Hives in the Shed.

[AramF]

This is not a thread about removing bees from the shed. This is a thread about keeping bees in the shed. The plan is to place 2 hives in the shed and to remove the triangular siding section just under the roof, so that the bees leave vertically up and exit the shed just under the roof. The base of the triangle is 6 feet long by 2 feet high.

There will not be direct sunlight ever on the hive, but plenty of ventilation throughout because the shed has grated floors 2 feet off the ground with one side of the basement completely open to the elements and the other three solid brick. So theoretically the bees can drop from the landing board down 2 feet and exit via that route too, but I'd rather have the vertical take-off.

Two reasons for doing this, little kids and potential neighbor problem aversion, but mainly curious kids (my own). An added benefit would be wind/predator protection and grated floors, so dead bees and mites will drop down 2 feet keeping the hive surroundings fairly clean.

Has anyone ever done this? I really think it is doable since bees are often found in the atticks where there is no sunlight either, but who knows. I realize it is not ideal, but what I want to know is what are some risks that I am not considering.

Thank you and I look forward to all of your replies, especially on if and how to make it work.

[Drone On]

Greetings,
I once housed bees upstairs in my barn. The hives thrived even without direct sunlight. I discontinued the experiment, hauling up and down equipment and full supers on a wall mounted ladder was a bit much. If I would have had a staircase, my bees would still be up there.

[gjd]

Hello, this idea interests me because of occasional bears in my area; I'm not too excited about electric fences. Mr. Bush posted a link to this company in the TBH forum, and I noticed bee houses. Note there is an opening for the hive entrances, and the idea certainly was developed before all the problems requiring IPM. I go to Bavaria often, and think I've actually seen something like this. I'm going to see if I can investigate it next time.
http://www.swienty.com/shop/vare.asp...&vareid=100009
Greg

[Mtn. Bee]

I winter most of bees under a open lean-to type roof that is attached to a barn and am also wintering 18 nucs in my cellar right now.
Seems like the best way I have found to winter my bees in the Pacific Northwest type of winter ( you will get all types of precip. and temps known to man) is to keep them out of the elements.
But like you I am also planning on building a platform in my shed to place some hives on and attaching a piece of PVC or tube or square down spout through the wall for there entrance, these hives I plan on leaving in place all the time.
I think yours will do just fine!
Best of Luck! Mtn. Bee

[beefarmer]

this thread really interests me, as i have been having trouble overwintering bees, and have been contemplating taking an old little red wooden barm we no longer use, i think it's 8x10 and setting up stands inside to store beehives on and making an exit for each hive out the side, and maybe even keeping a small heater on a thermostat finding a min. temp. like maybe 35% or 40% or ? and see if they would do well in this environment. would this work? i did put a hive in trouble in a greenhouse e few years ago, and it didn't work. the bees did work but seemed it threw off there seasonal timing and thinking it was summer came out but couldn't yet go outside the greenhouse.

[Mtn. Bee]

Hi beefarmer,
I would stay away from the heater and stick with the outside temp, unless you are over wintering weak colonies or nucs.
The heater will keep the bees too active and they will eat up there winter food supply that much faster, unless you keep the thermostat set lower.
There was just a thread somewhere talking about wintering inside a building and what temp they preferred.
See below link!
http://www.stepplerfarms.com/stepple...intershed.html

I over winter most of my bees in the lean-to but I prop open the hive tops about 1- 1 1/2 inches (can actually look at the frames under the hive top from the side of the hive and watch the bees eating on the patties).
I eventually want to have all my hives on open screened pallets and screened inner covers with the tops prop open as stated for the winter.
If you keep your bees in the shed year round, I would place a few colonies outside the shed in the summer and compare the honey crop harvested from beehives inside vs. the ones outside and see if the shed hinders the amount of honey crop. (this is what I am planning on doing this summer)
Thanks for sharing the green house story as that was my next trial and error, you saved me the trouble!
Best of Luck!