Another newbee

[StevenHart]

Hello everyone,

Another newbee here in Birmingham. Im looking after a friends bees as he's not able to at the moment. If all goes well, I'll have some bees of my own next year, but for now am doing my best with my friends 2 national hives - so the 2 against my name aren't really mine.

Im reading lots of bee books and posts on this forum. There's lots of information out there but some of it is certainly confusing when you are just starting out - who said ask 2 beekeepers a question and you'll get 3 answers. lol.

Steven

 

[pargyle]

Hello everyone,

Another newbee here in Birmingham. Im looking after a friends bees as he's not able to at the moment. If all goes well, I'll have some bees of my own next year, but for now am doing my best with my friends 2 national hives - so the 2 against my name aren't really mine.

Im reading lots of bee books and posts on this forum. There's lots of information out there but some of it is certainly confusing when you are just starting out - who said ask 2 beekeepers a question and you'll get 3 answers. lol.

Steven

Welcome Steven ... it doesn't get any less complicated - the more you know the more confusing it becomes !

 

[IBeeHere]

Welcome to the site. The more you know, the more you realise you dont know.

 

[Dusty Rhodes]

Welcome Steven!

Enjoy your beekeeping.

IBeeHere is right:
the first year is great!
The second year is also great.... but more challenging.

I hope by the third year, you start to know enough to get by and share some wisdom.

But I'm not counting on it!

Dusty

 

[StevenHart]

Thanks for the positive comments everyone. Looks like I've got a big learning curve ahead of me.

Dusty,
Why can't you have enough crownboards?


Thanks,
Steven

 

[Dusty Rhodes]

Well, you need crownboards to:

be a base on top of the overturned roof when inspecting;
put on top of each super you take off when inspecting - to keep bees out of action;
top and tail spare supers with foundation/wet frames, in preparation for inspections, to keep bees out;
cover full supers you are taking off, to keep bees/wasps out;
protect varroa boards from the wind till you can get to them;
to put your tea on;
as a flat surface to write your notes on;
and, if need be, as a crown board.

I usually have half a dozen available when inspecting at this time of year.

I'm sure others will have even more creative suggestions.

Dusty

P.s. You also need feeder boards - for feeding, for putting under newly extracted supers, when you give them back to the bees to clear out etc

 

[Luminos]

Can never have enough dummy boards, either

 

[Hachi]

Whats a feeder board Dusty have you a picture or plans? I have never heard it mentioned in these 'ere parts tha' knows....

 

[Gilberdyke John]

Well, you need crownboards to:

be a base on top of the overturned roof when inspecting;
put on top of each super you take off when inspecting - to keep bees out of action;
top and tail spare supers with foundation/wet frames, in preparation for inspections, to keep bees out;
cover full supers you are taking off, to keep bees/wasps out;
protect varroa boards from the wind till you can get to them;
to put your tea on;
as a flat surface to write your notes on;
and, if need be, as a crown board.

I usually have half a dozen available when inspecting at this time of year.

I'm sure others will have even more creative suggestions.

Dusty

P.s. You also need feeder boards - for feeding, for putting under newly extracted supers, when you give them back to the bees to clear out etc

Somebody has to keep the plywood industry in business (and the saw makers, sharpeners and ancilliary trades)

 

[Dusty Rhodes]

Whats a feeder board Dusty have you a picture or plans? I have never heard it mentioned in these 'ere parts tha' knows....

Well, we know what a crown board is: a solid lid to go over the top super and below the roof.

There are also clearer boards and feeder boards - but many use these interchangeably and often as a poor substitute for a crown board.

Both have holes in them:
to put clearers on such as rhombus boards or porter bee escapes
to put feeders above such as English, contact or rapid feeders - or fondant.

They don't work well as crown boards as they let draughts through.

To my mind, it's better to have dedicated cover boards for each task.


Dusty

 

[StevenHart]

Well, you need crownboards to:
...
and, if need be, as a crown board.

I think i get the picture - I need more equipment.

Thanks,
Steven

 

[Dusty Rhodes]

I made my own. Can't be much easier.

Got B&Q to cut a large sheet of ply to size, then spent a pleasant afternoon tacking an edge of the right dimensions.

Think I did 10 from one large sheet of ply.

Put the radio on, glass of shandy (well it was hot that day) and I was in a little world of my own for a few hours.

'Er indoors enjoyed that ("Bless!").

Dusty

 

[pargyle]

Well, we know what a crown board is: a solid lid to go over the top super and below the roof.

There are also clearer boards and feeder boards - but many use these interchangeably and often as a poor substitute for a crown board.

Both have holes in them:
to put clearers on such as rhombus boards or porter bee escapes
to put feeders above such as English, contact or rapid feeders - or fondant.

They don't work well as crown boards as they let draughts through.

To my mind, it's better to have dedicated cover boards for each task.


Dusty

Or ... cut a circular hole in your solid crown board, keep the piece you have cut out and stick it to a bigger bit of ply and then use it as a lid to cover the hole when you don't need to use it as a feeder. The bees glue the 'lid' in anyway so it's draught proofed by them. There you are ... dual use - works for me. I still agree with Dusty though - never have enough and I've only got one hive !

 

[Dusty Rhodes]

I have more than one hive and simplicity becomes increasingly important.
Hence, I am working towards single-use equipment.

I use coloured (flat) drawing pins on bits of equipment that could be confused:
Gold for crown boards (what else?);
Blue for feeders;
Green for clearers;
For polycarbonate boards, I use an additional white;
Black for queen excluders......

The pins are on the right hand corner, so I can see if I've put anything back upside down.

Which means, when I finish an inspection, I can step back and know whether anything is amiss (save for the crown board under the roof, of course).


Dusty

 

[pargyle]

I have more than one hive and simplicity becomes increasingly important.
Hence, I am working towards single-use equipment.

I use coloured (flat) drawing pins on bits of equipment that could be confused:
Gold for crown boards (what else?);
Blue for feeders;
Green for clearers;
For polycarbonate boards, I use an additional white;
Black for queen excluders......

The pins are on the right hand corner, so I can see if I've put anything back upside down.

Which means, when I finish an inspection, I can step back and know whether anything is amiss (save for the crown board under the roof, of course).


Dusty

That's a good system ...

 

[Luminos]

I have more than one hive and simplicity becomes increasingly important.
Hence, I am working towards single-use equipment.

I use coloured (flat) drawing pins on bits of equipment that could be confused:
Gold for crown boards (what else?);
Blue for feeders;
Green for clearers;
For polycarbonate boards, I use an additional white;
Black for queen excluders......

The pins are on the right hand corner, so I can see if I've put anything back upside down.

Which means, when I finish an inspection, I can step back and know whether anything is amiss (save for the crown board under the roof, of course).


Dusty

I tried using coloured drawing pins but the coloured tops all fell off... French, you see