Beehive building decisions

[omnimirage]

The only person who I can buy supers off in my region charges a high price of $37 for a single 10 frame deep super; 8 frames, and smaller size are barely any cheaper. Because of this, I decided to build my own supers, which I done so and cost me about $10, + about an hour or so of labour.

I'm going to need to do so again, and I need to decide on a few things: do I have seperate, detachable bases, or do I nail the base to fixed bottom supers? Should I use solely linseed oil to preserve the inner parts of the super, or should I mix it with some turpentine, or perhaps use another method all together? And the biggest question: should I transition to 8 frame hives?

I was going to use 8 frame hives when I started out, but decided at the last minute to use 10 frame instead due to learning that 10 frame is the standard size in my state, which makes it easier to mingle with other beekeepers and what not. However, I've learned since of a case of a commerical beekeeper wanting to officially hire other beekeepers, and he required to replace all of his 10 frame hives with 8 frames in order to meet the goverment's health and safety regulations (10 frames are too heavy for such standards). Sometimes, the deep 10 frame supers are so heavy that I can't lift them without taking out frames first. I'm also starting to develop minor back pains when in my early twenties, and I wonder if the decision now to use 10 or 8 frame hives will impact such when I'm a much older man.

During hectic spring season, I've been going on a popular local advertising site(gumtree) to look for bee equipment to purchase, and to my surprise, there isn't anyone good selling such stuff. One guy charges quite a high price, and his ad is so unintelligible that it's difficult to determine what he's actually selling. Another person charges extremely extortion prices: $7 for a single frame! What the hell!? Then nucleus's made out of recycled realistate bill board for the same price as a wooden variant. Right now, there's a man who made a ad saying that he's looking to buy supers and other equipment, and from what I've gathered, there's a lot of beekeepers in my area. I've been wondering if, when I build my own hives, if I should build extra and sell them to people on there. I could make them for $10, sell them for $33 for about an hour's work; that's a decent wage! There's clearly the market for such, and no one else is providing a reasonably cheap service of such. Someone who I told this idea to thinks it's a bad idea, because I'll be setting up the competition for my honey business; he said it'd be profitiable short-term, but not long-term; I'm not sure what to think of such.

Lots to think about! Let me know your thoughts

 

[pargyle]

I think you'd be better off starting your beekeeping at a walk rather than on the run .. by all means make your own equipment but you need to know a bit about the bees as well and it takes a year or two to even get the basics ...

At the rates you can make equipment (as long as it's fit for purpose and correctly sized) if you are looking to make money you might be better advised just to go into the hive making business and do that rather than looking to make money out of honey which is a whole lot more time consuming, more difficult and less reliable !

 

[Finman]

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36 Australian dollars is 17 British pounds.

To avoid heavy weigh you may use medium size boxes as supers. Or you may use mere mediums as brood boxes. 3 mediums is equal to 2 langstroths.

.

 

[ugcheleuce]

I decided to build my own supers, which I done so and cost me about $10, + about an hour or so of labour.

For how many years have you been using your own supers? Are you sure they'll last ten years or longer? Building cheap is easy, but cheap often means they don't last very long, even if they look sturdy in the beginning.

Do I have seperate, detachable bases, or do I nail the base to fixed bottom supers?

I have used attached bases for a number of my hives (I have fewer than 10), and I have found that eventually you'd want to switch around supers, and then you'd have to pry off those bottoms with a nail peeler, while bees are flying around you in anger. On the other hand, bases are very difficult to make, and they tend to be expensive if they're well-made.

I was going to use 8 frame hives when I started out, but decided at the last minute to use 10 frame instead due to learning that 10 frame is the standard size in my state, which makes it easier to mingle with other beekeepers and what not.

You're unlikely to swap hive bodies with fellow beekeepers, I think.

Having a standard size is useful if the beekeeping stores in your area sell hive parts in that size (e.g. bottoms, top boards, roofs, queen excluders, etc).

Sometimes, the deep 10 frame supers are so heavy that I can't lift them without taking out frames first. I'm also starting to develop minor back pains when in my early twenties, and I wonder if the decision now to use 10 or 8 frame hives will impact such when I'm a much older man.

If you can't lift a 10-frame hive in your twenties, you may not be able to lift an 8-frame in your fourties. If you're going to lift full deep hives, you should use help anyway.

I could make them for $10, sell them for $33 for about an hour's work; that's a decent wage! There's clearly the market for such...

Will your hive bodies last ten years or more?

There may not actually be a market -- perhaps there are so few people selling them because there aren't enough people to buy them. And if you consider $37 expensive, then perhaps $33 is also too expensive.

 

[Anduril]

What is the difference in price between a major beekeeping supplier and gumtree. Do the major suppliers have sales or second quality equipment? Using linseed oil on the inside of the hive may make the bees abscond as well as tainting the honey. For hygiene as well as ease of us keep the floor separate.

 

[omnimirage]

I've been using my own supers for about a year now. I've recently started to notice that they're not too sturdy to the sides; a couple are starting to pull off. I guess I need more nails/glue.

Well, there doesn't seem to be anyone on gumtree that's supplying such. The major suppliers don't have such, as far as I'm aware. I didn't realise the linseed oil could do such. How do other people preserve the inner part of the hive?

 

[Hivemaker.]

How do other people preserve the inner part of the hive?

Use western red cedar for making your hives, it needs no preservatives, but usually the bees will take care of the inside of the boxes themselves with propolis.

If using pine another alternative to painting would be to treat them by dipping in hot wax.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oWHiHv3C4Vk

 

[pargyle]

I've been using my own supers for about a year now. I've recently started to notice that they're not too sturdy to the sides; a couple are starting to pull off. I guess I need more nails/glue.

Well, there doesn't seem to be anyone on gumtree that's supplying such. The major suppliers don't have such, as far as I'm aware. I didn't realise the linseed oil could do such. How do other people preserve the inner part of the hive?

I paint the inside of all my hives (timber and poly) with my home made propolis varnish (propolis/frame scrapings dissolved in methylated spirits). Leaves a lovely bee aroma in a new hive. I usually put two or three coats on - it dries in seconds. Just think it gives the bees less work to do themselves.

But .. HM is quite right .. they will cover every square inch of the hive interior with a layer of propolis when left to their own devices .. so don't worry too much about trying to preserve the interior - worry about the exterior, the corner joints and the edges, that's where the problems will start if you are using cheap timber rather than WRC.

 

[oliver90owner]

I guess I need more nails/glue.

I would guess not.

The correct type of glue, good fitting joints and suitable screws fitted 'on the tosh' is likely a better solution. Some indication as to the type of joints you ars usingvwould be good. Butted and lap joints are not generally the best way to go.

 

[Campion]

Poor quality wood (i.e. under-seasoned) can also cause boxes too pull themselves apart.
No need to paint/preserve inner surface of boxes.

I can't link yet but,

youtube.com/watch?v=f5UUJT8ooVE[/url]

 

[KTemby]

I basically followed these instructions to build 6+ deep langstroths. Good fun. Don't bother making frames though, too much work to make decent jigs.

agf.gov.bc.ca/apiculture/construction.pdf

 

[madasafish]

Poor quality wood (i.e. under-seasoned) can also cause boxes too pull themselves apart.
No need to paint/preserve inner surface of boxes.

I can't link yet but,

youtube.com/watch?v=f5UUJT8ooVE[/url]

Poor quality wood can be easily overcome:

soak /paint/spray with wood waterproofing compound. Leave and then initial coats with thinned yacht varnish to fill the grain structure before painting with unthinned varnish...

Often easier to start with decent wood though!