Unconventional/experimental hives.

[viridens]

A few years back I was short of kit so housed a swarm, which became a colony, in a heavy-duty cardboard box which was about the right size for 12 National frames. The entrance was a slot cut with a Stanley knife near the bottom, and the roof was a bit of outdoor ply. I slapped some fence preserver on the box to keep the rain out, and the colony thrived and went through the winter before being housed in a 'proper' hive the next spring.

I currently (as of yesterday) have a swarm in an improvised plastic storage box top bar hive.

What unconventional 'hives' have you tried, or are trying, and with what success?

 

[drstitson]

i was thinking of knocking up one of the rotating frame hives but as a fusion with the Dartington concept ie a long deep rotating hive!

if made in metal could double up for spit roasts when the project (inevitably) gets abandoned!!!!!

 

[DanBee]

i was thinking of knocking up one of the rotating frame hives but as a fusion with the Dartington concept ie a long deep rotating hive!

if made in metal could double up for spit roasts when the project (inevitably) gets abandoned!!!!!

Flip it through 90 degrees, add an innovative heated cheesewire device, and get the self-extracting hive.

Some people seem to think beehives have a tap on them where you get the honey out anyway...

 

[susbees]

Flip it through 90 degrees, add an innovative heated cheesewire device, and get the self-extracting hive.

It's been done. Self-extracting boxes that is.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Wont the bees get sick when you spin it round

 

[Gardenbees]

What unconventional 'hives' have you tried, or are trying, and with what success?

I've got a Scandinavian style long hive, made from scrap wood. It has worked fine for a couple of seasons, and takes 14x12 frames. I board off the empty end of the hive and move the board as it fills up as the season progresses. They overwintered well in it, and fill the whole box (equivalent of over two National 14x12 boxes) when in full swing. Pictures here: http://www.beekeepingforum.co.uk/album.php?albumid=104 (taken when the hive was new).

This hive basically acts as a "slush fund" for my 14x12 Nationals. I use one or two of the full honey frames for cut comb (the foundation isn't wired) but the main use is for shuffling frames from the other hives. The flexible space and ability to use both ends if necessary is very useful for splitting, combining, or removing one or two frames from the other hives if I need to keep the broodbox open to discourage swarming. I have also used it to provide brood frames for making a nuc this year, and will probably use it entirely to produce nucs next year, and/or for extra frames of eggs or whatever if the other hives need test frames or extra stores. The lack of any boxes on top make it very easy to manipulate, and the bees tend to stay very calm because I just move cloths to get at them rather than take the lid off the whole lot at once. In that respect it shares some of the advantages of a top bar hive. NB. I have also used it with top bars (see Album pics) to provide a starter/nuc for a colleague who wanted a TBH.

The varroa drop rate has been almost zero ever since I started the hive last spring, but this probably doesn't reflect the hive so much as the colony strength. I haven't used oxalic acid, only Apilife Var, but I would imagine that OA treatment would be fairly straightforward esp. when compared with a brood-and-a-half setup. I use jute cloths rather than crownboards, so any feeding is done via frame feeders, but I haven't had a problem with this.

Can we see some pics of your hives?

 

[Midland Beek]

Upturned half a whiskey barrel hive, with a varroa mesh bottom. And I've heard of someone using tea chests.

 

[Dishmop]

Tea chest!!!!!!

I havent seen one of those for 30 years...

 

[Gardenbees]

I've just had a thought - that picture of your hive looks a bit like a coffin. Perhaps the undertaking part of the Co-op has missed a trick here

My neighbour said exactly the same thing when she saw it!
[darn - I've said too much - the secret of my vampire bees is no longer safe!]

 

[notyet]

Milk crate hive boxes

Hello future mentors! I am so new to beekeeping that I haven't even a hive at this time (hence the screen name). I am still planning and dreaming. I am quite taken by the concepts behind the Warre hive. I am thinking about using heavy plastic milk crates as the hive boxes, inside a sturdy wooden shell. The top of the shell would include the blanket box. The crates stack nicely, open side down, and my thought is that the bottoms could be pained with beeswax to give my future bees a starting point. I have the crates anyway and the are indestructable and interchangeable. Any suggestions? Am I crazy? -Chris

 

[Andy Duff]

Go to ALBUMS walnut allotments and check out our emergency nuc blue shopping basket, mother and children all doing well.

 

[Finman]

.
What I think...
Awfull....

 

[boca]

i was thinking of knocking up one of the rotating frame hives but as a fusion with the Dartington concept ie a long deep rotating hive!

if made in metal could double up for spit roasts when the project (inevitably) gets abandoned!!!!!

The rotating nest is not a new idea. I believe it is not the secret of success, but certainly have some effect which could be useful.
1. Bees cannot make queen cells
2. honey is not stored into the rotating nest, all the nectar goes into the supers.

In Hungary it can be bought ready made.
youtube.com/watch?v=xVYsGW9Sd7s
youtube.com/watch?v=CMqGorMW60w

It is advertised as the cure to all problems; even varroa is eliminated.

 

[Storm™]

Hotpoint Aquarius by the looks of it boca. Wash bees at 40 degrees and a 4000RPM spin cycle. Varroa free AND fluffy.

 

[Dishmop]

any recommendation for a particular brand of softener?

 

[Storm™]

Something that helps with colourfastness. Wouldnt want smudgy bees.

 

[Dishmop]

Fast spin as an extractor?

 

[Flatters]

I made an emergency hive to house a late swarm from pieces of Kingspan insulation gluing them together. I made up a floor out of wood and mesh I had. The crownboard is a piece of 12mm ply. Another piece of kingspan on top and used some aluminum sheet for a roof cover.

I cut the shape to take the frames and covered that exposed insulation with duct tape.

The bees have been happy in it, and still are.

I will rehouse them next year.

It does not look pretty but is fit for purpose.

 

[tonybloke]

I made an emergency hive to house a late swarm from pieces of Kingspan insulation gluing them together. I made up a floor out of wood and mesh I had. The crownboard is a piece of 12mm ply. Another piece of kingspan on top and used some aluminum sheet for a roof cover.

I cut the shape to take the frames and covered that exposed insulation with duct tape.

The bees have been happy in it, and still are.

I will rehouse them next year.

It does not look pretty but is fit for purpose.

can we have a picture, please?

 

[Flatters]

As long as I don't get flamed, but I was desperate at the time. I also had no where to put it so ended up siting it on two patio chairs. Sometimes you have to improvise.

The entrance is the similar to the Dartington, but does not have the depth from the front of the Dartington entrance. It does though allow it to be mouse proof (hopefully), but I will need to check of dead bees blocking it in spring.

We shall see in spring how they have coped with it.