Happy Keeper Floor

[Alli]

Just acquired my first hive ,National.Was reading about the happy keeper floor and wondered if this would be any better than a mesh floor for a complete beginner.Also there are 11 frames in my brood and super box ,do I need to fit a dummy frame or is there supposed to be a gap in each box?.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Mesh floor is good enough IMHO.
I take it you have hoffman self spacing frames in the brood box? make a thin dummy board to fit one end so it fits snugly against the last frame.
are the frames in the shallow SN1 or Hoffman? not that it really matters, if you're going to go brood and a half - then a matching eleven to the brood is essential - if the shallow is for a honey super only (separated by a queen excluder I would use ten frames with castellated spacers to keep them equidistant

 

[Alli]

Yea the shallow is separated by a queen excluder ,will look into acquiring some castellated spacers for 10 frames
What do you mean make a thin dummy board for the brood box?

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

What do you mean make a thin dummy board for the brood box?

You said you had a space between the frames and the side of the box - you;re right, the extra space would cause problems. A dummy board is just a flat piece of plywood with a top bat the same dimensions as the frame. it doesn't need to be thich (all mine are 10mm) you push the frames flush against the hive wall one end then the dummy board gets inserted in the spave the other - pushed flush against the frames, this becomes 9as far as the bees are concerned the outside wall of the hive - they won't usually bother with the small space between the dummy board and the hive wall, this space is very handy to slide the dummy board away from the frames at the beginning of the inspection before lifting it out as it avoids 'rolling' the bees

 

[theeggman]

JBM.

How do you keep doing it? Answering newbies questions.

Your post in"Saffron Buns" was "interesting".

 

[Alli]

Thanks
I need paint also and after I calculate the cost of undercoat and then top coat I may be better of getting a tin of this
Asked this in another thread but decided to ask you now ave got your attention
Oh ,the hive is made from plain beech or pine wood ,I didn't want to use wood preserver.
http://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&rc...=FiQuEsrYJPdBlAzBJQGwcg&bvm=bv.88198703,d.ZWU

 

[theeggman]

I'll try and beat JBM to it.

'Cuprinol Garden Shades' water based cheaper than the big T and just as good a job if not better. Bee friendly, dries quickly but may need re-coating after a few years but with the price difference who cares?

 

[Alli]

I was hoping to paint the hive white so I may just go for the Thorns paint.I hope there is enough in 375mil for 1 hive

 

[BeeJayBee]

I was hoping to paint the hive white

You can get 2.5l Garden shades 'white daisy' for £22.99 from Homebase.
http://www.homebase.co.uk/en/homebaseuk/cuprinol-garden-shades---white-daisy---25l-179730

How much will 375ml of the other (expensive) stuff cost, including postage?

 

[theeggman]

You can get 2.5l Garden shades 'white daisy' for £22.50 from Homebase.
http://www.homebase.co.uk/en/homebaseuk/cuprinol-garden-shades---white-daisy---25l-179730

How much will 375ml of the other (expensive) stuff cost, including postage?

You're on my planet.

 

[Alli]

You can get 2.5l Garden shades 'white daisy' for £22.99 from Homebase.
http://www.homebase.co.uk/en/homebaseuk/cuprinol-garden-shades---white-daisy---25l-179730

How much will 375ml of the other (expensive) stuff cost, including postage?

Thanks ,I did not know this colour was available in Garden Shades

 

[BeeJayBee]

You're on my planet.

- you typed your reply as I was editing the price. I got it wrong first time. It should be £22.99. Even so, it's still a lot cheaper than the other place.

Thanks ,I did not know this colour was available in Garden Shades

It's available in lots of colours. The range is on their website.
http://www.cuprinol.co.uk/garden_colour/colour_selector/index.jsp

 

[bpmurray]

You can get 2.5l Garden shades 'white daisy' for £22.99 from Homebase.
http://www.homebase.co.uk/en/homebaseuk/cuprinol-garden-shades---white-daisy---25l-179730

How much will 375ml of the other (expensive) stuff cost, including postage?

What would you recommend for a poly hive?

 

[BeeJayBee]

What would you recommend for a poly hive?

In my apiary I now use gloss, because birds have chipped off the vinyl emulsion. I painted over the top, no problems with adhesion or flaking.

Some people use an exterior wall paint. I can't say which is best.

 

[bpmurray]

In my apiary I now use gloss, because birds have chipped off the vinyl emulsion. I painted over the top, no problems with adhesion or flaking.

Some people use an exterior wall paint. I can't say which is best.

Why would birds go after emulsion or, indeed, any paint?

And while on the subject of poly hives, I've read somewhere that the inside of a poly feeder should be painted - is that true?

 

[Swarm]

What would you recommend for a poly hive?

Any tins of emulsion you might have lying around. You're only protecting the poly from UV damage really so emulsion does an adequate job, it depends what you are after.
Mine are all painted with ordinary emulsion, leftover tins and whacked on in a camo fashion. No problems to date.

 

[jonnybeegood]

Try Sandtex exterior paint, it makes gripping poly hive parts much easier, especially when dealing with full supers or BB's.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

JBM.

How do you keep doing it? Answering newbies questions.

It's 'cos I'm such a nice person (when the drugs kick in )

 

[user 6228]

make sure the paint is thick enough to make it really dark inside on the thin bits of poly

 

[Tremyfro]

You can often get cheaper Garden Shades in the sales part of Homebase. Also I found that buying the small tubs of sample Weathershield exterior paint for walls...it worked out much cheaper. Especially if you want to paint your hives different colours. I have pale green, pale blue, cream, and now a splendid pale pink...which someone had mixed but didn't want. All mine are poly hives. And yes I painted the inside of the internal feeder in the Nuc but have not used it as I prefer the top feeders. It is easier to do if you pour the paint in and swirl it around and then tip out the extra. You don't have to open the hive to replenish the syrup.