[NDnewbeek]

These are about 3-4 weeks from being harvested:

 

[the.hines]

Do you make your own supers? I am trying to make some that are not dovetailed. Where did you get your plans?

 

[NasalSponge]

Very nice looking.

 

[NDnewbeek]

Do you make your own supers? I am trying to make some that are not dovetailed. Where did you get your plans?

I do make my own woodenware, the rabbeted boxes are mine. The dovetail box was just a fun project with another woodworker here in town. The box jointed boxes were purchased before I started building my own. No plans - just measured my existing boxes and built mine according to the same measurements. All you need is a table saw and a dado blade for it. My 5 year old daughter does the painting.

The supers all come from local commercial beekeepers. We have quite a few commercial guys around here and they generally toss boxes in a condition that hobbyists would find acceptable. I pick through their burn pile and pull the best ones, scrape and repaint them and put them into service.

The green box is BeeOPac. The yellow stripes indicate Ross Rounds.

 

[Mike S]

Good job on your hives, I like your daughters painting, its great to involve your family!! Do you like your all weather inner covers with top entrances? I recently installed on all my hives 17 total, they do seem to help cool the hive good, also on new colonies just add a med empty super above makes feeding easy too. Good looking hives :thumbsup:

 

[NDnewbeek]

Do you like your all weather inner covers with top entrances?

I do. In fact, I think that they are a BIG reason for my increased overwintering success as well. I put 2" of styrofoam insulation in the top when I winterize the hives and that, combined with the upper entrance has solved my moisture problems.

They also make feeding much easier. I have switched now from the plastic hive top feeders to either buckets with an empty super over them or gallon zip locs that just lay in the cover. The covers put the feed close to and over the center of the bees. This lets the bees feed even when it gets colder. I only have to worry about the syrup dripping on them, and that hasn't been a problem yet.

 

[Mike S]

Check out these I built for feeding in the top of the hive, build completely out of scrap and they work great no drowning. Their also vented to allow the hive to keep ventilating while feeding, and the bees cant get out while your filling them either. I build all my own stuff too, thats half the fun. I havent got to try my all weather inner covers in winter yet, they make a difference in summer too, no bearding since I installed them.

http://s774.photobucket.com/albums/yy25/twocreekfarm/Bee hive construction/Top Hive Feeders/

 

[wildflowerlanehoney]

i noticed you ventilated top piece. i made some that look really similar. do you keep those on in the winter as well? i was not sure if i should.