Will someone tell the bees it's winter!

[Erichalfbee]

What a cheering photo.
No Cherry here yet.
Bees out for a poo though

 

[aberreef]

My lot have barely been out in weeks so far as I've seen until yesterday when there were a few coming and going from each hive. Just out to stretch their wings and empty themselves I think.

 

[Torq]

One last question about the Dartington floors. Are the frames arranged hot or cold?

Thanks.

T

 

[oliver90owner]

Dartington hives are arranged warm way - no other possibility.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

One last question about the Dartington floors. Are the frames arranged hot or cold?

Thanks.

T

You can have your national hives either hot or cold on a 'Dartington inspired floor' (I think we all know it's not a Dartington hive by now!) I've tried both with no difference (bearing in mind they are open mesh floors but I've settled on cold way. The only restriction would be the hive's footprint - with a Langstroth you'd have to decide before building whether the entrance should be on the long or the short side.
I pefer the cold way

 

[JamezF]

Building some more OMFs is on my list of things to do in the next couple of months and these look interesting so I may well try them out.

I'd be tempted to make the landing board removable for transportation. I'd also be tempted to create a bee space or two (even for bottom bee space hives) above the mesh to allow debris to build up over winter without touching the frames. Perhaps I'll try some with and some without to see if it makes a difference.

James

 

[JamezF]

And whilst I'm thinking about it, I might make the landing board slope towards the front slightly as well.

James

 

[victor meldrew]

Building some more OMFs is on my list of things to do in the next couple of months and these look interesting so I may well try them out.

I'd be tempted to make the landing board removable for transportation. I'd also be tempted to create a bee space or two (even for bottom bee space hives) above the mesh to allow debris to build up over winter without touching the frames. Perhaps I'll try some with and some without to see if it makes a difference.

James

My Dart inspired floors have removable landing boards
These I remove in Winter , helps repel mice ( Doesn't give them anything to push off trying to negotiate almost 3" up a 10 mil slot )
VM

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Building some more OMFs is on my list of things to do in the next couple of months and these look interesting so I may well try them out.

I'd be tempted to make the landing board removable for transportation. I'd also be tempted to create a bee space or two (even for bottom bee space hives) above the mesh to allow debris to build up over winter without touching the frames. Perhaps I'll try some with and some without to see if it makes a difference.

James

I've checked the floor over this winter and there is little if any debris build up, I did think of sloping the floors a little to avoid any water pooling on the floor - but this doesn't seem to have been a problem over the last season.
As for a removable landing board for transportation, I don't know if I'm missing something but I can't much see the point - you can move them with the boards in situ - without them you'd have difficulty wedging in a chunk of foam or block of wood to close the entrance.
I did think of most of these points but decided to keep it simple. That doesn't mean my ideas are right mind you!

 

[victor meldrew]

Smaller piece of foam simply pushed up the slot
At almost 3" deep ,you can get enough up there to prevent it's falling out .
Another advantage of removable LBs is the flimsy material they're made of needing replacement from time to time
Having spare ones allows me to apply a thick coating of varnish and whilst wet , to sprinkle lavishly with oven dried sand . No more bees stuck upside down in beaded water
VM

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

apply a thick coating of varnish and whilst wet , to sprinkle lavishly with oven dried sand . No more bees stuck upside down in beaded water
VM

Now that's a good idea - I should have thought of that as we do it to our decks - and that would mean I wouldn't need to slope them.
My landing board element is 1" timber same as the back and top of the entrance - so not that flimsy - and I've just thought I only have to remove four screws to get them off anyway simples! (me, not the maneuvre!!)

This bit of kit is going through some serious R&D on this forum, maybe we should contact Mons Ab with a view to a partnership - if he thinks our amateurish bodging won't mar his high standards

 

[Monsieur Abeille]

This bit of kit is going through some serious R&D on this forum, maybe we should contact Mons Ab with a view to a partnership - if he thinks our amateurish bodging won't mar his high standards

Interesting thought JBM - I was considering a "Value" range for those unable to afford the premium stuff.

 

[SixFooter]

I make these Dartington type floors. I like them because they are more robust than the standard national floors. I use the cls timber from B&Q and can probably knock one up in about the same time as putting together a standard floor. The standard floors can flex and "ping" off the mesh when you are handling them.

 

[JamezF]

Interesting thought JBM - I was considering a "Value" range for those unable to afford the premium stuff.

Would they come with a nice blue and white striped paint job?

James

 

[Gardenbees]

still not winter...

Chaos at both my hives today. Something - goodness knows what - seems to have brought a major nectar flow on, and they're all going crazy, piling up at the mouseguard entrance, properly foraging and not just doing cleaning flights. Some are so laden they are bumping into the entrance like it's an OSR flow or something.

Both hives are heavy and there's a steady flow of pollen coming in. I assume the queens are laying; nothing else would explain the very large colonies (both hives crammed when I went to do an OA treatment last week) and busy pollen collection. Extraordinary.

 

[Erichalfbee]

A week of frosts forecast up here in two or three days time.
February will be a time to be really keeping an eye on stores.

 

[bob777]

nice to see that you have got your hive back up. I only live a mile up the road and I didnt have that many bees out on my hive!,,

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

nice to see that you have got your hive back up. I only live a mile up the road and I didnt have that many bees out on my hive!,,

Well, no 1 hive really catches the sun and the other 2 aren't far behind. You're a bit shaded where you are on the South side of the valley - you should get back to the Black Mountain side where you belong!!

 

[oliver90owner]

The standard floors can flex and "ping" off the mesh when you are handling them.

Amazing. What manufacurer is that?

All my standard floors (cheap and homemade) have the mesh well secured between two timber battens.

RAB

 

[rockdoc]

Keen on the sound of these Dartington floors and intend to knock a few up this weekend. However, are there any problems in switching them with the old floors at this time of year?