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There are multiple hives and plans with the same basic name here. Use the search bar at the top left of this page if you do not see exactly what you want and came here by a search engine. Use the "Older Posts" hyperlink at bottom for more hives. For a larger photo, click on the photo. Got Small Hive Beetles? Use the traps in our Build It Yourself section and get the upper hand.

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January 28, 2009

Imirie Shim

The imirie Shim is the invention of the late George Imirie to which he attributes much of his success. There are a variety of uses but the most important is to add shims between extracting supers during the honey flow to provide upper entrances. They also add extra ventilation over the winter, more space for patties, mite treatments, or queens. Imirie shims are 3/4 inch thick with an entrance hole. DO NOT USE WITH FOUNDATION WITH THE IMIRIE SHIM. An Imirie Shim is never used anywhere on a colony except in between supers (never in the brood area). Put a Shim between the 1st and 2nd supers and another one between the 3rd and 4th supers; if you cut an additional entrance in the inner cover, the bees will have 3 entrances to use other than the bottom board entrance: 2 Imirie Shims + the entrance cut in the inner cover. This are easily made, see the DIY section for a plan. Also available HERE.

Here's what George himself said:

Proper Use of the Imirie Shim

Ever since my shim was endorsed and put on the commercial market, many users have contacted me by phone, E-mail, or letter asking me for advice about some problem with their beekeeping; and they use their purchase of the shim as a "justification" for contacting me. Let me say LOUD AND PUBLICLY that no one needs any justification to ask me for help with their bee problems provided that they are indeed attempting to UPGRADE their knowledge, and not to argue the merits of the BEST bee, annual or biennial requeening, or the use of Terramycin.

However, I have found that many of these inquirers are using the shim for some purpose that has little to do with its intended purpose and hence my reason for its use; and then I am chastised or insulted that the shim "does not work" or it "makes new problems". The ONLY purpose for the shim is to relieve brood chamber congestion by providing ingress and egress to the SUPER AREA and the shim should only be on a colony when supers are in place! It should NOT BE USED in the BROOD AREA! It should NOT BE USED as an upper entrance in the fall or winter. It should not be used between supers of FOUNDATION (which is far different from DRAWN COMB). The shim should never be in contact with a queen excluder!

The proper use of a shim is as follows: Use with supers of DRAWN COMB only. Put 2 supers over the queen excluder, then add a shim, add a 3rd and a 4th super, then add another shim, add a 5th super, install the inner cover that has an upper entrance made into the edge of it, and top this off with the telescoping cover and a brick..

The shim is 3/4" inch high, and hence its placement is defying the "rules" of BEE SPACE, and bees will build BURR comb on top of frames if the shim is used IMPROPERLY, particularly if it is used in the brood area. If the shim is placed between supers of FOUNDATION, the bees (having no construction blueprints) will build burr comb within the 3/4" inch space of the shim, and "weld" the upper super to the lower super with burr comb as they draw foundation.

Lastly, and this should be very instructional for some readers: If you are using DRAWN COMB in your supers, but you are still getting burr comb built in the shim space, the bees are really trying hard to tell you something, and that is: WE NEED MORE SUPER SPACE! It is hard work, time consuming, and requires a lot of nectar EATING for bees to build comb; and, hence, if your bees have plenty of drawn comb super space for them to temporarily unload lots of nectar for storage until they can ripen it into thick honey, the bees will not trouble themselves to build burr comb in the shim area between supers of empty drawn comb!

I have been using my shim for 30-40 years on all my colonies supered for extracted honey production with little or no burr comb construction; and it materially helps in the two things I designed it to do: Aid in swarm prevention because it relieves brood chamber congestion from forager bees, and increases honey production because foraging bees can enter and leave the colony via the shim entrances directly into the super area faster than using the bottomboard entrance.

Install shims when supers are installed, and remove shims when supers are harvested.

George Imirie Certified EAS Master Beekeeper

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January 25, 2009

Build It Yourself - DIY beekeeping plans and information


Tired of the same old beehive plans? You have found the largest selection of DIY beekeeping plans, feeders, frames and beekeeping equipment on the web. Most beehive parts can be built with simple hand tools, local materials and the plans below. If you have a suggestion let us know. Is there a section you would like to see? Sections below are:
  1. Beehive plans and Beekeeping equipment plans
  2. "A picture is worth a thousand words"
  3. Videos
  4. Misc.
PLANS AND EQUIPMENT
National Hive mesh floor
Tools for queen cultivation (Swedish)
Langstroth Drawer Bottom (German Deep)
Robber Screen
Moisture Absorbing or Insulating Quilt
Insulated Moisture Quilt
Swarm Box plan
Swarm Trap #2
5 Frame Nuc plan
Bee Lining Box plan
SHB Trap plan
SHB Trap #4
SHB Trap #5
SHB Trap #6
SHB Trap for Top Bar Hives
SHB screen for stingless bees
SHB Trap/Killer

Langstroth and Modified Dadant
Cell Door
Imire Shim (auto cad) plan
Mill Your Own Frames
Electric Wire Embedder
Mono block clay hive for Apis Cerana
A PICTURE IS WORTH A THOUSAND WORDS
  1. Inner cover jar feeder #1
  2. Bucket feeder
  3. Hive checklist (doc)
  4. Top feeder floats
  5. Cutting side finger lifts
  6. Vented inner cover
  7. Bee water feeder
  8. Drone frames1 - Drone frame2
  9. Frame assembly jig
  10. Frame Rack
  11. OA vaporizer
  12. Straw Hive
  13. Three season inner cover
  14. Entrance cover
  15. Bee House w/shop
  16. Hive Trolley System
  17. Honey Press
  18. Nicot or Jenter Queen Rearing frame
  19. Observation inner cover
  20. Horsley Board #1
  21. Horsley Board #2
  22. Morris Board
Video on foundation


Bee Hive Cut Out Frame







http://www.metacafe.com/watch/1228061/kill_ant_beds_4_good/Pesticide Free Fire Ant Kill 

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Frame Rack - Ratenkast

Circa 1953. Make it to your needs.

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January 23, 2009

26 Guidelines For Hive Designs

1. A complete hive should give the apiarist such perfect control of all the combs, that they may be easily taken out without cutting them, or exciting the anger of the bees.

2. It should permit all necessary operations to be performed without hurting or killing a single bee.

3. It should afford suitable protection against extremes of heat and cold, sudden changes of temperature, and the injurious effects of dampness. The interior of the hive should be dry in winter, and free in summer from a pent and suffocating heat.

4. Not one unnecessary motion should be required of a single bee. As the honey-harvest in most locations, is of short continuance, all the arrangements of the hive should facilitate, to the utmost, tfu work of the busy gatherers. Hives which compel them to travel with their heavy burdens through densely crowded combs, are very objectionable. Bees instead of forcing their way through thick clusters, must easily pass into the lop surplus cases or supers of the hive, from any comb in the brood-chamber, and into every part, without traveling much over the combs.

5. It should be capable of being readily adjusted to the wants of either large or small colonies.

6. It should allow every good piece of worker-comb to be given to the bees, instead of melting it into wax, and should permit of the use of combfoundation.

7. It should prevent the over-production of drones, by permitting the removal of drone-comb from the hive. A hive containing too much comb suitable only for storing honey or raising drones, cannot be expected to prosper.

8. It should allow the bottom board to be loosened or fastened at will, for ventilation, or to clean out the dead bees in winter. If suffered to remain, they often become mouldy, and injure the health of the colony. In dragging them out, when the weather moderates, the bees often fall with them on the snow, and are so chilled that they never rise again; for a bee, in flying away with the dead, frequently retains its hold until both fall to the ground.

9. No part of the interior of the hive should be below the level of the place of exit. If this principle is violated, the bees must, at great disadvantage, drag, up hill, their dead, and all the refuse of the hive.

10. It should afford facilities for feeding bees, both in warm and cool weather, in case of need.

11. It should furnish facilities for enlarging, contracting, and closing the entrance, to protect the bees against robbers.

12. It should furnish facilities for admitting at once a large body of air, that the bees may be tempted to fly out and discharge their feces, on warm days in winter, or early spring.

If such a free admission of air cannot be given, the bees, by losing a favorable opportunity of emptying themselves, may suffer from diseases resulting from too long confinement.

13. It should allow the bees, together with the heat and odor of the main hive, to pass in the freest manner, to the surplus honey receptacles.

14. Each of the parts of every hive in an apiary should be so made, as to be interchangeable from one hive to another. In this way the apiarist can readily make the exchanges of brood, honey or pollen, which circumstances demand.

15. The hive should permit the surplus honey to be 'taken away in the most convenient, beautiful and salable forms.

16. It should be equally well adapted to be used as a swarmer, or nonswarmer.

17. It should enable the apiarist to multiply his colonies with a certainty and rapidity which are impossible if he depends on natural swarming.

18. It should enable the apiarist to supply destitute colonies with the means of obtaining a new queen.

19. It should enable him to catch the queen, for any purpose; especially to remove an old one whose fecundity is impaired by age.

20. It should enable a single beekeeper to superintend several hundred colonies for different individuals.

21. All the joints of the hive should be water-tight, and there should be no doors or shutters or drawers liable 'to shrink, swell or get out of order.

22. A complete hive should be protected against the destructive ravages of mice in winter.

23. It should permit the honey, after the gathering season is over, to be concentrated where the bees will most need it.

24. It should permit the space for spare honey receptacles to be enlarged or contracted at will, without any alteration or destruction of existing parts of the hive.

25. Its surplus honey receptacle should be as close to the brood as possible.

26. A complete hive, while possessing all these requisites, should, if possible, combine them in a cheap and simple form, adapted to the wants of all who are competent to cultivate bees.

L. L. Langstroth

 

January 22, 2009

About Us

This site grew from a discussion about information and photos of old beehives not being available and/or vanishing. This happens since most beehives were made of meterials which rotted or was discarded. Early photos of beehives were not common. Accordingly, the photos of actual old hives are almost nonexistent and the old hives themselves are mostly gone, so the decisions to capture the images and data before all was lost was made and this site created.
Oversea hive designs both new and old are an unknown for most beekeepers, as we are simply are not exposed to them. In addition information is scatted about the web taking considerable amounts of time to compile. Older beekeeping books often refer to a hive design by name, but fail to include a photo or drawing leaving the reader confused and in some cases making the book harder to understand. This site provides and makes information, research opportunities and education available to beekeepers, academia and interested individuals.
We will be expanding the content and hope you might supply some photos and data. Comments and suggestions are welcome. Final site design and widgets are still being worked on. If you like the site, please share it with your friends and forums.
Wishing you the best.
Buck White

 

Honeybee cell size facts and discussion


See here for measurement conversion chart. Take about a moving target. Bee cell sizes are a highly debated subject. In addition, discussions about the number of cells is another. They include:
  1. How many cells are required for a healthy hive.
  2. How many cells are on a sheet of foundation.
  3. What is best size of cell.
  4. How to determine the number of cells on foundation.
  5. And so many more your head will hurt.
You can see that the size of the cell in foundation has changed over the years and continues to change. If you ask a dozen beekeepers about this you are almost assured to get a dozen different answers. So what is the answers? Well, the answer will depend on your source.
Old beekeeping books used measurements based upon comb obtained from the wild or from apiaries usually ran by the researcher. This is not to say that manufactured foundation was not, but it's sizes are effected by other design elements, such as the quality of the engraving or casting of the form, feedback from users, yield per pound of wax and current thoughts of the day. Bees don't read trade journals or research papers, nor do they brag about their quality to influence you. But to be fair they also are not consistence with their sizes, build at times in less than pleasing manners, vary sizes depending upon their type and do not maximize easy handling.
It is easy to see that over time the cell size offered by foundations has increased. Is this bad? Some say yes, and some say no. It is generally agreed that large cells produce larger bees. Some research indicates that these larger cell sizes may play a role in Varrora infestations. Some research and experiments seem to indicate that smaller cell sizes help control Varrora, while other research says it does not.

Here is some additional comb info:
It takes about 2.6 lbs. of wax to construct about 100,000 cells.  Bees generally need to consume between 6-8 pounds of honey or sugar water to make one pound of wax.  The honey comb has hexagon (six sided) cells on both sides of a vertical central wall.  It actually consists of two layers of cells placed back to back.  Such a cell is a prism whose section is approximately a regular hexagon, while the ends are three-faced 'steeples'.  The walls of each honey cell are fashioned from the wax and are manufactured to a high tolerance (within 0.2% of their 1/1000 thickness) and support 25 times their weight.  These cells are inclined upward 13° from horizontal to retain liquid nectar and honey.  All the cell walls stand at 120º to each other, forming a perfect lattice.  Natural comb cells for non-Africanized bees are generally 1 inch deep and 4.9 mm wide.

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Queen Candy, Making

Queen candy (QC) can be used to plug queen cages for shipment/storage and can also be used as a quick emergency food. QC is made from honey and powdered sugar. Let's start. You will need:

1 cup honey
2 lbs of powdered sugar
microwave safe mixing bowl
spoon for mixing
a plastic shopping bag
a microwave oven
Instructions:
Pour the powdered sugar in the mixing bowl. Heat slightly in microwave, a few seconds at a time. Check with your finger. Not HOT, just warm.
Make a well in the sugar. Heat the honey in the microwave till warm, do not boil or overheat. Pour warmed honey into sugar well (photo is of half batch). Mix with spoon till well mixed and then knead candy for a couple of minutes (this takes some effort)(warm in microwave if it gets to cold).
Remove ball of candy and place on plastic shopping bag. Let set for about an hour. Knead candy again a few times. Wrap ball of candy in plastic bag. Use as needed. If you use this in a hot climate, do not place over cluster as it might sag or drip on the bees, place on inner cover or in a container. In cold climate or winter you can place above cluster. See the photos. In the last photo there are three balls of candy, one to much honey (flat and sticky), one good for quick food and the big one, good for everything (photo is after 2 hours on counter).

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January 18, 2009

A New Bee Threat?

The Asian Predatory Hornet, a bee killer, is on the move. This is not the normal European Hornet we see today. It has reached Paris for the first time and may soon cross to England. How soon will it reach the USA? Will this become another debockle like the SHB? WAKE UP! More info HERE and HERE.

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Labels:

Honeybee Suppliers 2010

See the list HERE. If someone is not on the list, use the comment section to add them. Thanks

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Suppliers

National Bee Supplies - UK

 

January 16, 2009

Beekeeping Questions and Answers

As your question related to Beekeeping and equipment or parts here. Use the comment section below to ask your question. Click HERE to go to DIY plans.

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January 13, 2009

Alphabetical List

Grab this

 

January 11, 2009

Cell sizes of preformed foundation 1800-1989

 

Building a beehive Part 1

So you are thinking about a new hive. There is plenty to consider in this decision. Review this site for some design ideas and plans. You might think it is to hard or expensive to build one, but you would be wrong. You can build a very simple hive or a fancy one. The choice is yours. They can be made from mud, wood, plastic, concrete, straw, sticks, pots, birdhouses, cardboard, pipes, barrels and almost any item or thing you can think of.

The cost of a hive can range from zero to several hundreds of dollars for a single hive. Cost has many times prevented new beekeepers from trying it. See the "Build It Yourself" section for low cost hives.
Ask yourself these questions.
  1. Do I own some tools or will I need to purchase some?
  2. Why do I want bees? Harvest honey, trying to save them, like to watch them, want to sell bees, want to do pollination business, just curious or other reason.
  3. How do I feel about chemicals and bees?
  4. How do I feel about plastic parts?
  5. How much space do I have for the hives?
  6. Where are the hives going to be placed? How many?
  7. Can I build the hive or should I get help or just buy them pre-made?
  8. How much time do I want to spend on building the hives?
  9. What meterials will the hives be made of?
  10. How hot in the summer and how cold in the winter does it get where I plan to place the hives?
  11. After the hives are built, how much "hands on" time do I want to spend caring for them?
  12. Will all my hives be of the same style and size?
  13. Will they be painted, treated wood, on the ground or on a stand?
  14. How much weight can I pick up?
  15. Will I be feeding my bees? If so, how?
  16. How will I move these hives if needed?
  17. Do I need to mow under the hives or nearby?
  18. Which way is South?
  19. Is the bottom of the hive attached or a separate piece?
  20. Where is the entrance to the hive located? Top, middle, bottom, front, back, side?
  21. How is ventilation controlled on my hive design choice?
  22. If I use frames, how will they be supported and spaced in the hive?
  23. Ask some local beekeepers what species of bees they have and if the Small Hive Beetle is in your area.
With those answers we can now narrow down our hive choice. Go to Part 2.

 

January 10, 2009

Bee fondant candy and recipes



Bee fondant, also called bee candy, is a block or sheet of harden sugar used as a backup food source for feeding your bees. Fondant is also used as a safety to help prevent starvation when the bees start to come out of the winter. Fondant is sometimes confused with Queen Candy which generally is a softer product made with powdered sugar (see Queen Candy). Usually an acid is added to the sugar mixture to more mimic honey which contains inverted sugars. Table sugar (white granulated) which is pure sucrose, when heated and mixed with an organic acid (citrus, vinegar, or tarteric acid (cream of tarter)) makes some of the sugar go thru an inversion process (i.e. inverted sugar) which is easier for the bees to digest.


Cream of tarter has an additional effect on the fondant in that it helps in crystallization of the sugar into finer crystals. Vinegar helps prevent mold as I remember. It usually takes 2-3 times the amount of organic acid to equal the amount of tarter for the same effect. You can read the pro/cons on both vinegar vs tarter on the web. There is discussion on the web about whether or not tarter and/or vinegar is bad for bees.  Tarter has been used in fondant since the 1800's and the bees are still here.


Most recipes are much the same. I have listed some below.  What is different is the temperature of the boiling sugar. The top temperature reached will determine the hardness of the fondant. From fudgy (about 234) to rock hard (300+) see chart here.
I used 250 degrees which gave me some room for error. Bringing the water to full boil before adding the sugar makes it a lot easier and helps avoid burning. Stir a lot to help avoid burning the mix. As you approach your target temp, turn the heat down. Summer fondant should be harder so it does not melt down over the bees or ooze out.  I'm working on a more detail bee fondant page here with detail instructions and photos.


Beekeeping Fondant Recipe#1, Circa 1921
12 lbs. sugar
1.5 lbs. corn syrup (non flavored, no vanilla)
1.25 quarts water
1/4 teaspoon cream of tarter
Heat mixture to 238 degrees.  Add tarter at 230 degrees, mix and boil to 238, cool to 200, whip/stir with spoon or beater till white in color.  Note: Whip/stirring is not required, but makes a less dense fondant.


Bee Fondant Recipe #2
10 lbs sugar
2 pints water
1/2 tsp cream of tarter
pinch of salt
Follow previous instructions above, add salt to water before boiling.


Bee Candy or Bulk Fondant for commercial applications
200 lbs sugar
30 lbs honey or corn syrup
2.5 gallons water
1 cup vinegar
Salt optional
Follow basic instructions above.


Quick bee sugar cake
5 lbs sugar
1 cup cold water with 1.5 tsp vinegar added and mixed in
Mix together in large pot well.  Place mixture on a candy board or in another container.  This will turn into a hard block of sugar much like when a bag of sugar gets wet. No cooking required


Bee marshmallow fondant

·         1 lb of small marshmallows
·         2 lbs of powdered sugar
·         4 table spoons of water (or maybe 3 tbs of water and 1 tbs of Honey Bee Healthy)
·         A little Crisco

1.       Grease a large bowl and a wooden spoon with Crisco to keep the mix from sticking
2.       Add 1lb of marshmallows in a large bowl
3.   Add 2 lbs of powdered sugar in a separate bowl for easy pouring later
4.       Heat the marshmallows for 1 min 30 seconds in the microwave.
5.    Add 4 tbs of water to the melted marshmallows
6.       Knead the marshmallows into a ball in the bowl with the wooden spoon while mixin in the powdered sugar.
7.       Grease an area/table with Crisco to keep the mixture from sticking
8.   Grease your hands with Crisco
9.       Knead the ball on the table with your hands when the mix starts to cling to the side of the bowl
10.    Roll the finished ball on wax paper and cut to size (about the size of a pollen patty)
             11.     Place on the top bars of your hives

Note on winter use:  During the winter the bees must hold fecal material until a cleansing flight. If you have few warm days, it is wiser not to add any filler(s) to prevent dysentery. Do not use brown sugar or molasses.


How much do you need?  Generally, you need 1 pound fondant for every two pounds of honey you are short for winter food.  Depending on: how you winter, the number of bees, length of your winter and your temp. zone you will need a "honey" weight of 20-60 pounds. A 8-10 pound "fondant cap" helps guard against starved bees. Near starvation bees can consume small blocks of fondant in just a few days, check often on warm days coming out of winter.


TIP #1. Buy a digital probe or laser reader, a lot easier to clean and read, and breaks less (no glass).
TIP #2. Line a cereal box with foil to use as a form. By folding the long edges of the strip of foil together (at least three times for strength) you can make a piece any size you need. Lift the cooled cake out with the foil keeping the box to reuse.
TIP #3. Be careful. Ever see those old movies where they pour boiling oil on their enemies from the top of the castle? Well think of that, with your sticky, hot as hell pot of boiling sugar in front of you. Don't get this stuff on you or anyone nearby. Be safe and keep the kids away.
TIP #4. Use a long handled spoon and a bigger/taller pot than you think you need. Why? See tip #3 and when the liquid starts to boil it will foam or rise up several inches before it drops down, watch out for that steam too.
TIP #5. Allow it to cool about 205 or so before you pour or whip it.  Pour it out before it gets to cool. If you don't, it will be more grainy.
TIP #6. Use that old plastic inside feeder as a candy feeder. Clean it. Make sure its dry inside. Pour fondant in when it has started to thicken well and cooled. Too hot and it will melt the feeder, to cold and it won't pour. Watch the sides don't bulge out. This is best used in warmer areas as the bees may not venture to the feeder in colder climates.
TIP #7. If you make the fondant thin (about 3/8 inch) you can place it directly under your inner cover and above the frames without any other device.
TIP #8. If you have Small Hive Beetles, this will also be feeding them too. Keep those SHB traps active all year. During the winter, bee eggs are what they want to eat.
TIP #9. Don't burn it. Try a small batch first and learn what you are doing. If burnt, throw it out and try again.
TIP #10. Turn that inner cover into a candy board. Remember to reopen the escape hole after making or cut an vent/entry slot in the hive side edge (if sugar on top). See this example from Long Lane using a different premade board to understand the process.

 

January 8, 2009

Beekeeping 101

Regardless of the design you pick, there are some construction and management decisions to consider first. We can further break these down into these categories: Budget, Construction/Purchase of Equipment, Acquiring the Bees, Training/Management/Education and Rewards. Let's look at each category.
  • Budget.
The cost of beekeeping can range from zero to several hundreds of dollars for a single hive. Cost has many times prevented new beekeepers from trying it and has also caused some current beekeepers to stop. The costs come from several areas:
  1. Initial Training: This may have been your beekeeping course or the expense of attendance to seminars and events.
  2. Equipment: This usually the most expense. In addition to your hive for bees generally you will need some basic equipment to start. You do not however need to purchase some as many items can be adapted or made by yourself. Many times beekeepers have extra equipment that might be available for free or a reduced cost. Ask around. See the "Basic Equipment" page on this site for more information.
  3. Feed: We often think of other animals when we talk of animal food. Bees can be self substaining, but usually are provided supplemental foods by the beekeeper. Sugar and pollen patties are the most common feed. Other food sources such as various grains are also feed to the bees at times.
  4. Disease/Pest Controls: These costs are determined by your approach to beekeeping and if you are visited by pests.

 

Speaking Beekeeping

UNDER CONSTRUCTION
On unexpected problem we came across in the search for information was that search engines and web sites are always in the local language. While this may seem that it should have been easy to identify, it was not. The problem is simply that in order to find the information you must first be able to spell it in the language of choice.
Accordingly, this page is now created so that one can cross reference some of the basic beekeeping terms into other languages for your research. Web based translators are another option. To use, copy the line of languages and place in a search engine window, review the results.
Bee - Bijen, Bin,
Honeybee - Honingbij,
Beehive -
Hive - Bikupa (swedish), bijenkast, beute (german), frill (french),
Beekeeping - Bijenteelt, Imkerij, Bijenhouden, biodling, Birøkteren,

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