What did you do in the 'workshop' today

[BeeKeyPlayer]

Sandwich. I think I'll go that way.

 

[Newbeeneil]

I have two hives to put together for a new client ready for the new season so thought I would make a couple of new floors.
Since I have had problems with wasps wiping out 4 of my hives this year I thought I would incorporate a tunnel entrance within the design of my standard solid UFE floor.
The 16mm conduit goes to the central 16mm hole that could be easily defended if the two UFE’s at the sides are blocked off.
I added a 10mm rim with a 8mm hole at the back of the floor to allow for vaping. Sort of permanent eke. You can see the stainless steel bolt that I use to block this if you zoom in.
Fingers crossed I won’t need the tunnel but I just love playing .

 

[Erichalfbee]

Looks great. I have my UFE a little further forward, the whole width, with a tailor made block to slide in to create a tunnel on one side.

 

[Newbeeneil]

Looks great. I have my UFE a little further forward, the whole width, with a tailor made block to slide in to create a tunnel on one side.

TBH most of my UFE's are full width but I find wasps sneak up the edges.
I have some cedar run down @ approx. 160 for roof sides so by the time I've run them through the thicknesser they come out at 1/3 the width of a floor so that's why I have put the floor entrances there.
I did consider having the tunnel at the edge but I wanted the hole to be as close to the centre of the cluster as possible.

 

[Sutty]

How about an ufe floor where the entrance goes through a fully enclosed area, then into an area with only mesh separating it from the cluster, then another enclosed area before opening into the hive.
Should confuse the hell out of invading wasps and give warning for the bees to defend.
So far I've not had  too much trouble with wasps, but prevention is better than cure

 

[Erichalfbee]

How about an ufe floor where the entrance goes through a fully enclosed area, then into an area with only mesh separating it from the cluster, then another enclosed area before opening into the hive.
Should confuse the hell out of invading wasps and give warning for the bees to defend.
So far I've not had  too much trouble with wasps, but prevention is better than cure

I like my system because there is wide access during a flow. I haven’t had to reduce the entrance in a big hive but did on one nuc.

 

[Newbeeneil]

I like my system because there is wide access during a flow. I haven’t had to reduce the entrance in a big hive but did on one nuc.

If I remember rightly I think Seeley concluded that a 1.25” hole was what the bees preferred which equates to approx 700mm2. The slots are about 700 each and the 16mm dia hole is about 200 so I think they will manage on a flow .

 

[JamezF]

If I remember rightly I think Seeley concluded that a 1.25” hole was what the bees preferred which equates to approx 700mm2. The slots are about 700 each and the 16mm dia hole is about 200 so I think they will manage on a flow .

Since I happen to have his "bait hive" document to hand I checked. He says 1½" to 2" square inches (or 10 to 15 cm²) so I reckon you're good.

James

 

[BeeKeyPlayer]

I have two hives to put together for a new client ready for the new season so thought I would make a couple of new floors.

This looks great. What did you use for the floorboards?

 

[Newbeeneil]

This looks great. What did you use for the floorboards?

I get cedar from a local sawmill and season it. They will cut it to any size I require and I just run it through the thicknesser. All the wood on the floor is from the same source.

 

[Swarm]

Spent some time sorting out the sacks of dry, clean cappings into buckets, ready to be rendered and then filled the sacks with the wet cappings, ready for a soak in the rain forecast for Sunday. Very cold work, a lot of it was frozen and so were my hands by the time I finished.

 

[Garry R]

I have two hives to put together for a new client ready for the new season so thought I would make a couple of new floors.
Since I have had problems with wasps wiping out 4 of my hives this year I thought I would incorporate a tunnel entrance within the design of my standard solid UFE floor.
The 16mm conduit goes to the central 16mm hole that could be easily defended if the two UFE’s at the sides are blocked off.
I added a 10mm rim with a 8mm hole at the back of the floor to allow for vaping. Sort of permanent eke. You can see the stainless steel bolt that I use to block this if you zoom in.
Fingers crossed I won’t need the tunnel but I just love playing .
View attachment 34585

I used the equivalent of the Wasp out

Wasp outs for defending hives against robbing

But I made it myself from cable conduit At £9 a length from a builders supplier I made 14 of them and had no wasp (or mouse problems) all autumn and so far this winter,

 

[blackcloud]

Wasp populations vary so dont conclude the design is responsible entirely.
This year I had seen half a dozen wasps around the hives
Previous year I was thrashing away at hordes of them.

 

[Newbeeneil]

Made a few skinny ekes to do underfloor vaping via.
Managed to do some half joints for the corners which should keep them nice and rigid until I get around to nailing them onto the floors in the spring.

 

[Newbeeneil]

Knocked up some Thornes Seconds yesterday, 2 brood boxes and two supers. Knocked up the frames for them this morning ready to supply to my new client in the new year.

 

[Jon.21]

Wasp populations vary so dont conclude the design is responsible entirely.
This year I had seen half a dozen wasps around the hives
Previous year I was thrashing away at hordes of them.

I noticed the same this year. Very few wasps compared to last year and this year I have twice as many hives.

 

[Newbeeneil]

Being stuck in the Bee shed with it p***ing down outside I was looking at making something with the limited timber I had in there
I decided to make a CBPV floor from some old correx notices I picked up some time ago.

 

[Sutty]

Being stuck in the Bee shed with it p***ing down outside I was looking at making something with the limited timber I had in there
I decided to make a CBPV floor from some old correx notices I picked up some time ago.

Interesting, though I've not had cbpv (yet).
Would it be feasible to add a very lightly weighted flap to the bottom to act as a one-way valve so it was never used as an entrance for bees or wasps.

 

[Newbeeneil]

Interesting, though I've not had cbpv (yet).
Would it be feasible to add a very lightly weighted flap to the bottom to act as a one-way valve so it was never used as an entrance for bees or wasps.

The hole at the bottom would be the entrance and dead body Shute so you couldn’t have a “door” as you describe.
I’ve had CBPV in one hive about 4 years ago and lost the colony.

 

[Sutty]

The hole at the bottom would be the entrance and dead body Shute so you couldn’t have a “door” as you describe.
I’ve had CBPC in one hive about 4 years ago and lost the colony.

Ah! I was imagining you had an entrance above the chute for the bees to come & go