Building a Swarm Bait Box and ventilated top box entrance from a single deep

[Carriage House Farm]

So, I got some deeps from a neighbor that I sell lumber too and help bale hay with.  They were fairly torn up with old Wax moth residue and wasps' nests (now that I know what to look for)and a little dry rot.  I used the frames for kindling and scorched the interiors.  I've been sitting on them for a while.



I then measured a medium out of it (I am using nothing but medium sized dimensions with EVERYTHING).  I simply ripped it on my table saw, gave the thing a quick once over with a palm sander...





... and now I'll cut an entrance, nail on a bottom, and build a lid.

The goal is to make a bait box with medium frames.  Nothing fancy I suppose, just taking the whole swappable equipment to an extreme.  The left over piece I figure I would make into something like this:

Robo's Sugar Feeder

Or this:

Ventilated top cover and winter feeding set-up

I'll post more as I proceed.

I have about 30 days before I start work on our baby's room and new guest room so I am trying to squeeze in as much as I can.   :-D

[Cindi]

Richard, excellent. You have all this wood at your fingertips, the skills to build stuff, yea!!!!  You are in for one heck of a great year with the bees,  :) :) :) 

I looked at the site for the ventilated top cover.  My Husband wants the design for these, but the "download plans" didn't work.  We will try to get them, he wants to peruse this idea.

I know Rob (and others too probably) swear by these covers.  Beautiful day, beautiful life.  Cindi

[DennisB]

Cindi,

Is this the link that you tried? http://www.honeyrunapiaries.com/beekeeping_plans.phtml Click on the word "plans" where it says View plans and it opens up into Adobe Reader so you can print it out. If you still have problems pm me and I will email you the plans already opened.
DennisB

[Brian D. Bray]

Cindi,

Is this the link that you tried? http://www.honeyrunapiaries.com/beekeeping_plans.phtml Click on the word "plans" where it says View plans and it opens up into Adobe Reader so you can print it out. If you still have problems pm me and I will email you the plans already opened.
DennisB

Thanks, Dennis, the obervation hive listed at the site was just what I was looking for: 8 meduim frames.

[Cindi]

Dennis, thanks a whole bunch, yes that site you listed worked well.  Have a wonderful and greatest of days.  Cindi

[Robo]

I know Rob (and others too probably) swear by these covers.  Beautiful day, beautiful life.  Cindi

Actually, I don't use these covers.  I prefer no upper entrance in the summer, and don't like the extra space left above the frames as they tend to burr comb in the area.  I prefer a flat inner cover that keeps the bee space above the frames correct and a ventilation box on top of that.

My winter setup is similar though.

[Cindi]

I know Rob (and others too probably) swear by these covers.  Beautiful day, beautiful life.  Cindi

Actually, I don't use these covers.  I prefer no upper entrance in the summer, and don't like the extra space left above the frames as they tend to burr comb in the area.  I prefer a flat inner cover that keeps the bee space above the frames correct and a ventilation box on top of that.
My winter setup is similar though.

Rob, right, one little misunderstanding.  I am so happy when one makes a mistake and it is corrected, seems weird, but I truly appreciate it.  See what this has brought now though, old Mrs. Curiosity, that's me.....that is my other name, just like my Husband is also known as "Someone".  Someone around here is always blamed for stuff, and he has finally accepted that usually when Someone is blamed or given the blazes for, it is that persona that is his alter ego (hee, hee), ooops, oh brother, there I go again, flyin' off topic.

Rob, in all seriousness, now about the ventilation box (I knew I had read you use them, in some way) above the inner cover.

Why don't you use an inner cover with the notch at the front?  Guarding issues?

With the ventilation box above the inner cover, there must be a hole in the centre of the inner cover for hot air to escape into the ventilation box?

This is probably on your site, so I am showing that lazy side of me, I do have that skill of laziness, hee hee,  ;) :) for some things.

Now I think this has brought yet another question to the forefront.

I see many inner covers that have an oblong hole in the centre of it.  With my inner covers they have a round hole, what is the difference?  Can't wrap my head around that different design.  Do any of my forum friends know this answer?

Rob, tell me, I know the song about the Hokey Pokey and love that song and dance, but......what is the Hokey Pokey anyways????

Have a beautiful and wonderful day,  Cindi

John, by the way, I love how you sign off on your posts, "ya'lls friend, John" -- that imparts something that makes me smile, no clue why, but it is a very friendly sign off.

[Robo]

Rob, in all seriousness, now about the ventilation box (I knew I had read you use them, in some way) above the inner cover.

My old set-up. Innercover/ventilation box is still the same, I kjust use solid bottom boards and slatted racks now.

Why don't you use an inner cover with the notch at the front?  Guarding issues?

I olny use an upper entrance during the Winter.  I don't use them in Summer for multiple reasons.
1.  I limit the space above the frames so that they don't build burr comb.
2.  I like to take my time doing inspections and don't like standing in the middle of a growing swarm of bees that are returning and looking for the upper entrance that is no longer there.
3.  Less pollen in the honey.

With the ventilation box above the inner cover, there must be a hole in the centre of the inner cover for hot air to escape into the ventilation box?

see picture above.

I see many inner covers that have an oblong hole in the centre of it.  With my inner covers they have a round hole, what is the difference?  Can't wrap my head around that different design.  Do any of my forum friends know this answer?

Because a porter bee escape fits the oblong hole.


I prefer to put two holes in mine and rotate them 90degrees so that the bees don't have to come up thru the center two frames to get access.

Rob, tell me, I know the song about the Hokey Pokey and love that song and dance, but......what is the Hokey Pokey anyways????

You got it :-D

With all the sadness and trauma going on in the world at the moment, it is  worth reflecting on the death of a very important person, which almost went unnoticed last week.

Larry LaPrise, the man who wrote "The Hokey Pokey", died peacefully at the age of 93. The most traumatic part for his family was getting him into the coffin.

They put his left leg in. And then the trouble started .

Shut up. You know it's funny. Now send it on to someone else and make them smile.

[Cindi]

Rob, rats!!!!!  I have some more comments and questions about this post of yours, but I have to get the kids ready for school and I am already late in doing this because of the interesting thread.  Drats!!!  Probably won't get back on the forum until later, later today or tomorrow morning, got too many things to do and mites to count, drats, rats.....beautiful day, Cindi

[KONASDAD]

I have two Honey run all season tops out of five hives. I haven't wintered w/ any yet, but I really lik'em for the summer. Between the SBB, Slatted rack and vented top I rarely get bearding and when I do very small compared to my other hives. 

[Cindi]

Rob, phew, finally got back to this thread.  It was an interesting one.

Something I noticed in the picture was that you have the entrance at the side of the hive not the usual front?  Why?  Curious.

All of my inner covers have the hole bored towards one end.  This was done so that I could feed the colonies with the baggie feeders and the bees could freely come up to feed.  They worked absolutely excellently (is there such a word?).  With the 2 inch Imrie shims that my Husband built for all the colonies, I could easily place the baggie feeder in there (1 gallon baggie) and at the same time I could also put wax cappings for the bees to clean up too.  It was an excellent system and I was impressed with it.

I like the idea of the ventilated top box, and also allowing the bees to only come in through the bottom entrance, for the very reason that you spoke about, no bunches of bees looking for the top entrance when doing inspections.  Yes, I like to take my time too when I work with the colonies and this would seem a boon to less bees in your face for sure.  Things to think about and things to build.  Have a wonderful and great day.  Cindi