Transporting equipment to out apiary

[user 3509]

Just as a matter of interest how do those of you that have small out apiaries transport your equipment each time you visit the site to do an inspection? Do you load and unload the family car each time or what?

 

[dn170221]

that is what i do. i also have a nic there with spare frames dummy boards and feeders. at least that keeps some extras handy!

 

[bontbee]

Yes, but it's my car, not the family car!

Early in the season, I pile the car up with spare stands, broods, supers, nuc boxes, (all c/w frames), excluders, floors, roofs, cover boards and anything else I might need and leave them in the apiary, either stacked on the spare hive stands, or under the roofs of the hives already there. That way, most eventualities are covered....

(as with all my beekeeping, fingers are always crossed)

 

[La Folie]

Fill the car, empty the car - I look forward to having an apiary next to the house but I will have to move before that happens!

 

[dpearce4]

Mostly load and unload the car after some spare kit was nicked from one of my sites. If I find its not needed (supers) when taken I put them on the have above the crown board so its there ready for the next inspections, and the tealeaves don't realise its not in use.

 

[ratcatcher]

my kit is in a tool box and large builders rubble bucket, easy enough to put in and out of my 4x4 on each trip to the woods,

 

[Fatbee]

A lot of huffing and puffing - try to keep spare stuff at apiary but always seem to be lugging something across field though. Lucky to have tractor with bucket for shifting any colonies back to car if ground is wet but amazing how good off-road my battered Peugeot 406 bee wagon is. And because it's a wreck I don't get hassled by the wife to empty it because she won't drive it.

 

[Hachi]

the 4x4 gets filled up but this coming season i have a new apiary and am going to ask if I can have a corner of a barn for a shed to store my gear. good hidyhole away from nosey eyes

 

[REDWOOD]

I keep spare hives, nucs, supers, frames, and clearing boards on a large stand so not much to carry, but will be taking JBM's advise to put a shed down there so this winter I will be making one large enough for my equipment, me a patio area, wind generator, kettle and lighting, I might as well buy a caravan !

 

[Davelin]

Bought an oldish Landrover!!

Good excuse I thought, told SWMBO that sticky bee stuff and smelly smokers would ruin the car.

Interestingly she loves going out and about in the Landrover as much as I do.

Expensive to run but great fun.

 

[protheroe]

fit it all in the back of the discovery.my wife has her own car so i dont need to empty it.i leave lots of spare equipment at the apiaries through the season then bring whats not used back home later in the season.my shed is around 25ft x 13ft so lots of space though most of the time its quite full with hives i build for the next season.

 

[Tremyfro]

Tee Hee....although I keep my bees at home ...I don't have a shed yet......my OH doesn't know that all the extra equipment is in the caravan!

 

[Erichalfbee]

What does he think you're doing going in out of it all the time?
Is he presuming you are moving into it?

 

[Outlander]

The wife has the family car that she calls hers. For the bees I use what is the old family car. VW Sharan with seats out in the back. Unfortunately it's on it's last legs and desperate for a clutch. It has been great having all that room for moving hives collecting swarms will miss it big time, don't think k it will see the year out.

 

[Dishmop]

Wife's Micra is the only one out of four vehicles that a full hive will fit into.. and its half the size of the other three.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Wife's Micra is the only one out of four vehicles that a full hive will fit into.. and its half the size of the other three.

Many years ago my father was offered a rolls royce at a ridiculously low price (even for a medium family saloon) when the local factory was offloading some assets - he turned it down and bought a morris minor traveller for a fiver, reason? we had a milk round at the time and the milk crates wouldn't fit in the roller!

 

[Dishmop]

and the milk crates wouldn't fit in the roller!

My main use car which is not a RR but incredibly similar... has officially only got rear seating for 2.

 

[Tremyfro]

What does he think you're doing going in out of it all the time?
Is he presuming you are moving into it?

...probably hopes so....
I keep mumbling that I need to clean it for visitors......well we really do have some coming in a few weeks time...so it will backfire on me then.
I have got a plastic garden shed but the mower takes up so much space. I am going to have a juggle with my gardening tools. I might just be able to get the 2 spare hives in.......

 

[Dishmop]

I might just be able to get the 2 spare hives in....

Put them out the front of the house to keep people away..