Taking shape

[asciibaron]

I picked up my hive components, smoker, jacket with hooded veil, hive tool, and bucket feeder today from Free State Bees in Waldorf, MD.  Dave is a super guy and his son kept my son busy while we talked shop.  As a new beekeeper I have read a great deal, listened to the advice of others in my local club, and came to the conclusion I can do this and it will be very rewarding.  My oldest son was happy to tag along to get the supplies, but after helping to assemble 2 hive bodies, he is very excited that I'm getting into beekeeping.

Here is a picture of the assembled hive in the yard.  I still need to paint the components before I leave it outdoors - I moved the hive into the shed for now.  The hive bodies were very easy to assemble - I used galvanized nails that Dave gave me and waterproof wood glue to secure the joints.  I was very careful to keep everything square and am very pleased with the results. 



To the left of the hive about 10 yards is a stream and pond. Behind the hive toward the right is my neighbor's in-ground pool about 12 yards away.  Right now the pool is covered and has some nasty water pooled on places on the cover.  Hopefully the bees will choose the stream and pond for their water source and not the neighbor's pool.

-Steve

[bassman1977]

Good job.  Sounds like you have a decent area to put the hive.

[Mici]

before you paint it....a word of advice, if i had such new equipment, i'd paint it with raw linseed oil. i personaly like the color of wood, if you do too.... And there is one other oil which is also the best natural stuff against water, i think it's "tung" oil.

[JP]

before you paint it....a word of advice, if i had such new equipment, i'd paint it with raw linseed oil. i personaly like the color of wood, if you do too.... And there is one other oil which is also the best natural stuff against water, i think it's "tung" oil.

Hey Mici, after you paint it with the raw linseed oil, is there any thing else you need to do to protect the hive from the elements? Sealing or anything? How many coats of the linseed oil do you apply? How long will this last before you have to recoat?

...JP

[Mici]

i did not have the privilege of using new equipment, i bought used so i had to paint it with paint.
There are at least two types of linseed oil available, raw and with added something for faster drying or boiled linseed oil, which also shortens the drying time.
now, i have absolutely no experience when it comes to protecting hives with linseed oil, but i can tell you we painted our windows and doors with regular paint, and after maybe 2 years, we had to do it again, then my father remembered of linseed oil, man....it lasts for at least five years, although windows aren't exposed to direct rain. and i think we applied two layers, but only because this wood was dried through, with new one, i'd say one coat should do.
Also, when using raw linseed it takes eternity for it to dry, after five years, there are still parts of the doors that are sticky, not wet but sticky.
Against water, they say Tung oil is the best, but it takes at least 6 layers to get some effect.

so now you see, it's not experience talking out of me :-P, just said what i'd do :)

[annette]

Are you going to keep it on that milk crate?? Is that sturdy enough. Just asking because I never thought about using something like that and it looks easy.

Annette

[asciibaron]

the milk crate is the larger sized one that holds 6 gallons vs. 4 gallons.  seems sturdy enough and there will be plenty of air circulation to keep mildew from forming on the bottom board.  i'm using a screened bottom board with a plastic insert to seal the the screen for wintering. 

-Steve

[deejaycee]

The crate itself probably is sturdy enough.. but what about the ground underneath it?

I'd hate to see the edges of the crate sink into the soil and become lopsided under the weight of the hive - leaning towers of bees is scary things.

I'd think about how to broaden the crate's footprint if it were me.

[Beesilly]

Can you just use boiled linseed oil to paint&protect the hives? I have a can of it somewhere. Or do you have to use raw linseed oil?

[Mici]

like i said, i don't really know, but if i could i'd do it, and i'm 98% sure it's an efficient protection. Boiled is better, it dries faster, like i wrote, we applied raw one to our windows--sticky after 5 years.

[Beesilly]

Ahhh, I see, i just wanted to confirm that. Thank you.

[utahbeekeeper]

So this Dave . . . . he just builds the supers for Free State Bees?  Had no idea wooden ware fabrication had gotten so specialized.  JGP

[indypartridge]

Hey Steve,

Now that you've got your smoker: practice!  Try different fuels, figure out what works best for you (lots of previous threads on smoker fuel!).  Get it lit then set it down and leave it for several minutes - you want to be able to keep it going when you're not puffing constantly. Once you get your bees, you want to be able to focus on them, and not worry about a smoker staying lit.

There will come a day when you'll check one hive and they'll be so gentle you'll forget about your smoker; then you'll open up the next hive and they'll come boiling out all hot and bothered and you don't want to try to convince them to wait while you re-light your smoker!

[asciibaron]

i've been in the hive twice now with a smoker and think i was a beek in a previous life - this is all coming together secnd nature like for me.  i ended up painting the hive bodies - we get some harsh sun and humidity here in the Mid-Atlantic and i had some white exterior paint on hand.  the wood is pine and will eventually dry out. 

as for the bodies from Free State - i assembled the hive bodies, the frames and top cover were pre-built.  didn't take long to assemble 2 hive bodies - some water proof wood glue, some whacks from a wallet and then the ton of nails and they were done.

-Steve