🐝💗Our Backyard Beekeeping Journey!💗🐝

[drstratton]

Standard thickness of the wood in commercial hives is ¾". This hive is made from 1½" thick wood. I did not build it in a fashion to be easily insulated due to the handholds.

It does have a piece of 2" thick styrofoam over the inner cover.

The last time I did this, all 3 hives came through the winter well.

I did notice that the 2 covered hives were much more active through the winter than they were when they weren't covered. I was unnecessarily concerned that the increased activity would cause them to go through their winter stores too quickly.

That's quite a bit thicker and I'm sure heavier.

I'm glad you added that last part, I was getting the question ready in my mind, as I would have been concerned about that too.

 

[5Australorpasaures]

Now that the bees are paying their way DW said might be a good idea to add another hive. "OK, if you really think we should." I said trying not to do my happy dance. AHHH, life's little victories.

 

[drstratton]

Now that the bees are paying their way DW said might be a good idea to add another hive. "OK, if you really think we should." I said trying not to do my happy dance. AHHH, life's little victories.

So if it's anything like chicken math, maybe just a few more...lol

 

[R2elk]

That's quite a bit thicker and I'm sure heavier.

Yes it is. If I had it to do over, I would have made it an 8 frame hive instead of 10 frames. A fully loaded super with 9 frames in it is much heavier than I need it to be.

 

[drstratton]

Yes it is. If I had it to do over, I would have made it an 8 frame hive instead of 10 frames. A fully loaded super with 9 frames in it is much heavier than I need it to be.

Yeah, I'm sure. That's why we went with 8 frame. Another factor was for overwintering, thinking it would be less area for them to keep warm. But, mostly for the weight. I have an arm issue, that's keeping me from lifting the boxes. So, it's all on Dale at the moment. Hopefully it will heal up over winter, so I can pull my weight a little more. If he'll let me.

 

[Sally PB]

Not a good day. We lost a hive.

A few days ago, I was looking at the hives. The Charlatans were busy, but there were a few yellow jackets landing. I suited up and went out there with a hive tool and squished as many as I could. I had put on/filled feeders with syrup 11 days ago.

I went out more than once to squish yellow jackets, and probably killed 80 or more over 3 days. The Charlatans were busy every time; the New Bees had a couple of comers/goers, but no yellow jackets.

We had our first frost last night. We'll have more frosty nights now, so I figured it was time to remove the feeders and we'd be wrapping the hives soon.

We did the New Bees first. Lots of coming and going. We took off the feeder (2 frame feeders in a deep box that had very little drawn comb) and looked down into the top (of two) deep boxes for brood. They had had GREAT brood patterns every time we looked, with a nice arch of honey on top. Now the top box has 7 frames of capped honey, and the 8th is about 3/4 filled. You GO! girls! We closed it up, gonna leave it all for them for the winter.

We took the cover off the Charlatans and then the feeder box. Uh oh... very quiet in the hive... and totally empty. The nice arches of honey that had been there... chewed open and gone. We saw 3 bees. A few yellow jackets. A few dead bees down in the bottom, but not many.

I had seen a lot of traffic 2-3 days ago. Where did they go? Do they ever swarm this time of year, or did they abscond?