first hive, upside-down top bar skep planned

[priono]

I built my first hive from old bed sluts and it costs me less than ten pounds. I did make a few mistakes in terms of be space but I am still using it:

 

[madasafish]

Yes ... that's true ... but it does seem that we see a lot of first time posts asking for advice and then they drop off very quickly .. and not because of anyone replying with anything other than constructive advice. There have been lots and lots over the years and I did wonder ... so much enthusiasm in the first posts then just disappear ? Is it reality kicking in and they decide it's not for them or do they go on to become beekeepers ?

Car forums are the same.. People ask for advice and never thank for a reply or update what happened . A few do.

But hey there are a lot of rude selfish people around.. so it's par for the course. After a few years you do tend to get a little grumpy....

 

[Firefly]

I hope no-one feels they wasted time posting. I enjoyed reading it and learned some things. Thanks to all

I'll try TBH one day but still lack confidence that I know enough to manage them - and I'm 4 years in

>>built my first hive from old bed sluts
Tried Googling that and learned some other things

 

[REDWOOD]

I built my first hive from old bed sluts and it costs me less than ten pounds. I did make a few mistakes in terms of be space but I am still using it:

Bed sluts ? Tut tut

Sent from my GT-S5570 using Tapatalk 2

 

[Erichalfbee]

You don't have to visit the forum's web site to see the replies to your post.

The first reply appears in your email notification but if you don't revisit the forum you don't get any subsequent ones

 

[priono]

Redwood. Android auto prediction is funny isn't it... You know what I meant..

 

[user 6228]

btw upside down the skep isnt going to retain heat unless the top is well insulated,

 

[zosolm]

wow, thanks for the myriad of responses! some extremely useful advice, something that seems common throughout all the replies is to seek more experience from established beekeepers first which I now intend to do before starting up my own. I wanted to avoid using framed hives as I have read it is better for pest control if they are allowed to build comb with a natural cell size but am not so sure now, I suppose once i've been in touch with the beekeeping association and shadowed a beekeeper for a while I'll be in a better situation to make a decision. Next steps: find beekeeper, learn!

 

[Oscarmonster]

It sounds like going foundationless in a framed hive will achieve what you want. There are a few threads on here about it.

 

[ugcheleuce]

I wanted to avoid using framed hives as I have read it is better for pest control if they are allowed to build comb with a natural cell size...

You're talking about the theory that varroa mites will struggle to feed off bees in smaller cells because there will be too little space between the growing bee and the cell wall. If you google for it, you'll find that most scientific studies disprove it while some anecdotale evidence favours it. The main current objection raised by small-cell beekeepers to scientific studies is that these studies study only varroa mite population increase (often over a short period of time) and do not evaluate the health of colonies overall and in the long run. The jury's out.

However, this has nothing to do with frames. You can buy normal-cell wax comb (careful: don't buy drone comb), or you can use starter strips and let the bees build their own comb inside the frames.

 

[pargyle]

It sounds like going foundationless in a framed hive will achieve what you want. There are a few threads on here about it.

Yes ... it's a good compromise in my opinion ...works for me.


http://www.beekeepingforum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=27494

Is one of the best threads for a discussion on going foundationless.