New idea for hive setup

[bbqbee]

I have been playing with an idea for a couple of days and wandered if anyone has any thoughts about my plan.

Here goes... Starting on the ground, a thin rubber mat, then a hive body with 2 - 2 inch holes drilled in each side covered with screen wire on the inside of each hole, and a thin square 3"x3" piece of wood over each hole with a screw in one corner so I can close the wholes in winter (it will swivel open in summer). Then an sbb, then a slatted bottom board, then the hive bodys and suppers and finnaly a Honey Run vent. top and telescoping cover.

I think I can go year round with this set up as it will ventilate with the ability to control how much air enters the bottom. I will use the top entrance in the Honey Run top year round and close down the bottom entrance to the min. size in winter. My temp extremes are -20-30 in winter to upper 90s - 105 in summer.

What do you guys think???

Bill

[Robo]

Sounds like it might work OK.

Have you looked at the DE mod kit? 
http://www.beeworks.com/modkit.html

It is a simpler design that accomplishes the same.  I also believe it was the inspiration for the honey run top, but it gives you the option of flipping the inner cover in the summer and reducing burr comb space and still have a upper entrance for winter use.

[Michael Bush]

I'd close the bottom entrance altogether...

[bbqbee]

Mike... Thanks for your reply, I was hoping you would see this. The entrance at the top as you may know is only about 2" wide and narrow top to bottom. Should I enlarge this (of course) and close up the bottom entrance altogether ? Is there any sense in having a slatted bottom board if I go to a top entrance?

Bill

[Robo]

Just remember, if you go with a top entrance only,  inspections will be more difficult.  You will have field bees returning and buzzing around you looking for the entrance that is no longer there.     Then you have those incoming bees landing on top of the exposed super as you try to but supers back on.  I found it impossible to reinstall supers without crushing bees.  Unless you do really quick inspections,  the congestion of bees flying around can become quite intimidating and you feel like your standing in the middle of a swarm.  I found myself rushing more and hence killing even more bees.   With a bottom entrance,  your inspections don't interfere with the returning field bees unless you dismantle right down to the bottom board.

Just sit a watch how many bees are returning from the field in 10 minutes at your hive, and then imagine them flying around you while your inspecting, or piling on top of a super you are try to stack onto.

[bbqbee]

I like the DE Hive design alot But the shipping is tough to us out west. The Western Bee Supply Company is only 100 miles to the north of us and can get anything Dadant has.

I went ahead and switched out a hive into this setup yesterday and I like it. I agree with the idea of bees returning with no where to land but Michael does have valid issues also. I wander if Michael would share his thoughts on this with us.

One change I had to make was that the sbb was open for several inches undernieth the entrance so I nailed a 1/4 " piece of plywood under the entrance and let it stick out the front about 10" for a larger landing board. The bees were going in under the sbb and gathering in the empty H.B. under the sbb.

Bill

[Robo]

I like the DE Hive design alot But the shipping is tough to us out west.

I have the DE Hive Mod Kit Assembly Instruction on my website. There are some good pictures if your handy and want to build your own version.

[Michael Bush]

>I went ahead and switched out a hive into this setup yesterday and I like it. I agree with the idea of bees returning with no where to land but Michael does have valid issues also. I wander if Michael would share his thoughts on this with us.

Top, bottom, middle entrance... the returning bees always get confused by that tall what thing and the fact that their hive is smaller.  I don't see the difference.