Making Decisions, a little more help

[Hillbilly Tilley]

I have decided to go with all medium hives with 10 frames for bottom chambers and probably 9 frames for the honey supers. How many Medium hives will I need? Will the bees produce enough honey the first year to need the Medium honey supers? How many supers will I need to leave on the hive to winter the bees? Also I have decided to go with a screened bottom board. Can I use a slatted rack with it and do I need to? If I use a screened bottom board do I need to cover it in the winter?

Here is a list of thing I plan on ordering do I need to add or omit anything?
(2) Hive Stand
(2) Screened Bottom Board
(2) Entrance Reducer
(2) Slatted Rack
(?) Mediums With Frames and Crimped Wire Foundation
(2) Queen Excluder???
(2) Hive Top Feeder
(2) Inner Cover
(2) Telescoping Lid
(1) Smoker
(1) Hive Tool
(1) Jacket With Attached Veil
(1 Pair) Gloves
(1) Bee Brush
(1) Frame Perch

Thanks for all advice

[Jeffzhear]

I personally have not used a bee brush in as long as I can remember.
Entrance reducers I make on my table saw. You have question marks next to queen excluders; I don't use them on the hives as standard equipment, but there are times when I use them...like to make sure a swarm that I catch stays put.

I'm not sure what a frame perch is, but suspect it's something to hold frames after you pull them out of the hive...I don't use one.

IMO, save your money on those items...
As for hive stands, I use the (free) small pallets from Lowes, Home Depot or places like that, and replace them when they rot out...

[bejay]

would get atleast 6-8 mediums you will need 3 for each hive to be equivalent to 2 deeps and it wouldnt hurt to have a couple of supers on hand even though you may not need them depending on how well your packages do.
you dont necassarly need hivestands, queen excluders, or even slatted racks.

[WVbeekeeper]

>How many Medium hives will I need?

You need three medium hive bodies to make up the brood chamber for each colony.

>Will the bees produce enough honey the first year to need the Medium honey supers?

It will depend on how good the nectar flow is and if they can draw out the frames in the brood chamber (3 med boxes) before the season has ended. Feed them sugar syrup to help them out.

>How many supers will I need to leave on the hive to winter the bees?

You need about 70# of honey. The bees will backfill the brood chamber later in the year before they overwinter. The three medium boxes which make up your brood chamber will be enough to overwinter them successfully. I overwintered a small colony in two four frame medium nuc boxes this year.Building Up an Overwintered Nuc, Part 1 (http://wvbeekeeper.blogspot.com/2008/02/building-up-overwintered-nuc-part-1.html).Building Up an Overwintered Nuc, Part 2 (http://wvbeekeeper.blogspot.com/2008/03/building-up-overwintered-nuc-part-2.html)

>Also I have decided to go with a screened bottom board.

That's a good choice.

>Can I use a slatted rack with it and do I need to?

I've never used them and my bees do just fine without them.

>If I use a screened bottom board do I need to cover it in the winter?

If you buy the one from Kelley's it has a screen and a board which slides in from the rear which is convienient. http://i165.photobucket.com/albums/u76/ccohenour1/IMG_2570.jpg You do need to keep it closed up most of the year around here. From June to August you can leave it open.

Are you getting packages? If so, you need to get your equipment really soon. If you have someone who is going to give you a swarm you need to get the equipment soon. I suppose you are not getting a nuc since you chose which size of box to use. If you were getting a nuc you'd be forced to get the same size of equipment as that of the nuc.

> (2) Hive Stand

Pallets, masonry block, I beams, etc... I use free or really cheap stuff for hive stands. Your better off to spend your money on the essentials.
http://bp1.blogger.com/_ZpvYlup3cFc/R7pYZQqIohI/AAAAAAAAALc/-2nPIGSryUU/s400/IMG_2546.JPG
http://a549.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images01/100/l_86f81999444f644bec2bfeccbd88499c.jpg (http://a549.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images01/100/m_86f81999444f644bec2bfeccbd88499c.jpg)
http://i165.photobucket.com/albums/u76/ccohenour1/January%206%20%202008/IMG_2313.jpg

> (?) Mediums With Frames and Crimped Wire Foundation

Assemble your frames and insert the foundation yourself. It costs less and is an enjoyable experience for someone with just a few hives. I prefer the crimped wire foundation.

> (2) Queen Excluder???

I use them and like them. I don't like brood in my honey supers. I like to know where my queen is. I've tried to not use them before and have had some crazy top laying queens to mess my harvest up. It's also easier to extract (I didn't see any extracting equipment on your list) honey from comb which has never had brood laid in it.

> (2) Hive Top Feeder

I'd get an entrance feeder. They cost less. Or an inside feeder which holds a couple jars. Feeding Inside a Colony (http://wvbeekeeper.blogspot.com/2008/03/feeding-inside-colony.html)

[WVbeekeeper]

kc in wv is from your area. You should contact him about joining the local beekeeping club.:)

http://208.69.121.208/forums/member.php?u=64136

[tecumseh]

tilley list: tecumseh comments:
(2) Hive Stand :use concrete blocks and wood.
(2) Screened Bottom Board :yes.
(2) Entrance Reducer :make from scrap wood.
(2) Slatted Rack :more useful in year 2.
(?) Mediums With Frames and Crimped Wire Foundation :1 per frame.
(2) Queen Excluder??? :more useful in year 2.
(2) Hive Top Feeder :limits robbing.
(2) Inner Cover :a migratory cover would
(2) Telescoping Lid replace these two items.
(1) Smoker :don't leave home without it.
(1) Hive Tool :most definitely.
(1) Jacket With Attached Veil :yep.
(1 Pair) Gloves :yes.
(1) Bee Brush :helps remove bees from fr's.
(1) Frame Perch :a nice accessory item.

[Ravenseye]

I use a frame perch all the time but never used the brushes that I somehow ended up with. I also believe that frames and boxes will eventually be used, even if you don't need them when you first start out. Gadgets that get bought may never get used, so I lean towards buying accessories when you find a need and not in anticipation of a need that may never exist. Not that I even turn down gifts and great deals! :D

[danno1800]

If you want a lot of good instruction & a chance to meet a lot of other beekeepers [many from WV] be sure to make plans & attend the HAS Bee meeting in Huntington, WV July 10-12, 2008. www.heartlandbees.com for more information. Hope to see you there! -Danno

[Michael Bush]

>I have decided to go with all medium hives with 10 frames for bottom chambers and probably 9 frames for the honey supers. How many Medium hives will I need?

Three for brood and four or five more for supers in a good year. But the first year you probably won't need that many. Just keep a couple of extra on hand and order more when you use those.

> Will the bees produce enough honey the first year to need the Medium honey supers?

Quite possibly.

> How many supers will I need to leave on the hive to winter the bees?

Three would be typical.

>Also I have decided to go with a screened bottom board. Can I use a slatted rack with it

Yes.

> and do I need to?

No.

> If I use a screened bottom board do I need to cover it in the winter?

Some do some don't. I do.

>(2) Hive Stand
I would just use some old treated lumber, bricks or concrete blocks.

>(2) Screened Bottom Board

Good

>(2) Entrance Reducer

Any old scrap of lumber can be made into one. I wouldn't buy one, but if you think you're not handy enough to make one, you could buy one.

>(2) Slatted Rack

They are nice for better ventilation, but they are not necessary.

>(?) Mediums With Frames and Crimped Wire Foundation

Any decision on what size foundation?

>(2) Queen Excluder???

I wouldn't bother. Eventually it would be nice to have one around, but even if you plan to use one eventually, you could wait. Richard Taylor advises not using one for the first few years anyway. I would concur.

>(2) Hive Top Feeder

It's a more expensive feeder than some, but you probably won't regret it.

>(2) Inner Cover
>(2) Telescoping Lid

Again I will agree with tecumseh. You can get these, or you can save some money and get a migratory cover.

>(1) Smoker

Get the big one, not the small one. The big ones are easier to keep lit.

>(1) Hive Tool

I like the Italian one from Brushy Mt. I have about a dozen of them and gave away all my other ones...

>(1) Jacket With Attached Veil

I'd get the English style hood.

>(1 Pair) Gloves

I'd get regular leather driving gloves and tuck them into the sleeves on the jacket.

>(1) Bee Brush

They are handy. I admit, I probably use them more in queen rearing than in typical beekeeping.

>(1) Frame Perch

I bought one and always meant to use it. Two years later I gave it away.

It seemed like a good idea, but was just one more piece of equipment to haul around.

[dcross]

I would:

Skip the hive stands, use cinder blocks.
Skip the bee brush, slatted racks, entrance reducer(simple to make, even duct tape works), queen excluder, and inner/tel. cover(go with migratory), and the frame perch.

Order two mediums without frames, one to sit on, and one to put frames into as you go through the hive(takes the place of the frame perch).

And definitely go to HAS:)

[dcross]

Almost forgot, get the biggest smoker they sell!