Started building today

[wightbees]

Today was my first attempt at my DIY hive.
I spent longer looking for the right thickness wood than building lol.
I bought a 4ft by 8ft sheet of WBP which will make enough side for about
4 maybe 5 MD boxes.
The roof is easy enough but the floor mesh i have to do a hunt for.
B&Q want about £30.00 for a bit that would do 2 floors
I think i will have to mod a Queen X as well.

All my BB and Supers are going to be 1 size .

Now in my planes which i got from the scot site , the floor can be used
with a 8 mm gap or turn it over and i think it's a 22mm gap.
Can i just make it to the 22mm gap and use entrance reducer to stop mice and what ever ?

 

[Tom Bick]

You can get stainless steel mesh from this chap http://www.jtwirecloth.com/

As for the floor 19mm gap is fine and fit a mouse guard during the winter

What is the size of the BB and Supers

 

[wightbees]

Not got the planes to hand but i think it's 6 inches and 5/8 s deep
infact they look like monsters compared to the Nat frames i have been given

 

[Black Comb]

Modified Dadant in ply?
Will weigh a ton when full of bees.
If the supers are the same size as B/B in ply, then heavy lifting will be required.

 

[DulwichGnome]

Home made floor

Hi wightbees, I made up some National floors with the mesh from Thornes, £3 a go. I used 20x70 timber 3x460mm, 1x420mm, ripped a 20mm strip off each and put together as per drawing. A couple of upside down rails and 3mm ply will make removable tray.

 

[wightbees]

Thanks dulwickgnome.
The MD takes same frames but scaled down a bit to langstroth size.
I will see how it goes, if to heavy then i wil scale down a bit more.

 

[wightbees]

Emailed that company Tom thanks for the link.

Made a bit of a muckup with my floor/ stand part of the hive. I have put the entrance on the wrong side. Instead of the front of the hive i have put it on the side. Apart from a longer entrace will this make any difference ?
It wouldn't take much to change but if i don't have to , it can stay like it .

 

[learner]

Glad you have got started keep us up to date with progress.

 

[wightbees]

splashed some paint on it today, for a no thrills hive it's not looking bad.
By no thrills i mean for my standard of woodworking i used no joints. (butt and glue with nails) LaZy

The colour was a left over from the chicken house i built for my partner.
So it's a sort of browny red rusty colour.
Hope the bees like it.
Ahh yes new there was something do i or don't i paint the inside.I think i don't so as yet it's still raw wood, Soo info please on this and other Q thanks.

 

[Black Comb]

Will be nice to see some pics. of finished hive WB.

Re.painting. No, don't paint the inside.

For outside try and use something which will give minimal harm to bees. Cuprinol clear or ducksback often recommended. Linseed oil/beeswax mix can also be used.

 

[wightbees]

I will take pics from a distance with a bad pixel camera lol
thanks for the paint tips. Any ideas on my entrance muck up ? anyone

 

[BKF Admin]

I found it dead easy to make my first hive.

I purchased one from Thornes and copied it a few times

 

[wightbees]

I nearlly went down that route lol
how about my entrance issue ???

 

[MuswellMetro]

Emailed that company Tom thanks for the link.

Made a bit of a muckup with my floor/ stand part of the hive. I have put the entrance on the wrong side. Instead of the front of the hive i have put it on the side. Apart from a longer entrace will this make any difference ?
It wouldn't take much to change but if i don't have to , it can stay like it .

should not matter, frames will be "warm way" instead of" cold way"

...the brood will not be in the middle frames but will be one or two frames further back towards the back wall, in a BS national as it is square you can just rota it through 90 degrees, i use warm way/..as your will be

 

[wightbees]

Thanks MM

 

[Hombre]

Regarding the mesh; If you haven't had a reply from JTWirecloth in good time, use the telephone. The email can sometimes take a day or two.

I bought my stainless mesh from Tony last year and will use him again when I build more floors in the next couple of months.

I think that he had been to Stonleigh a few years ago, but Tony explained to me last year that the costs of doing so were prohibitive.

 

[m100]

I think that he had been to Stonleigh a few years ago, but Tony explained to me last year that the costs of doing so were prohibitive.

That's all due to the way the BBKA is funded

 

[wightbees]

I got a email back, but nto sure i asked for the right type of mesh . Can someone tell me the right gage i need please.
Also i can get a 4ft by 8ft local to me of 3mm mesh size holes for £20.00
Although not good quality it would be cheap enough to use and throw away and replace.

 

[darrenperrett]

I`ve used Jt wirecloth and Tony was very helpful.
I think it`s called 8 mesh that i ordered. I would always go for the stainless steel, it`s a lot less hassle for not a lot more.

Darren.

 

[RoofTops]

Are you making every box Dadant Shallow sized? That is for frames 6.25" deep?