Rare photos from 30 year old hive

[Antipodes]

Hi all,

Here are some photos I took from a colony I opened today. It was the first time it had been opened in 30 years. The bottom board is down to the earth as you can see. Look at the comb and rotting/weathering of the box.

 

[enrico]

Yep. We have them too!

 

[For want of a better word]

Don't all top bar hives look like that???

 

[drex]

Mine don't , both have comb straight and true, with minimum intervention. I keep them out of interest and to acquire extra skills.

 

[Antipodes]

Mine don't , both have comb straight and true, with minimum intervention. I keep them out of interest and to acquire extra skills.

That is great about interest and extra skills. I have to admit I jumped at the opportunity to have a look inside a couple of hives that hadn't been opened for 30 years, and yet that had kept themselves alive all that time with absolutely no management. Pre varroa luxury I guess. I couldn't see that opportunity arising too often again! There were so many fascinating things to see in there.

 

[Charley]

Wow! Fantastic they have lived there all that time. Hope they do well for you in modern accommodation!

 

[Antipodes]

Thanks Charley, I might even given them some fresh foundation!

 

[birdsandbees]

Don't all top bar hives look like that???

Only crap designed ones where the spacing is wrong and they haven't been corrected when they were drawn.

Mine were pretty much straight and true with the odd one or two that had slight deviation.

 

[eltalia]

Don't all top bar hives look like that???

For those that do not know...?.. possibly.

Bill

 

[Fusion_power]

The comb has been destroyed and rebuilt within the last 5 years. While the box may have been untended for 30 years, the bees have likely died out a few times and rebuilt when a swarm moved in.

 

[eltalia]

The comb has been destroyed and rebuilt within the last 5 years. While the box may have been untended for 30 years, the bees have likely died out a few times and rebuilt when a swarm moved in.

Very likely, and many times over that 30years as the area is known for
hornets/meatants/mice, not forgetting AFB, declared endemic throughout Aussie.
Nature would have recycled old structure through moths and ants, in modern times
add SHB to that list of scavengers.

Bill

 

[Antipodes]

Hi Bill, no meat ants or small hive beetles in Tas cobber.

 

[eltalia]

Hi Bill, no meat ants or small hive beetles in Tas cobber.

Yeh... gidday maaate, forgive my not checking Profile before spilling me guts, eh.
I'd now suggest the Debbils around there never took to a sweet tooth.
/grinz/

Bill

 

[Antipodes]

A couple of coats of paint on the bottom board should bring it up ok....

 

[Antipodes]

Test

Been very busy bees over the last few decades! I put the longevity down (at least in part) to the fact that no honey was ever removed by the farmer from the moment the hives were set up. He regularly monitors them for live status however, being absolutely essential for his pollination requirements.