The bee keeping course I've signed myself up for starts in just a few weeks and I'm really looking forward to it. In the meantime my friend, who did the course last year, has bought herself a second hand hive and is getting ready for this years bee keeping.
The set she bought was lacking one thing though - a stand.
She mentioned it to me and asked if I'd be keen to make one for her. I decided I could fit it in and told her to drop the hive around mine so I could make it the right size. She wanted about 300mm (1ft) off the ground with a flight board.
I looked online and was pretty uninspired with what I saw so just made it up as I went along. I wanted the flight board to be attached to the main frame, which was fairly easy to do. I made it all with halving joints so there was lots of strength in the 2x2 (50x50) frame, then lapped the legs onto the frame as well.
A fairly simple build but I filmed it and knowing me I'll make a full national hive up in series at some point in the future. Or one sort of hive anyway. I have made one in the past - a Warre hive - which I really like the ethos of, and I'm keen to make some more when I get going with it all.
For now though this was a nice way to dip my toe into beekeeping, to handle an empty hive and start to learn a bit more about them.
Let me know what you think of the video above.
Have you made a bee hive or any bee keeping equipment?
Looks good Kev! I especially like the larger landing board - most have a very narrow one.
ReplyDeleteI had not realized you were taking a beekeeping course. That is wonderful! We had bees for a few years and I loved it. It makes me sad I have not been able to have them since then, but it is on my very short list when I get a place that I can.
I've been on about it for years, but this time I decided I needed to book myself on something and make the time to make it happen!
DeleteWhat types of hive did you have?
Kev, we had a typical Langstroth hive: two deeps for the brood, usual not more than two shallow deeps for the honey. We kept them for four or five years. We never had truly "great" honey yields, but enough that it made it fun.
DeleteI truly enjoy watching bees enter and leave the hive. I could watch them for hours.
Another string to your bow. You could make bee hives and sell them?
ReplyDeleteIt's something I've long thought of. Would go well with my other products.
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