Hubby is building me a beehive!

[chickpeaz]

I'm so excited. We've been casually researching top bar hives for about two years and finally just decided to take the plunge and build one. We're not terribly interested in honey, and definitely aren't looking at selling it or anything, but we are concerned about the plight of honeybees in recent years and want to do whatever we can to help increase their numbers. There are free PDF instructions/plans available, and www.biobees.com, the forum at www.naturalbeekeeping.org and all of the Philip Chandler youtube videos have been amazingly helpful. We're using scrap lumber left over from other projects so the hive itself will be very low-cost, although we'll buy bees this spring for our first attempt and we'll need to invest in a few necessary beekeeping tools and garments.

So he's out in the garage measuring and sawing and drilling away, while I'm stuck inside waiting for the 2yo to wake from her nap so I can go out and help! I can't wait till this summer when our hive is humming away and I can sit nearby

and watch the bees at work.

 

[dmccann]

That is really neat!

 

[dkvart1]

Very neat! We are planning our move to our new place in June and of course I am chomping at the bit to get some chickens, which dear hubby has NO interest in (until he meets them of course, he's a pushover for a critter!), but he is interested in keeping some bees! So I'm marking this post so I can find all the good information you so kindly provided. Good luck!

 

[galanie]

So, you going to lend DH out? I want one, too. A beehive, not a hubby. LOL

Between this and my plans to start raising quail, I've got about the next 2 years filled up, I think.

 

[dkvart1]

Quote:
LOL what a sensible approach!!

 

[chickpeaz]

It's so cool. The frame, top bar and followers are done -- we still need to build legs and a roof.

As you can see by the huge piles of firewood in every direction waiting to be split and stacked...it's not like he didn't have anything better to do today. I'm so thankful to have such a handy and generous guy!

Will update with more pics when it's finished. It might be awhile -- we're visiting a goat farm tomorrow.

Did I mention how completely awesome my husband is?!?

 

[Carols Clucks]

I hope you get some nice friendly bees........Nothing like a hive of the meanies to make your neighbors dislike you!






(daughter of a beekeeper)

 

[chickpeaz]

I'm not too worried about the neighbors -- closest ones are more than 1/4 mile away. But I don't want mean bees around my kids, either! We're looking at a hybrid of Italian/Carniolan bees, as they're supposed to be among the most docile. I do realize that any bees can get angry and/or swarm, so we're planning to put the hive in a place where it won't be easily disturbed.

My biggest concern right now? Bears. I don't want all of DH's hard work to be trashed by a hungry (or curious) bear!