how i made beekeeping simpler & easier for myself
TRANSCRIPT
I switched from the traditional double-deep brood boxes to all 8-frame mediums with a top entrance.
BushFarms.com/bees.htm
If you look at the catalogs, it seems to take a lot of equipment to keep bees
Even this can be simplified. . . .
Free hive stand
* Consider flooding issues
I switched to all 8-frame mediums:
– lighter
– all equipment interchangeable
– easier to manage
I only need to stock:
– one size frame– one size foundation– one size box
When I buy these, I get a better price than if I were to spread my order over different sizes.
Oops! Someone put a medium frame in a deep hive body.
Often brood frames in deeps don't get completely drawn out and filled.
Medium fully drawn
Brood isn't chilled by bottom entrance and SBB.Queen can lay all the way to bottom of hive.
In 10 frame hives, the outer frames are often ignored.
Management:
– taking a medium frame from a hive has a smaller impact (1/32 vs. 1/20)
– splits are easier– by the box– pulling frames from multiple hives to make up a
new hive
The bees seem to like a top entrance just fine . . . .
To deal with heat:
-- offset bottom box
Excessive heat didn't seem to be a problem; I saw little bearding, and no more than with a bottom entrance.
Top entrances don't get blocked by snow, ice, or dead bees
Top entrances are less prone to pests such as mice and skunks
Feeding with quart and half-gallon mason jars
8 frame equipment is treated as a “specialty item”--but this is changing
My hives consist of three pieces of wooden-ware.