The Wally-Gee Bee Journey 🐝

[Apis mellifera]

One thing is for certain. If you don’t like it, you can switch back to traditional Langstroth. Otherwise, I wouldn’t be taking the risk. When you say the earlier in the year the better, would you not attempt it at all this year? I’m totally cool with waiting until next year if that’s what will be the best chance for success. I’m only 50 but it hurts my back to bend over those hives. I’m hoping this is the ticket to beekeeping that’s easy on the body.

You could switch them now. Horizontal hives are not for me. As far as weight of the hives I have mostly switched to 8 frame equipment over the years. I love 5 over 5 nucs as well, easy to handle. If beekeepers ask me about how to handle the weight, I just tell them to bring an extra box and take out half the frames first.

 

[WallyG74]

You could switch them now. Horizontal hives are not for me. As far as weight of the hives I have mostly switched to 8 frame equipment over the years. I love 5 over 5 nucs as well, easy to handle. If beekeepers ask me about how to handle the weight, I just tell them to bring an extra box and take out half the frames first.

I better get busy. My projects tend to drag out.

As far as my 2 hives go, the deep brood boxes are packed with brood and honey but they have just begun to draw comb in one of the supers. One had an excluder and the other didn’t. The one that didn’t had just the smallest amount of comb started right in the middle. I took the excluder off the other hive so maybe that will encourage them to move up.

 

[Sally PB]

As far as weight of the hives I have mostly switched to 8 frame equipment over the years.

We bought a used hive, and it's all 8 frame. I'm glad. I'm going to stick with that setup, because of the weight factor.

The president of the Grand Rapids, MI bee club runs everything with 10 frame medium boxes. He messed up his shoulder and has a construction business, so he has to be careful of the weight that he lifts.

 

[5Australorpasaures]

We bought a used hive, and it's all 8 frame. I'm glad. I'm going to stick with that setup, because of the weight factor.

The president of the Grand Rapids, MI bee club runs everything with 10 frame medium boxes. He messed up his shoulder and has a construction business, so he has to be careful of the weight that he lifts.

I do 10 frame for drawn comb then go to a 9 frame set up for deeper honey cells in medium deeps. 'bout 40-60 lbs per box, depending on year.

 

[WallyG74]

Still got a ways to go but it’s a good start. I put those frames in for effect .

 

[5Australorpasaures]

Still got a ways to go but it’s a good start. I put those frames in for effect .
View attachment 3846902

Nice

 

[WallyG74]

I have some incentive to get this long hive finished. It’s been 2 weeks since I checked my supers. Just a reminder, one hive had zero comb drawn and the other had trace amounts on 1 frame. Today both hives have at least 8 frames full of capped and uncapped honey. I don’t have anymore supers built or medium frames. I have lots of deep frames but no deep boxes. I could build some deep boxes quickly but that would be going further away from my goal of changing to all long hives. I will finish it this weekend and move one colony to it once I harvest the honey. Not sure how long it will take them to cap it but it probably won’t be long seeing how quickly they drew comb on all those frames.

 

[5Australorpasaures]

View attachment 3856884View attachment 3856885View attachment 3856886I have some incentive to get this long hive finished. It’s been 2 weeks since I checked my supers. Just a reminder, one hive had zero comb drawn and the other had trace amounts on 1 frame. Today both hives have at least 8 frames full of capped and uncapped honey. I don’t have anymore supers built or medium frames. I have lots of deep frames but no deep boxes. I could build some deep boxes quickly but that would be going further away from my goal of changing to all long hives. I will finish it this weekend and move one colony to it once I harvest the honey. Not sure how long it will take them to cap it but it probably won’t be long seeing how quickly they drew comb on all those frames.

Ain't it PURRTY!

 

[WallyG74]

It only weighs 2 tons…

 

[Sally PB]

Not sure how long it will take them to cap it but it probably won’t be long seeing how quickly they drew comb on all those frames.

Dang! One of our hives was building cross comb. We ripped some apart when we pulled the frame, not knowing it was there. They. Were. MAD! They were dive bombing us, and we did the little bit we had to do and got the heck out of there!