:08 pm »
I'm not into all the stuff about paint, but could there be some sort of reaction between different kinds of paints, even if dry? You painted yours with something and they painted the others with something else and somehow they bonded? Or am I stepping into sience fiction here?
:rainbowflower:  Light travels faster than sound. This is why some people appear bright until you hear them speak.   :rainbowflower:

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Offline FordGuy

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Re: Stuck
« Reply #5 on: May 30, 2005, 04:56:11 pm »
OK Doc - I know us S. Carolineans are frugal and conservative, but surely a doctor can afford a seven dollar hive tool!  Besides, you need to jam it in two corners and twist, instead of just pulling up which may bend even a good tool.  nice to see another SC guy.  im in saluda county.  what are your bees feeding on now?

Quote from: drgenegarris
Yesterday I went to check the hive.  I had been away since Thursday and wanted to see what was happening.  It really was too late in the day to be messing about with the bees but I "needed" to check on them.

Hive inspection went along easily.  Some burr comb was removed;  I saved it and shared with the good wife and my dad.  The comb had honey in it.  When I went to lift off the hive body to examine the one underneath... I couldn't.

My bottom box has cleats so I put one foot on a cleat and grabbed the recess of the top box... All my strength and nothing!

I do have what I call a "extreme discount" hive tool from the local Wally Mart.  
Frabique en Chine might be the problem because it bent when trying to unstick the hive bodies.

Anyone have a similiar experience?

Offline SherryL

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Stuck
« Reply #6 on: May 30, 2005, 05:25:55 pm »
Get yourself a real hive tool ;) ... then just crack the corners open (each one if you need to), maybe give the box a little (very little) twist and then try to lift the back edge up.  If you have someone with you, they can take a peak between the boxes and see if the girls have built themselves a first class bridge between the top box frames and the bottom box frames.  It happens.

Offline Horns Pure Honey

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Stuck
« Reply #7 on: May 30, 2005, 06:08:40 pm »
Get a real hive tool, they are a great investment. I have picked up a brood box and another one came right up with it, propolis is VERY strong. :D
Ryan Horn

Offline drgenegarris

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Bridges
« Reply #8 on: May 30, 2005, 06:46:11 pm »
There was some bridges between upper and lower brood boxes;  I did an inspection of the top, frame by frame, to see the progress of the busy bees.

I was so heppy that the girls had drawn out comb on my virgin foundation.

I'll give it a shot with my wonderbar and see if that is enough to separate the boxes.  Time was not really on my side at the last inspection.

Online Michael Bush

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Stuck
« Reply #9 on: May 30, 2005, 10:42:38 pm »
http://www.beeequipment.com/products.asp?pcode=591

Lighter.  More leverage.  Good steel.  I've put my wieght into them and never bent one.
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Offline leominsterbeeman

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Stuck
« Reply #10 on: May 30, 2005, 10:52:27 pm »
Beekeeper without a hivetool?  What are you doing to smoke the bees? Rubbing two sticks together?

Doc,  you need a hivetool to work in the hive.    Every beekeeper should have atleast 1.  I have 4.  That is because I am a knucklehead and will loose it and buy a new one and then find the one I lost.  

A hivetool and a smoker are required items.

Everything else is optional, with a lot of "nice to have" items.
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