Hi everyone
I am contemplating building a long hive to take Langstroth deep frames (I think about 31). All the research I have come up with shows the hive being covered with lids just butted up next to each other. Wouldn't this let rain in?
I am thinking of using a top entrance as well as no other ventilation.
Am I missing something?
Cheers
Alpal
read the first sticky under topbarhives. maybe it will give you an idea.
>Wouldn't this let rain in?
The bees fill the cracks. Though I have to admit if it's been wet and it gets really dry sometimes the wood swells enough to push them apart and then shrinks enough to make a gap that takes them a few days to fill. But it has never seemed to hurt anything at all.
I'm hoping to build a long hive just as you describe (deep Langstroth frames, approx 30) - but I reckon the cracks would be too dangerous up in the Northern Rivers where it actually rains. I was thinking to just have another lid covering the whole thing, over the top of the individual lids. It could just be a sheet of something waterproof. You'd take that off, then take the individual lid/s off the part/s of the hive you want to open.
We have a double wide deep and built a telescoping cover to cover the whole thing. Here's a pic. [Or a link to a pic, because I can't really tell what it's going to do...]
(http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-yBzwGQ7iMws/UYJgv6k--0I/AAAAAAAAGjI/SwqqQCr0-Rc/s1600/tardis+2013+may.jpg)
I have a removable roof...angled and insulated...that covers the bars.
works for me
I am building a long hive, just started it today.
The box is built using 2x12 lumber.
I've got the boards cut and all the rabbet joints cut, frame rest and such.
I'll start putting the box together tomorrow then start building the top.
I'm thinking about building the top with a slant from front to back a 1 inch or so drop for water to run off.
I'll post some picture tomorrow.
I will be 3 ten frame hives side by side.
It is going to be HEAVY!
Any suggestions will be appreciated.
Here is a picture of what it is going to look like.
(http://i291.photobucket.com/albums/ll312/capt44/longhive_zpsc20135b8.jpg)
Here are some pictures of the one we built and populated recently. Note there is a rail running right across at the bottom at the front and back, so the legs don't sink into the ground. There is only the one entrance. We have a divider board in there. We put 16 frames in. It will take 30.
We tilted it slightly forwards. I hope this wont be an issue for the frames being possibly not 100% vertical.
(https://pbs.twimg.com/media/B8QPvUcCEAASJvM.jpg:large)
(https://pbs.twimg.com/media/B8QQDJuCYAEBKI6.jpg:large)
(https://pbs.twimg.com/media/B8QQGRLCcAAa0qP.jpg:large)
(https://pbs.twimg.com/media/B8QQMTaCMAAr8PB.jpg:large)
Edit: Note the lid is just a big bit of plywood with a little bit of scrap wood on each side to hold it in place.
I'll freely admit that I've got a bit of a 'thing' about roofs - I don't much care if the boxes have cracks between 'em, and completely open bottoms are ok if the site is sheltered - but for me, a beehive MUST have a decent weathertight roof.
So - here are a few pics which might give you some ideas. Whether the boxes are Warres, Nationals, Long Hives, Nucs etc - they're basically all the same format: telescoping covers with folded aluminium (ex-caravan) tacked on. Incidentally, all my hives are made from condemned scaffold boards, disused pallet wood, or a combination of both. I very rarely buy new wood - it's far too expensive over here in Britain.
These are my 'standard' Long Hives - 100% rain-proof - I make about 10 of these each year:
(http://i58.tinypic.com/1z4ztvq.jpg)
The roofs are fairly light - just 4 x pallet planks nailed and glued together, with cheap 'separator' plywood (freebies from the pallet yard) nailed on top, with aluminium tacked around them so ... (the following are nuc roofs, but using exactly the same technique):
(http://i57.tinypic.com/2w7k93q.jpg)
Finally, a shot of a few hives which are being kept close to the house for various reasons - as you can see the roofs are all basically the same, with the exception of the double Deep Long Hive in the foreground which has a hinged pitched roof. It started life as a KTBH but was quickly rebuilt to take 14" x 12" frames instead:
(http://i59.tinypic.com/358urgw.jpg)
'best
LJ
I've got several variations on this TBH. I even have some lids like this I've put on the 2 langs I have.
(http://i1247.photobucket.com/albums/gg634/nietssemaj/Bees/Wolf%20Creek%20Bees/IMAG0082.jpg) (http://s1247.photobucket.com/user/nietssemaj/media/Bees/Wolf%20Creek%20Bees/IMAG0082.jpg.html)