Can you tell it's winter? Yes, you probably can by looking outside. But another clue is the random posts by idle beeks with too much time on their hands. My first year of beekeeping was, I guess, a failure. Got two packages. Both failed. But I discovered a cool hive stand idea. I had this small outside table, about the width of a bottom board, with a glass top. It had 4 narrow legs. I removed the glass top, put a plastic cup under each leg, and used that as a hive stand. Ants seemed to have a hard time getting passed the moat that formed in the cups every time it rained. My other hive sitting on cinder blocks was an ant highway.
Problem is, my stand is ugly as hell, and I'd like to have at least 3 hive stands of the same design. Does anyone know of hive stands that have narrow legs?
And now back to my cave. Guess I can kill some time by scraping some propolis off of my hive bodies.
I think yoir last sentence was in jest, but in case it wasn't, why would you scrape propolis off the inside of a hive body? The bees worked hard to seal the wood so it was protected from all kinds of things -- and themselves from the pathogens that could be present in the wood. Beekeepers seem to hate propolis, but it's really great stuff (except when you have to pry the frames loose). Spend the time reading about it and other wonders of the hive instead of making work for the next occupants of the hive bodies. And good luck with the next bees you acquire. It's tough to lose bees, but it's part of the learning experience.
Before you even think about putting bees on a stand with narrow legs, stand on one corner of the stand after a week or two of rain. Remember, a double deep hive with a couple of supers can easily weigh over 300 lb., and possibly over 400. That size hive is not easy to set back upright with 60,000 angry bees trying to kill you.
Quote from: iddee on January 28, 2016, 05:20:25 PM
Before you even think about putting bees on a stand with narrow legs, stand on one corner of the stand after a week or two of rain. Remember, a double deep hive with a couple of supers can easily weigh over 300 lb., and possibly over 400. That size hive is not easy to set back upright with 60,000 angry bees trying to kill you.
Nothing like physics to ruin a really good fashion idea! Now I'm bummed. I feel the same way I did the day I invented square wheels.
I only scrape propolis off the ledge where the frames rest. Otherwise everything gets out of whack.
QuoteCan you tell it's winter? Yes, you probably can by looking outside.
Ummmm no I cant tell.....the hazards of living in the Florida Keys :-)
To me hive stands make sense if you just want to have packages and not a full grown hive. They may be useful for those that sell bees because you are splitting them off. But if you get lucky and get a package to grow into a honey producer you want to keep the hive low to the ground or you will be picking off supers with a step ladder. You might wish for it until you have to do it.
KPF, save that propolis and make tincture of propolis with it. Great stuff for healing. Some people even ingest it. I've never tried that, but I've used it for a topical healing agent and it beats the heck out of anything the skin doctor could come up with.
My dad has been ingesting propolis for the past 20+ years. He's healthy as a horse. :grin:
Sorry about your bees KPF. What are your plans for more bees?
Actually, I think you're onto something. This year, I moved my hives onto a dunnage rack, that's like those metro chrome racks, just one tier. It's made from freezer wire, so it repels rain and withstands moisture. It's green, so it blends in, It stands on adjustable legs - I have mine low enough to work, but high enough to deter my local skunks. Each one holds 600 pounds. You have to be careful because that weight can drive the legs right through the ground especially in the mud, but I have a paver block with a sand base under each leg. Because the shelf is wire, it allows good ventilation into the hive, and I can strap the hive down when needed. And they come in lots of widths and lengths - mine are on 24" x48". And only $35 bucks.
I?m not sure what you consider "skinny", but I use 1 1/ 4" steel pipe for my hive stands. I drive them substantially into the ground and affix them to the stand with 2 "U" bolts, each. If you are located where you get freezing of the ground, be aware that the resulting heaving could knock over your hives, if not properly secured. Also, keeping your hive somewhat elevated, to prevent snow from blocking off ventilation is a good idea. My bottom boards are at 16" to 20" off the ground. If or when i build more, i will probably raise them to a minimum of 2' . Last winter the snow was almost to the outer covers.