Newbie from USA

[Carlos Alonso]

Hello everyone!

I signed up to do some research before starting to research! Lol!

I want to build a hive that can have space for comb harvesting. Im a finish carpenter. What do I need to know? What kind of wood?

I would like to be guided to good online reading material to learn the basics.

At my place my housemate has 4 hives but are his hives and he seems to be kind of not doing very well. Is a newbie too.

I don't like doing things in a sloppy and goofy manner, failure is very frustrating to me. Specially with animals. So I want to do it as best as I can.

Thanks for your time and advice.

-c

 

[Luminos]

Welcome to the forum - I know absolutely nothing about making hives, but there are a lot of people on here who do

 

[oliver90owner]

Choose a hive format appropriate for your location, as well as the material for it's construction. North American beekeeping requires different considerations to UK beekeeping.

Welcome to the forum, but I doubt there will be much appropriate advice on the actual 'nuts and bolts' of the problem from UK beeks.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

but I doubt there will be much appropriate advice on the actual 'nuts and bolts' of the problem from UK beeks.

I don't know RAB - quite a few nuts will happen along eventually

 

[victor meldrew]

Hi, There is a guy on here called finman he is a bit of a legend He knows his stuff alright !! He'll probably be along shortly
VM

 

[Luminos]

You're in California, right, Carlos?

 

[Carlos Alonso]

Hi,
Yes I'm from California!

I don't know what to choose and I don't know how to choose....

Is there any 101 reading out there that is accurate? I don't wanna just wiki "bee".

 

[Mellifera397]

Have you had a look at beesource

http://www.beesource.com/

 

[Mellifera397]

They have a 'build it yourself' section

 

[Poly Hive]

First main pointer is your normal hive type is Langstorth.

This link may assist.
http://www.californiastatebeekeepers.com/

PH

 

[Anduril]

http://www.sfbee.org/ This looks like your nearest association, they may have plans to build your own hives.

 

[Carlos Alonso]

AWESOME!!

That is what I wanted!

 

[REDWOOD]

Welcome to the forum and please post regularly as it is very interesting to talk to other beekeepers in other countries, we have one from Finland, and a few from France

 

[Luminos]

Welcome to the forum and please post regularly as it is very interesting to talk to other beekeepers in other countries, we have one from Finland, and a few from France

Not forgetting Hawaii and Hong Kong

 

[Apilady]

Am I allowed to mention 'Bee Culture' the magazine of American beekeeping?
It has a good mix of practical and scientific info and would be ideal for someone wanting to keep bees in California.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Not forgetting Hawaii and Hong Kong

Yes, it's nice to keep in touch with the colonies

 

[Luminos]

Yes, it's nice to keep in touch with the colonies

Well that's rich, coming from a Welshman
(Tin hat on...)

 

[tonybloke]

Well that's rich, coming from a Welshman
(Tin hat on...)

and from one with a 'J' in their name, as well

 

[ratcatcher]

At my place my housemate has 4 hives but are his hives and he seems to be kind of not doing very well. Is a newbie too.


-c

what type of hives does he have
what are his reasons for not doing well?
is it his bees, his hives, himself?

This throw a spanner in the works but I'll suggest top bar hives, as a woodworker you'll make these with ease, probably to your own design and needs

http://youtu.be/li9obrnaRZE

 

[Carlos Alonso]

He just forgets about things.

Two hives are doing good, two are slow and lean population. One of the hives split and swarmed recently because of not checking for new queens.

Hives are the common white square looking ones.

There is always a bunch of bees on the floor around the hives, some look in their last leg and some have damaged wings. Is that normal?