![]() In a man-made hive, the wooden or plastic beeswax comb is started from a sheet of beeswax or plastic foundation. This approach is certainly satisfactory, but it is also the most expensive and time consuming in assembly since it requires three boxes and thirty frames instead of twenty.įrame and combs – The suspended beeswax comb held within a frame is the basic structural component inside the hive. Beekeepers who wish to avoid heavy full-depth hive bodies may elect to use three shallow hive bodies for the brood nest. Using hive bodies similar in size permits the interchange of combs between the two hive bodies. Most beekeepers elect to use either two full-depth hive bodies or a full-depth and a shallow for the brood area. Normally a single full-depth brood chamber is used when beekeepers want to crowd bees for comb honey production, when a package is installed, or when a nucleus colony or division is first established. However, additional space is needed for food storage and maximum brood nest expansion. One scheme is to use a single full-depth hive body, which theoretically would give the queen all the room she needs for egg laying. These can be purchased from bee supply dealers and are constructed from wood or cardboard, the latter for temporary use only.ĭifferent management schemes are used according to the depth of hive bodies utilized in the brood area of the hive. Beekeepers rearing queens and/or selling small starter colonies (nucs) prefer to use a three- or five-nuc box usually with standard deep frames. bee supplier is now selling eight-frame boxes as English garden hive boxes. Some beekeepers prefer eight-frame hive bodies. Section comb honey production is a specialized art requiring intense management and generally is not recommended for beginners. Section comb honey supers, 4 5/8 inches high, hold either basswood section boxes or plastic rings and section holders. This size has the greatest cost of assembly per square inch of usable comb space. The shallow-depth super, 5 11/6 inches high, is the lightest unit to manipulate (about 35 pounds when filled with honey). An intermediate size (7 5/8 inches) between the full- and medium-depth super is preferred by some beekeepers, especially those who make their own boxes. While this is the most convenient size for honey supers, it cannot be cut efficiently from standard-sized lumber. The medium-depth super, sometimes called the Dadant or Illinois super, is 6 5/8 inches high. However, when filled with honey, they weigh over 60 pounds and are heavy to handle. These large units provide adequate space with minimum interruption for large solid brood areas. The full-depth hive body, 9 5/8 inches high, is most often used for brood rearing. Hive bodies – The standard ten-frame hive body is available in four common depths or heights (Figure 9). Bottom boards available from many bee supply dealers are reversible, providing either a 7/8- or 3/8-inch opening in front. Since the bottom board is open in the front, the colony should be tilted forward slightly to prevent rainwater from running into the hive. A hive stand may support a single colony, two colonies, or a row of several colonies.īottom board – The bottom board serves as the floor of the colony and as a takeoff and landing platform for foraging bees. Hive stands may be concrete blocks, bricks, railroad ties, pallets, logs, or a commercially produced hive stand. In principle, this support reduces dampness in the hive, extends the life of the bottom board, and helps keep the front entrance free of grass and weeds. Hive stand – The hive stand, actually an optional piece of equipment, elevates the bottom board (floor) of the hive off the ground. The hive bodies that contain the brood nest may be separated from the honey supers (where the surplus honey is stored) with a queen excluder. A typical hive consists of a hive stand, a bottom board with entrance cleat or reducer, a series of boxes or hive bodies with suspended frames containing foundation or comb, and inner and outer covers (Figure 8 includes dimensions for those wishing to construct their own hives). ![]() Today most beekeepers use the Langstroth or modern ten-frame hive. Over the years a wide variety of hives have been developed. The hive is the man-made structure in which the honey bee colony lives. The basic equipment you need are the components of the hive, protective gear, smoker and hive tool, and the equipment you need for handling the honey crop. Equipment needs vary with the size of your operation, number of colonies, and the type of honey you plan to produce.
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