Building a beehive Part 3

MODIFACTIONS:

1. To inside cover, add an additional bee escape hole to one side. This allows more ventilation and you can then use the center bee escape hole for a feeder should you need it. NOTE: If you are going to use a gallon plastic feeder over the center hole, make sure your new added hole is not covered by the feeder.

2. The main entrance size varies. The summer standard ¾” hole is too large in my opinion for most locations. Consider using the winter side (3/8”) of the bottom board always unless you are in a HOT climate. This makes it easier for the bees to defend the hive.

3. Do not add upper entrances. If you feel that you must add them, use no landing board and make them about ½” to ¾” in size.

4. Additional air vents are fine, but they should be covered with fine screen. Otherwise, pests will enter here especially at night. A few bees fanning are fine. If you see large numbers of bees fanning adjust #2, #3 or #4 as needed.

5. Add insulation to top cover or cover it with something for shade. Touch it in the summer and you will know why. All that heat radiants down on the inside cover.

RECOMMENDED BEEKEEPING EQUIPMENT:

1. Smoker. Generally the larger the better. 4 x 10 is the large size. If you have small hands or only one or two hives the smaller ones will be fine. Prices vary greatly, SHOP AROUND and check eBay. Copper looks pretty, but they are HOT. Get one with a cage.

2. Hive tool. Quality varies. Get spring steel. You can also use a small pry bar from your local hardware store many times.

3. Knife. General use. A thin long blade like a fish fillet knife or a long boning knife. You will use this to harvest queen cells and at other times. Wait till you find one for free.

4. Hooded jacket. Some buy suits. If you have many hives, get the suit. A jacket style with attached hood will work for about 80% of everyone. Except to pay about $50 for one. Buy a veil for guests, it fits almost everyone.

5. Sweat band. If you sweat a lot get one. You can’t wipe your head with that hooded jacket on.

6. Gloves. Don’t buy expensive beekeeping gloves to start. If you want to use gloves, try a good fitting pair first and “wash” them in the smoke from your smoker before using them so they smell smokey. Then make your decision.

7. Feeders. Buy or make one for each hive. Types vary.

8. Two 5 gallon buckets with lids. One for junk comb and scrapings, the other to store your sugar in.

9. SHB control. Use something of your choice from day ONE. If you don’t you’re a fool.

10. Queen excluder. Plastic works fine. One for each hive. Ignore the people that say you don’t need one, if you don’t use one you will always be “looking” for the queen as you work the hive, later you can use it for queen rearing.

11. Warning sign. A good idea, especially if your hives are not in your yard. Prices vary greatly.

12. 4” soft NEW paint brush or a bee brush.

13. IPM board. It’s up to you. I have gone both ways, with and without. The current thinking is to use one. If you are going to use one, consider the Freeman unit that includes SHB control.

Go to Page 4 (being developed)

Building a beehive Part 2

Those questions in Part 1 will help you avoid some problems and provide some insight as you go forward. Now that you have picked your design of hives, let’s address some basic things that will help in your construction. Modifications and recommended equipment is in part 3.

For now, just take these things as presented. You can always search the internet for more info or for a different point of view. The material of the hive (wood, plastic, foam, straw, concrete etc.) will require some different techniques. The following is generic and should apply to most hives; I’ll refer to a Langstroth hive so you can follow along. You will need to take your climate in consideration with your hive choice. Here’s my opinion on the following in no specific order:

EXTERIOR PAINT:

1. The bees don’t care what color you pick. Darker colors will absorb more heat from the sun. Many will say to use white. My all purpose color is silver. Works good in the summer and is warmer in the winter than white. Accent colors make hives look great just like your house.

2. What parts can you paint? All of the outside including landing boards and stands. Do not paint the inside of the hive. Sometimes you will have no problems, sometimes you will if you paint the inside. Do not paint frames.

3. Latex paint seems the best generally. Remember that beekeepers used oil based paint before latex for decades. Do not use epoxy paint.

CONSTRUCTION MATERIAL AND DETAILS:

1. Generally wood is the #1 choice, but also usually expensive. Consider used wood or salvaged wood from pallets. It is more work, but the savings can be great.

2. Exterior wall thickness including the bottom board is determined by your climate. For example, if you are where it gets COLD you need to use 1½" material or apply some other type of insulation to the exterior. If you are where it gets HOT, you can use thinner wood or any other material. NOTE: if you are in the tropics, thick wall hives take longer to cool at night and longer to warm during the morning, use good ventilation.

3. Many companies sell cypress wood. Yes it lasts longer. I don’t think it is worth the extra money. Just take care of the regular stuff and it will last many years.

4. Treated or untreated wood. Untreated except hive stands. Here a few extra bucks are a good investment for many reasons.

5. Glue all joints both inside and out well. TIP: Fill cracks or splits in the hive with glue to avoid pest egg laying areas. Using a small brush makes a better job, remove saw dust and dirt before gluing, coat both sides of joints thinly for a good bond.

6. Use thin nails if you can find them. Predrill screw holes to avoid breakage/splitting. Any nail tip that penetrates to far and sticks out, file off or knock back, as these will make cleaning the hive harder and at some point you will cut your hand on them.

Go to Part 1

Go to Part 3

A Handbook for Honey Judges and Beekeepers Exhibiting Hive Products.

If you want to know more about the art and practice of prize winning honey and apiary exhibits, go to the source packed full of easy to use and understandable guidelines: A Handbook for Honey Judges and Beekeepers Exhibiting Hive Products. An essential addition to any exhibitor’s or event tool box, this 72 page guide helps you bring home the ribbon. In this entertaining and informative look at judging, author James Thompson gives you the information you need to prepare, plan and execute an enjoyable and fair event. The guide also includes reproducible forms for judging. James Thompson is a seasoned honey exhibit judge with four decades of judging numerous Eastern Apicultural Society (EAS) and local shows. Before Thompson wrote his valuable book he was a bee inspector for 17 years and is a life member of EAS and OSBA, earning his Master Beekeeper certification in 1994. Copies are available by sending $19.95 plus shipping ($3 USA, $7 overseas) to: J.R.T. Publishing 8227 Eby Road Smithville, Ohio 44677

Ants in your beehive or apiary

Ants, Ants, Ants. Is there anything more annoying to find in your beehive or apiary? It has been said that some ants do not have an economic impact on the beekeeper or the bee business. These comments are either before the time of plastic and polystyrene hives or from people who were not beekeepers.


We sell an effective ant control package here on this web site geared toward agricultra products and producers for the control of ants.  Contact me for more info and volume pricing.

Various species of black ants intrude beehives and take away honey and pollen and kill the brood and bees, which may lead to absconding of colony. The apiary should be kept clean and the ant nests destroyed by insecticidal applications. Ant wells should be provided for the beehive stands.

Red ants may make nightly visits to the hive.

Hear what Steve Coplin had to say about Crazy Ants:

Steve Coplin, a fourth-generation commercial beekeeper in Alvin — about 30 miles south of Houston — said the ants began attacking his beehives nearly three years ago. Initially, Coplin said, he'd just move his hives away from the infested areas but "now it's getting so widespread it's hard to keep up." He said he's losing about 100 hives to the ants each year. At its peak, Coplin Bee Farms had about 2,500 hives, but colony collapse disorder and Hurricane Ike reduced the business to about 600 hives. "Everything eats a honeybee — purple martins on down to dragonflies," Coplin said. "But the invasion of these ants is 100 times worse than anything I've seen. This is something new." The Rasberry crazy ants don't appear to be interested in the honey; they're after the brood. They invade the honeycomb cell and dine on larvae . When the bees escape, the ants take over the abandoned hive and lay eggs. Coplin said he's forced to burn the infested hive and equipment. That's cost him about $30,000 so far. Other apiarists are experiencing similar ant problems. They fear quarantines and aerial pesticides could wipe out their precious bees along with the ant invaders. "I would much rather have the fire ant," Coplin said, explaining that fire ants usually just eat dead bees that have fallen from the hive. "Fire ants are not as aggressive. They might sting and hurt at worse, but these things, they just go in by the thousands."

Here are some info sheets on ants related to beekeeping:

http://www.doacs.state.fl.us/pi/pest_alerts/liniepithema_humile.html

http://www.findingdulcinea.com/news/Americas/2009/August/Texas-Battles-Crazy-Ants-Bees-Are-Latest-Victim.html

http://www.aphis.usda.gov/publications/plant_health/content/printable_version/beekeepers2006.pdf

Here is a Boric Acid recipe: To make a 1% solution, take the solution that you intend to use as bait (honey and water, sugar water, dog food and water. or whatever) (DO NOT use tap water, use only spring or distilled water). Add 1.25 grams(one level teaspoon) of boric acid powder to 125ml (4 fluid ounces) of your bait. Heat it on the stove until the boric acid dissolves. After it has cooled, pour some in a shallow gizmo like a jar lid and leave it where the ants will find it -and where your children and pets will not be able to get at it. Take your time; let them eat their fill and take as much as they can to their nest. It might take a week or two.


Ant block:
Mix Vaseline, kerosene and red pepper to a paste.  Apply lightly to legs blocks or on hive stand legs.

Thymol Treatment Mix

From Indian Summer Honey Farm:

1 Pint Tea Tree Oil + 4 Pounds Thymol Crystals + 1# Menthol crystals +21# powdered sugar +3# Crisco shortening = mite treatment

In order to make this treatment we warm the shortening in the kitchen oven until it is liquid. Then we pour the liquid shortening into our mixer along with the Thymol and menthol crystals. Once the crystals have melted we add the Tea Tree oil and sugar. It is then mixed until smooth and creamy. Should be like cake frosting.