Bee Houses

[Brian Bush]

I am looking forward to retirement ina short while. (Please don't tell the wife!!)
A friend in the village has several acres of land and a large appetite for honey. He has suggested that I might like to expand my operation and use his property as an Apiary site. Following some light hearted banter, (where am I going to hide from the wife during wet winter days etc), his wife suggested a Bee House. She had seen them in Europe. I have done some research on the web. I have the necessary skills to convert a bog stsndard garden shed into a bee house. Has anyone any knowledge and experience of bee houses, good or bad, that they are willing to pass on.

 

[subbuteo]

An object of desire:

http://www.swienty.com/?pid=1&id=100009

Some more to ogle:

http://www.honeyshop.co.uk/Bee.html

Good luck

 

[Poly Hive]

http://www.honeyshop.co.uk/Bee.html

These are the advantages but oddly the down side is not mentioned.

These are lack of mobility. (obviously)

Confined space.

Trapped bees. These will fly to the window and then move up. It seriously pays to have the door open and also windows that open to let the bees out, otherwise inside the shed becomes very uncomfortable and the hives get very upset.

Some manipulations are very restricted, and here I am thinking of making up nucs and starter boxes for Queen rearing.

Good luck with it.

PH

 

[subbuteo]

I read/heard that it was a good idea to have all windows with a bee space at the top, the bees then work their way up the glass and fly out. Would have to be combined with a sizable over hand on the window to keep the weather out...

 

[hedgerow pete]

as the user of birminghams only bee shed ( i think) i have been using it for two years now and have used others over the years. dont worry about the window bit every one who has never used one always go off on that one, in mine i have a window and a door and allways end up haveing both open when working due to them being the light sorce, its the manipulations that you will struggle with, swarm control ect, you only have one enterance point and cant put a second one if you want to split the brood bow with out drilling a new hole, i will always use a bee shed inn brum purley for security reason ( see other threads) bee keeping is hip and trendy which means people will steal to feed the market supply, the other main reason i prefere a bee shed or engine as some over educated muppet describes them as , is whilst everyone else on this web forum has to wait to do an inspection or has to rush one because it is about to rain and there is six more left to do, i have the fredom to inspect at any time evan at night or evan in winter as long as the shed is warm i was inspecting my hives in january and march,
the other thing people of little experiance go on about is the type of bee to use some have less tendences to do this or that, well i just have bee's dont know what type and dont care, they collect honey are a little on the temperment side ( which i preffer more protective and productive) thats personal and would never tell anyone to get that type of bee ever. and the other up sides glass covers are great for kids to look through but are covered up after wards. some where to keep all my equipment , i am not allowed it at home due to a rape fill super warmed up on the kitchen table once, i still say she turned the thermastat up on purpose, and lastly

i am a bloke and its a bloke shed thing

 

[Brian Bush]

Thank You

Wow what a good response. I did not expect anything so quickly.

I have a shed built by a local firm that has a door in each end. I thought a similar layout might be appropriate with hives down each side and align the house north to south. Please keep the advice and suggestions coming.

Yes it is a man thing. I have a very large garage/workshop, a block built shed in the garden, my wife calls it a bungalow, and a shed on the allotment. You can never have too much room!!!

 

[planbee]

Try this for sheds!

Try this one, http://www.readersheds.co.uk/

It's what the Internet was created for, plus "Pylon of the week", of course, and the amazing collections of breakfast cereal boxes, and the photo's of Albanian? bus shelters...and....and......

Sameagle

 

[BKF Admin]

Dont forget the Biscuit site you philistine: A nice cup of tea

 

[planbee]

Whoops!

Whoops!
Sorry!