Natural Beekeeping Network

Make Contact: introduce yourself :: RE: Hello from Centralia, WA

Norm — Sun, 21 Mar 2010 11:45:17 GMT

Author: Norm
Posted: Sun Mar 21, 2010 11:45 am (GMT 0)

Hello & welcome.
Good luck with the set up and keep us posted on progress.
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Beginners start here :: RE: a little confused

Brosville — Sun, 21 Mar 2010 09:43:10 GMT

Author: Brosville
Posted: Sun Mar 21, 2010 9:43 am (GMT 0)

For starters, I really wouldn't faff about with different bar widths, stick to the standard recommended width all the way, and have plenty of "spares" ready to add as they fill the space (I started with 8 at the end of May last year, and ended up with over 30).
There's umpteen ways to give them a "starter strip" - I didn't bother to groove the bars, but did the following - you need two clothes pegs, some cotton string, and a bowl of melted beeswax and a brush or pourer (I used a small aluminium pet-food container suspended over a candle). Then attach the string down the centre of the bar using a clothes-peg at each end, and paint or dribble wax along the string until it's firmly attached - then lop the string 2" from each end - job done!
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Beginners start here :: a little confused

alibone — Sun, 21 Mar 2010 09:22:21 GMT

Author: alibone
Subject: a little confused
Posted: Sun Mar 21, 2010 9:22 am (GMT 0)

It has been two weeks since i joined NBN .During this time my boiler broke down and as the winter is still with us im short of an"arm and leg"But all is not expensive as a new boiler.My new TBH is completed for the small sum of �35.50 and is the 48inch model.I am a little confused with the top bar arangement for the first years experience. I have a central space eight bars apart and two end partitions .All the bars are 1.5inch and have a grouve 3mm wide .Should i have a mix of 1.25 and 1.5 inch bars if so how many of each.
And what should i put in the groves?.I have read the excellent book which for a novice is quiet easy to understand ,but the above questions are still not clear.

Make Contact: introduce yourself :: RE: Hello from Centralia, WA

RodneyWT1180B — Sun, 21 Mar 2010 02:03:24 GMT

Author: RodneyWT1180B
Posted: Sun Mar 21, 2010 2:03 am (GMT 0)

My daughter and I made good progress on the hive today and we were ready for a trial fit on the roof. Here's what we came up with.

The runners have bevels ripped @ 45 degrees on thier tops so I have a place to set the hive components without crushing bees when I open it. I saw the idea on the internet but don't remember which site. Possibly Nick Hampshire's. The two boards running up the roof are screwed to the wall of the shed to hold everything in place, that way there are no holes in the roof.

The floor is screwed to the runners and final leveling was done with shims between the floor and runners.

We built a bottom feeding tray modeled after one that I again saw on one of the beekeeping sites. The feet in the picture belong to my 6 year old daughter Olivia, she's a big help with these projects.

The rest is straight forward Warre construction, I used a mix of pine cedar and spruce I had laying around. The top bars inside the hive were made out of pallet boards from work. The roof isn't quite Warre's design. At the time I thought a steeper pitched roof might be better, but ended up sacrificing some of the side vent opening in the process. The hive door faces east and the runners on the roof are about 5 to 6 ft long leaving room for expansion if I choose. My wife looked at it and decided that she prefers white so we'll be repainting the hive and mounting system before it is permanently installed. She also mentioned she would like a more elegant solution than the cargo strap to hold everything in place. I'm still working on that.
My method of egress is the ladder you see in a couple of the pictures. I'm thinking the proper motivation will get me off the roof quick enough.
Also thanks to everyone for the open sharing of your knowledge and if I didn't give credit where credit is due for some of the ideas I used, I apologize.
Thank you
Rodney

Make Contact: introduce yourself :: RE: Hello from Centralia, WA

GarlyDog — Sat, 20 Mar 2010 22:03:14 GMT

Author: GarlyDog
Posted: Sat Mar 20, 2010 10:03 pm (GMT 0)

Hello. Welcome to the forum. I also keep Top Bar Hives on a roof top. It adds a few challenges that others don't face. For example, it is harder to get away from the hive quickly if you need. Make sure you have a good egress plan.

Good luck. Keep us posted.
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Make Contact: introduce yourself :: RE: Hello from Centralia, WA

RodneyWT1180B — Sat, 20 Mar 2010 17:30:40 GMT

Author: RodneyWT1180B
Posted: Sat Mar 20, 2010 5:30 pm (GMT 0)

Thank you, I've already built a support for the hive and will be strapping the hive to that when it is completed. I may just screw the floor to the support and then strap the boxes to that, I haven't made up my mind yet. At that time I'll also post some pictures of the setup in case anyone else can find it useful. The motivation for the roof mount is to keep the yard free for my family to use, also we get the occasional skunk and raccoon passing thru so it should eliminate access for those animals as well.
Rodney

Make Contact: introduce yourself :: RE: Hello from Centralia, WA

biobee — Sat, 20 Mar 2010 16:03:13 GMT

Author: biobee
Posted: Sat Mar 20, 2010 4:03 pm (GMT 0)

Welcome Rodney.

Please be careful mounting a Warr� hive on a sloping roof - they are rather top-heavy and we don't want any accidents! Make sure you anchor it with guys or something similar.

Good luck!
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Make Contact: introduce yourself :: Hello from Centralia, WA

RodneyWT1180B — Sat, 20 Mar 2010 15:54:36 GMT

Author: RodneyWT1180B
Subject: Hello from Centralia, WA
Posted: Sat Mar 20, 2010 3:54 pm (GMT 0)

My name is Rodney and I'm brand new to beekeeping. My daughter and I are just putting the finishing touches on a Warre hive and we've ordered a package of Italian bees that are due in April. We live in a more or less suburban setting and were told the Italians tend to be a little more gentle. The hive will be mounted on the roof of a shed in our backyard about 8 feet off the ground. The roof has a very shallow pitch and is easy to stand on to work with the hive. I chose the Warre hive due to the low maintenance/ interference aspects of the design but am also curious about horizontal top bar hives. After lurking here for a while, I'll probably end up building a top bar hive as well just because it looks like it would be fun to do.
I'm looking forward to having honey bees around, I haven't seen very many around here so I don't think there are any other beekeepers near me.
Rodney

Make Contact: introduce yourself :: RE: Re-introduction

rlucas — Sat, 20 Mar 2010 10:50:55 GMT

Author: rlucas
Posted: Sat Mar 20, 2010 10:50 am (GMT 0)

That sounds encouraging! My plan is to get a couple of bait hives out for this summer as a start, and then take things from there.
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Bee diseases & colony health :: RE: Mold

biobee — Sat, 20 Mar 2010 09:08:22 GMT

Author: biobee
Posted: Sat Mar 20, 2010 9:08 am (GMT 0)

Victoria wrote:

It is a solid wood floor.

There's your problem. Insulate at the top; ventilate at the bottom.
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Abb� Warr� and other vertical top bar hives :: RE: Warre Hive

Ivan — Sat, 20 Mar 2010 08:39:28 GMT

Author: Ivan
Posted: Sat Mar 20, 2010 8:39 am (GMT 0)

Thanks for the reply Bernhard

If you're using a no-top bar system you have to give the bees something to hang from right at the start... why would top-bars be a bad idea in this case?

Abb� Warr� and other vertical top bar hives :: RE: Laying worker or Bad Queen?

Garret — Sat, 20 Mar 2010 04:11:40 GMT

Author: Garret
Posted: Sat Mar 20, 2010 4:11 am (GMT 0)

A bit of an update on this hive. After the queen problem last year I'm happy to report that my Warre' hive is doing very well. Concerning the three swarms from this hive all have survived. One is on the weak side this being the second swarm and showed a lot of DWV late last year. I didn't expect this one to make it and it still may not but the weather is good and nectar and pollen is about.

This is the hive that was being robbed and I thought was dead but wasn't. There were palm size areas of eggs and larva on three combs at the time I move it to the new location (Feb 16th). Tomorrow should be warm and I'll have a look to see if they are flying.
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Make Contact: introduce yourself :: RE: Hello from Vancouver Island

Garret — Sat, 20 Mar 2010 02:38:49 GMT

Author: Garret
Posted: Sat Mar 20, 2010 2:38 am (GMT 0)

I loved Nanaimo when I lived there about ten years ago. I lived on Summit Dr over looking Long Lake.
I would try putting your name in at the SPCA, Police Dept., Fire Dept., and exterminators. But make sure they know to what extent you will go to collect the bees. Cut outs may be something you would want to do after you've had bees for a year or two.
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Make Contact: introduce yourself :: RE: Hello from Vancouver Island

strider3700 — Sat, 20 Mar 2010 01:55:19 GMT

Author: strider3700
Posted: Sat Mar 20, 2010 1:55 am (GMT 0)

Thanks all.

Today it was gorgeous and the mason bees were out in force on the dandelions in the front yard. I have houses for the mason bees so not shocking. A couple queen bumble bees buzzing around as well. I didn't build them houses this year but I'll be sure to add a few for next year. The really good news was I saw the first honey bee of the year in the front yard. Also while out for a drive I went past one of the biggest honey producers in town. He has a little stall out near the road with 3 langs in it at least one of them had lots and lots of activity which was nice to see.

Bee diseases & colony health :: RE: Mold

bbhb — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 21:50:37 GMT

Author: bbhb
Posted: Fri Mar 19, 2010 9:50 pm (GMT 0)

Even in a dry climate, you can get mold. We reduced our entrance by only half and had been seeing quite a bit of water pooling on the landing board. After seeing mold on the honeycombs, we did two things.
1) pushed the falseback back, less than a bee space, for some ventilation. The space is screened to keep out earwigs and such.
2) tilted the hive one bubble. The bees generate enough moisture for it to pool, but now it runs across the floor and out.
The bees have cleaned up the mold. In our case it was only on brace comb or unfilled cells. No cappings were moldy, so my assumption is the honey underneath is fine.

Abb� Warr� and other vertical top bar hives :: RE: Warre Hive

zaunreiter — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 20:30:24 GMT

Author: zaunreiter
Subject: Re: Warre Hive
Posted: Fri Mar 19, 2010 8:30 pm (GMT 0)

Ivan wrote:

I think it's perfectly OK to give a new colony something to hand their combs from just as you suggest George... I have done exactly that

Let's wait what your reports are in a few years time.
Don't forget to keep us updated about your success.

Bernhard
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Feral honeybees & other bees. :: RE: Hypothetical chat - What if imports were banned.

Joseph C. Keller — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 17:50:37 GMT

Author: Joseph C. Keller
Subject: Black bee adaptation
Posted: Fri Mar 19, 2010 5:50 pm (GMT 0)

Thanks for your response, nursebee! I'd like to know more about this.

According to my 1992 World Almanac, the normal January high/low temperature in Dubuque, Iowa, is 24/7F (-4/-14C) and in Moscow, Russia, 21/9F (-6/-13C) but in Vienna, Austria, 34/26F (+1/-3). I've read that the Black bee's range included Russia, whose winter temperatures are about the same as Iowa, whereas the Carniolan's origin was northern Yugoslavia. It would be colder in the mountains of Yugoslavia, but Iowa, like Russia, is not in the mountains. Both Iowa (except eastern Iowa) and much of Russia have a "steppe" climate and had "steppe" or "prairie" flora.

Iowa, especially eastern Iowa, does get slightly more precipitation than Moscow and is a few degrees warmer in the summer. On the other hand, the day length in Iowa is about the same as Yugoslavia, not the extreme day lengths of northern Europe.

People often kept Black bees in the Appalachians of West Virginia in the early 1900s, often capturing swarms, which might have been descended from escaped bees brought to Virginia by English colonists in the 1600s. Though "European foulbrood" devastated the wild Black bee in N. America in the 1900s, it appears that various diseases are devastating all other strains as well, maybe preventing them from establishing themselves in the wild in the U.S. Midwest.

Black bees might be better able than the less ferocious Carniolans, to defend themselves from squirrels, mice, and raccoons.

Maybe copper/chromium/arsenic treated lumber is toxic to honeybees which try to build hives in farm buildings. The bees' forage distance is larger than the distance between farms, so an insecticide-free farmer will have his wild bees poisoned by a neighbor's insecticide use. Aerial spraying is prevalent in my area; a neighbor was directly sprayed by an airplane while working in her garden and became seriously ill for several months (the spraying company suggested she should have informed them she was "sensitive"). Herbicide might destroy honeybees indirectly by reducing floral diversity.

Bee diseases & colony health :: RE: Mold

Tavascarow — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 17:03:52 GMT

Author: Tavascarow
Posted: Fri Mar 19, 2010 5:03 pm (GMT 0)

Or drill a couple of holes at the opposite end from the entrance & screen it to get through venting happening?
Just a thought but the solid bottomed TBH hasn't got a lot of natural ventilation going on.
The bars just about seal the top & you only have the entrance for vapour exchange.
Fine in a dry arid climate but if it's like yours (& mine) not enough IMHO.
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Abb� Warr� and other vertical top bar hives :: RE: Warre Hive

RyanB — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 16:05:36 GMT

Author: RyanB
Posted: Fri Mar 19, 2010 4:05 pm (GMT 0)

I have a question. If you have a solid top (no top bars), does this not defeat the purpose of the quilt? There will be no ventillation at the top of the hive through the quilt if the top is solid.
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Bee diseases & colony health :: RE: Mold

Victoria — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 15:52:10 GMT

Author: Victoria
Posted: Fri Mar 19, 2010 3:52 pm (GMT 0)

Well... I put an entrance reducer on the door, which in retrospect minimized ventilation. The bees never sealed in in place with propolis, which makes me think they didn't really want it there. So I have removed it and also taken out one of the bars at the rear of the hive to increase ventilation. Maybe I should prop the lid up too? Thanks for the help.

Beginners start here :: RE: motivation or encouragement

Viggen — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 15:36:00 GMT

Author: Viggen
Posted: Fri Mar 19, 2010 3:36 pm (GMT 0)

It takes more than a veil to deal with these puppies.

It would appear that the season is not starting well for the local bug/bee population. Very negative PR on this one.

http://www.azfamily.com/news/At-least-3-people-attacked-by-swarm-of-bees-in-Phoenix-88508837.html
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Bee diseases & colony health :: RE: Mold

Garret — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 15:21:49 GMT

Author: Garret
Posted: Fri Mar 19, 2010 3:21 pm (GMT 0)

Victoria, do you have any thoughts as to why it got so mouldy in the hive? How did you prepare the hive to over winter?
I have no direct experience with mouldy combs but I have heard that the bees will clean them up and reuse.
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Abb� Warr� and other vertical top bar hives :: RE: Warre Hive

Ivan — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 15:13:28 GMT

Author: Ivan
Subject: Re: Warre Hive
Posted: Fri Mar 19, 2010 3:13 pm (GMT 0)

George wrote:

So the thought I had was you start with the two boxes the first one has top bars the second does not so the bees build the full length. Then the bees have to go below for doing honey as they will have bars

Although Berhard says that you shouldn't mix top bars and no-top bars I think it's perfectly OK to give a new colony something to hang their combs from just as you suggest George... I have done exactly that

I have been puzzling over what might be the problem with have some boxes with top bars and some without and I cannot think of an answer so I hope Bernhard (Yoo Hoo Bernhard) might be able to reply

Ivan

Bee diseases & colony health :: RE: Mold

Victoria — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 14:08:20 GMT

Author: Victoria
Posted: Fri Mar 19, 2010 2:08 pm (GMT 0)

It is a solid wood floor.

Beginners start here :: RE: What about a Beard?

Gareth — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 12:03:59 GMT

Author: Gareth
Posted: Fri Mar 19, 2010 12:03 pm (GMT 0)

nicvan wrote:

I have no beard. Bees have no interest in a beard.
But I'm sure the bees go for the blinking of the eyes if they want to kill the bear.

Good point. It would tie in with the fact that their compound eyes are very sensitive to short rapid movements. So the moral is, just smile (slowly) and don't blink!
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