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62K views 92 replies 26 participants last post by  Fergus 
#1 · (Edited by Moderator)
My daughter, has decided to do a 4H directed study in beekeeping. We have a rather unique situation, and I gather that beekeeping is much like child-rearing... there is no one right way to do it. So, I want to offer our situation and get some input - before we buy lumber! We live in a research forest in Northern BC, and have visitors (researchers/students/recreational) out at our camp regularly. We also have lots of bears and other critters.

We have a small island 550 meters offshore, and I would like to put the hive(s) there. Wind is minimal, south-facing shore of island faces our cabin, lots of trees on the north side. This keeps the bees away from human interference, most animal interference, and allows my daughter to obsess over them through binoculars. It is a five-minute kayak ride out, easy to access and we can intervene quickly if need be. We are still planning an electric fence, as moose sometimes swim out to birth. I imagine that a bear could easily cross, if properly motivated. There is not enough forage on the island alone, so the bees will also have to cross.

We are planning on a Warre-ish sized hive for weight and portability issues (remember, 9 years old, kayak, and a small mom). I like the top entrance idea, as we do have otters resident on island, and other mesocarnivores visiting. Is that wierd? A top-entrance on a Warre-ish hive? Finally, we are thinking top bars over frames. This is for fun and education. Max expectations: enough honey for the bees and us, beeswax for crafts. We are going chem free - kids and chems don't mix. If they are not healthy, I'll let them die (bees, not kids).

Any direction is appreciated - just please keep our circumstances in mind. Specific questions - screened bottom board needed? Bottom drilled hole(s) for housekeeping/drones? is a simple entrance feeder good enough? how do you mix a top-entrance w/a quilt? concerns about island location?

I thought the sow/piglet moms had it tough...
 
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#33 · (Edited by Moderator)
This thread reads like the makings of a TV movie. Absolutely fascinating. Unfortunately, I have no experience to contribute to your adventure, but I am hanging on every post with interest. Come spring, I hope to start with my first two hives, and I thoroughly relate to the information overload regarding all the options available and deciding which best applies to my circumstances, less the bears and other "minutia" :scratch:

Some forty-odd years ago I travelled to Bowron Lake Provincial Park on a canoeing trip with my father, uncle, brothers and cousins. Absolutely stunning scenery. The drive out from Quesnel to the park left us wondering if we had missed a serious turn, though.
 
#34 · (Edited by Moderator)
Ok, I've gotta chime it too:

I have a top-bar in my backyard. The fences provide good wind shelter, I don't worry about the local wildlife - but if I had bears I would just use electric fences, and if the hive is against one wall of the house you need only fence three sides. Bees have no problem living right next to our houses (if they did they wouldn't live in the walls) and they make ok neighbors - and they smell nice!
 
#35 · (Edited by Moderator)
Yes, we are still waffling on our final design. Some of the other biologists that come out have been chiming in as well; it is becoming a large community collaboration. The recommendation to put it as close to the cabin as possible came up before, Cris. Daughter certainly likes the idea of keeping her bees close. I worry about the bears, and her trying to suit up everyday to pester the poor things. She has a two year old brother as well... bees, electric fencing, monkey see - monkey do:s

We keep returning to the Warre, because it seems the simplest, both in design and management. Daughter "gets" it, and we can always complicate things later on (more hives, more designs, more locations). Don't give up on us - we will definitely post photos once we figure out what we are doing! This thread, and stalking a few others, have really helped us. Honestly, I had no idea this subculture existed. It's like the first time I went to a Star Trek convention... like coming home :)
 
#36 · (Edited by Moderator)
The 2y/o will get zapped once by the fence and then he'll learn (just like I did - got nailed once). As for her... get a hive with an observation window (also what I did) so everyone can indulge their curiosity with overly annoying the bees. If you do have a hive that's unncesarily aggressive then re-queen and the problem will usually resolve itself.
 
#37 · (Edited by Moderator)
The view window is a great idea. And it's not really that hard to install. I used plexiglass. And with my husband's guidance, I was able to drill holes into it to screw it onto the hive box. Just make sure you start out with drill bits that make very small holes and use slightly bigger and bigger drill bits till you get the desired hole. And make the hole slightly bigger than the screw so the screw doesn't crack the plexiglass when you screw it in.

Some beeks recommend using glass though cause you could scratch the plexiglass when you have to scrape off the anchored combs on it when it's time to harvest. Unless of course you use frames or half-frames.
 
#41 · (Edited by Moderator)
So what I was trying to show is, that your daughter will never see/observe those intimate insights into a beehive with a frame hive.

In a Warré without frames the bees attach combs right to window, allowing full insights without to have to open the hive. You do not open the hive, just the window. With frames you see just the side bars of the frames.

I don't argue about 8/10 frame langs being a good and similiar beekeeping tool, no doubt about it. But from an observation point of view, there is nothing better than a fixed comb hive with windows. Bee TV.

Bernhard
 
#42 · (Edited by Moderator)
Bernhard, apparently a picture is worth a thousand words. Daughter was chanting, "Win.Dow.Win.Dow", as we scrolled through. Here we are:

Warre. Windows. Top bars and half-frames, adjusted to suit the preferences of our bees. Depth will be short by 9/32", out of sheer laziness and convenience. Pine, due to weight. If we are feeling very ambitious, and our bee supplier can shake off a second package, we will build a second from Douglas fir. Still don't know if they will end up on the island, the old mill stand, or tucked up against the cabin. Still don't know about top vs bottom entrance.

We almost went with the 8 frame medium Langs. They DO make the most sense, all around, for the honey-focused keeper. Truthfully, this kiddo is more bee-focused than honey-focused. Although, honey sticks would be great :)

Construction starts this Sunday. When you see photos of Daughter in her purple bee suit, I know that white makes it easier to see the bees. Sometimes, you just gotta support a girl's desire to follow her bliss. Even if you know she's gonna get stung at some point.
 
#43 · (Edited by Moderator)
No need to get stung as calmness and peacefulness can be breed pretty easy. Do get calm bees from a breeder who cares about it.

Put the hive near the house, since it allows quick glances and observations. Actually I do have two observation hives in my attic.












It is priceless to live with the bees close by. I actually have them above my sleeping room and can hear them at night. They do sort of humm and sing different songs throughout the days and season. In summer I meet the queen at 11 pm when she appears at the window every day at the same time. Bees do have a inner clock and live according to it.

So get the bees as close as the bears allow. You mightuse an electric fence or such, don't have bears over here so can't really help with that.

Use a small entrance at the bottom and another one close to the top. Bees do not care much, except in winter and spring when moisture has to get out of the hive. Just drill a hole into the boxes at the bottom and top. Or use an eke with a small entrance.

If you manipulate the hive by continued supering at Springtime, you get a lot of honey. If you have strong flows throughout the year,you don't need a queen excluder, but I use one because we have a short and strong flow right at the beginning of the season and that is it. Nothing coming in after the first flow. (Have to move hives.)
 
#44 · (Edited by Moderator)
Some impressions about harvesting honey in a Warré hive.


At 11am most of the bees are goneby use of a beeescape board. Except some of the bees.




Always wear protection when working with bees. Here my work boots. :lol:


Prepared the kitchen by putting all stuff out, that doesn't belong to honey harvest. Cleaned and installed the honey press.


Check the relative humidity, so the honey doesn't suck in the air's water content.


Temperature.
 
#45 · (Edited by Moderator)
With a long bread knife loose the sides of the comb.


Best is a bowl that is 300mm x 300mm in square, put two bars on top and on that the hive box. After loosing the sides flip over the box, and from above cut diagonally under the topbar. From both sides. The comb comes off and drops into the bowl.

Here I simply made a cut in the center of the comb and let the half of the comb drop in a round bowl.


Dice the comb with the knife.


Into the press.


It would be better too use a pressing bag, so you can remove the wax rests in one go.


Looks tasty....


I got to taste it. :wink:




Press with care. Slow. Pull until you feel a resistance. Wait. Pull again. This way it works pretty good. Takes 10 minutes.
 
#46 · (Edited by Moderator)
If you don't use a pressing bag, you got to scratch the wax rests out of the pressing cage.


The residues of the pressing I put into a pan. I slowly heat that pan with wx and honey, making it both liquid. Then I let it cool down slowly so wax and honey seperates. The honey I use for mead making. Wax goes into candles.


After waiting some time - so the wax floats up - I start filling the jars.


The honey folds into the glass jar..


After some time you are in a state of meditation. :lol:


Bernhard
 
#52 · (Edited by Moderator)
...The residues of the pressing I put into a pan. I slowly heat that pan with wx and honey, making it both liquid. Then I let it cool down slowly so wax and honey seperates. The honey I use for mead making. Wax goes into candles....
Hi Bernhard, very nice show! Thanks. I do not have such nice press, so I crush-and-strain. I have a comment to your technique - instead heating honey-wax leftovers, I just mix it with the water, let it sit for 2-3 days in open pan, mix it periodically. Than I just filter the wax and debris, moved liquid into the bottle, place air-lock and it is beginning of the mead. In this approach, some elements are extracted from the wax, thus, mead have strong "beehive" taste - some people do not like it.
 
#48 · (Edited by Moderator)
Wow, thanks Bernhard! There appears to be a shallower box, below your two upper observation boxes - what is the purpose of this? Is this where your excluder is located? And, no quilt? Due to higher temperature in attic? Do you know the approximate weight of a full Warre box?

We are expecting Seeley's book in any day (thank you for the suggestion, Scott) and are using David Heaf's instructions on construction. I've been rifling through other threads for details on hardware/carpentry. We have some very old windows stored away, they will be donating panes of glass. Many people have commented on the reduced visibility of plexi over time, as it gets scratched.

Top vs. bottom: it looks like (from the doc you linked to, Bernhard) they prefer high hives, with bottom entrances. This makes an attic hive perfect! However, we don't have an attic. Still lots to figure out regarding location and maintenance, but we are excited to get started!
 
#50 · (Edited by Moderator)
...shallower box, below your two upper observation boxes - what is the purpose of this? Is this where your excluder is located? And, no quilt?
This is my multiple function quilt used as a bee escape. :) To clear out the supers.

......approximate weight of a full Warre box?
18 kg/40 lbs. More or less. Use light wood. Like weymouth. I used it preferably.
 
#49 · (Edited by Moderator)
Hi Bernhard,

> It would be better too use a pressing bag, so you can remove the wax rests in one go.

Okay, I've made a note of that! Two more questions -- do you use any filter screens at all? After warming the wax/honey remains, could I feed this honey back to the bees? (Or has it been heated too much by this point?)

Schöne Grüße! (Best wishes)

Kevin
 
#51 · (Edited by Moderator)
...do you use any filter screens at all?
Depends. I like wax and all in my honey. Sometimes I fill the honey straight into the jar. All the wax floating on top of the honey, being a wax lid keeping all the volatile stuff inside the honey. I think this is pure gold. But most other beekeepers do not like this, mostly they do not know this, so they don't like it. Most friends love it and ask for it.

However I filter some of the honey sometimes for people who want this. You could use a standard double sieve sitting on top of the bucket below the press. I did and works. Let sit and scrape off the wax the day after. Pretty clean. One could filter it even more. But what's the point?

...After warming the wax/honey remains, could I feed this honey back to the bees?
No, wouldn't. Since it is heated it has HMF which can be poisonous to bees in certain amounts. I dilute it in water when making mead so the content of HMF is lowered per litre. If you want to feed i, simply feed back the wax and honey. No need to seperate from wax beforehand. Bees clean up the honey you can take away the wax then.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hydroxymethylfurfural
 
#53 · (Edited by Moderator)
We are going chem free - kids and chems don't mix.
Chem free is what every new beekeeper wants to do. But if it is your daughter you are concerned about, most the available chems used in hives are not a risk to her.

Going chem free is not just simply, not using them, although for a few, that works. Your daughter would likely be more upset to find all her bees in a big dead heap. The reasons for medicating bees are the same as for medicating any other livestock or even ourselves, sometimes it's necessary.

Your call though, just saying this incase you like many people starting, think you just don't use chems, and all will be fine.

And my own position on the matter? Most of my bees get chemically treated as needed for varroa control, but I have some hives that are not treated regardless, even though they die.
 
#56 · (Edited by Moderator)
Hi Barry,

I think you misunderstood -- it was the original poster (valerieranne) who brought up the two:
Originally Posted by valerieanne:
We are going chem free - kids and chems don't mix.
It was my hope rather that in this case she does just the opposite of what you seem to suggest I implied -- that she not treat the two the same, i.e. "insects ≠ children".

Best wishes from finally sunny Berlin

-K
 
#60 · (Edited by Moderator)
Well they are both living things. However your point is correct, anthropomorphism can be taken to extreme.

As a humorous but true example, I can remember on another board, a guy arguing that because Polynesian people (in my country), have a higher rate of diabetes, and they also eat more refined sugar than whites, therefore you should not feed refined sugar to bees. To him it was case proven, and he just could not see why nobody else was buying it LOL! :)
 
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