My eco solution to rat problems

[Old Speckled Hen]

Monday was a bright sunny warm ( well....... 10˚) day and I sat for half an hour watching the bees throw out dead, walk about on the front of the box, fly short orientation flights, collect water from the moss near the hives and fly away into the distance..........and bring in Winter Aconite pollen. It was so nice to watch them.

I sat and thought about making stuff up. More supers and BBs, painting the polyhive-to-be ( I have at least five colours to choose from.....decisions decisions ),frames to make. I also took stock and was alarmed to count how much I had forgotten to order...... 2 QEs, 2 roofs, and I might treat myself to a poly langstroth to convert to 2 nucs.

 

What's everybody else planning?

[Olly]

Oh dear, I still have a substantial number of frames to make up - super frames, in the hope that I'll get more than one super of honey this year, and brood frames for the spare hive that I bought last year to do an AS, but didn't need in the end.

 

I need to organise a second hive stand, in the hope that I will be doing an AS this year and establishing a second colony. And I had plans to spend the winter reading my bee books and learning more about them .... well, there's still time!

 

No plans to buy any more kit though - not at the moment, anyway.

[Guest]

OSH,

 

Are you running Langstroths? Or have you bought a poly National? Modern beekeeping do a line in poly nucs. I now have nine of them (only 2 in use, and 2 assembled, but awaiting paint). They will all be converted to National and some may well be split as two x 3 frame nucs.

 

I have just stashed nearly enough timber, into the garage, to make ten each of deep National roofs, 14 x 12 conversion ekes and supers. Already put together 200 frames - most still need the side bars nailing, but that will not be too arduous - only around 800 nails. The foundation can sit in the box until needed (only another 600 nails needed for that).

 

I shall not need all this kit this year (he says, hopefully), but some will certainly be pressed into service. I am currently assembling more of the stands 'I cut for' last summer. Some of it may go to LBKA members at cost.

 

So plenty to do. Just need some good weather as I need to do the planing outside.

 

Regards, RAB

[Old Speckled Hen]

RAB,

 

I have 3 BS nationals but will be buying one of MB's 14 x 12 Nationals as soon as they are available. I have a 14 x 12 cedar BB to make up and the fate of the third hive is undecided. It depends on survival and how they build up. One went into winter smaller than the other two. I like the look of the jumbo Langstroth nuc and the possibility of converting it to take National frames to have space for 2 nucs. I don't like the idea of frame converters so there must be a way of converting the box. I'm not very good with stuff like that (female mind/spatial awareness and all that) so I will tackle hubby once I have found a solution......it must be out there.

I really really like the idea of overwintering in one box.

I'm leaving kit make up to nearer spring.

Meanwhile we are moving house to somewhere with a bit more land.......... still have ours to sell and haven't done any looking save on Internet........ So my bee and chook keeping plans can be a little more ambitious

 

You sound as if you are going to be busy.

I wish my husband would do his sawing and planing outside. The detritus gets dragged inside from the workshop

[Guest]

OSH,

there must be a way of converting the box

 

This thread is worth a read. Lots of useful info on that forum.

 

http://www.beekeepingforum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=6428

 

I planed knauf board to about 46mm, cut and machined it as a loose-ish fit, securely covered all 'bee-side' surfaces with fablon, and refitted the frame runners (securing with looong screws into the styrofoam). I removed the 'divider lugs' from the end walls on the first two conversions. I may run a line of silicone around the joining edges, not yet sure whether that would be a good idea or not.

 

Both darren and Jez used wood frameworks. They have an option of including a fondant feeder with some modification.

 

I have another eight conversions to make and have not yet decided which way(s) to do it. I will wait until I have inspected the two (in use at present) I have done so far.

 

I am definitely going to divide a nuc (or two) to try as two x 3-framer's for starting colonies. That would be equivalent to 2 nucs for thirty quid (I bought some of mine at the winter sale price)!

 

You will definitely need to fit a dummy board, if using it as a 6-framer - or the bees will build a seventh!

 

I really really like the idea of overwintering in one box.

 

Remember, too, that the 6 frame jumbo National nuc has the same comb area as a National deep box! Couple that to the queen possibly laying up right to all 4 walls in the poly, so colonies are likely to be stronger in this box than a timber National deep brood.

 

Regards, RAB

[Old Speckled Hen]

 

This thread is worth a read. Lots of useful info on that forum.

 

http://www.beekeepingforum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=6428

 

 

Thanks for that, the first conversion looks ace!

I also looked at your knauf board.

I'm going to buy a Langstroth box and try that or something similar.

 

 

 

OSH,

 

Remember, too, that the 6 frame jumbo National nuc has the same comb area as a National deep box! Couple that to the queen possibly laying up right to all 4 walls in the poly, so colonies are likely to be stronger in this box than a timber National deep brood.

 

Regards, RAB

 

I had spotted that .... You could have a National hive equivalent for £40 or so