Helpful tips...

[bk]

Keeping my hives level, easy to work on,  up off the ground, and stable seems easy enough.  Started out sitting them on cement blocks and they trying to level the blocks to create a solid base.  Easy enough, but not always the most stable.  Then I tried a solid timber base resting on my cement blocks and I haven't looked back.  Easy to make, easy to level, very solid, and makes a great work platform.

I used a pair of 10' 4x6 timbers, with 2x6 blocks on the ends to keep them together as a unit and a couple more 2x6 blocks to support the timbers on the cement blocks.  A couple of the "plastic" shims from the local borg for leveling and life is good.

[bk]

Having successful survived back surgery, a smart person wouldn't wrestle honey supers. Not being smart but observant, I saw a nice stand at the U of Mn when I attended a class.  (By the way, they have great bee keeping classes for beginners, advanced bee keepers, and also do a great queen rearing course.)

Good ideas are to be copied, so I did.  The simple stand is made of 2x4 material, with 1x4 bracing and a couple of 2x6 blocks for feet.  Made it long enough to hold three supers and 26 inches high.  With the hive up on my support structure and making use of the stand, lifting even full supers isn't bad.  Makes it real easy to separate the supers when trying to find the queen - there is no way for her to move from super to super when they are all separated.  Makes a great work platform when doing reversals and general hive management. 

[histopicker]

Great ideas! Have a Karma.

[nytrapper23]

Nice job. Thanks for the Tips

[farmertrappe]

I agree 100%, I have a high stand so I don't have to bend over to pick up and mover supers around. I can put two hives on it and have room to place covers, supers ect on the stand also.

[nytrapper23]

Can you guys explain the differences in the hives or boxes ? Like the top load you show in your video histo and the box type you show here bk? Not difference in construction but to the bees or the user?

[SkFarm25]

Shown here is a langstroth beehive. Mike I believe has a top bar hive. I'll let someone else give you the pros and cons of each since I'm really not familiar with top bars at all.

[histopicker]

I have top bar hives. These hives produce less honey and more wax than a langstroth (commercial) hive.In a top bar the bees build their combs without foundation to guide them, thus they take more care to maintain. I build top bar hive for around 70 dollars where as a Lang costs about 250 dollars. There is much speculation to which is better for the bees, I won't get into that. For a commercial minded beekeper the Lang is the way to go. Increased honey production and ease of transport are two great reasons for this.

[nytrapper23]

Ok. Thank you very much

[bk]

Mar 23, 2015 17:26:54 GMT -5 farmertrappe said:

I agree 100%, I have a high stand so I don't have to bend over to pick up and mover supers around. I can put two hives on it and have room to place covers, supers ect on the stand also.

And farmertrappe, it is well worth the small amount of time it takes to build for the "back" savings. Why did it take me so long to get semi-smart?

[bk]

Mar 23, 2015 19:37:57 GMT -5 histopicker said:

I have top bar hives. These hives produce less honey and more wax than a langstroth (commercial) hive.In a top bar the bees build their combs without foundation to guide them, thus they take more care to maintain. I build top bar hive for around 70 dollars where as a Lang costs about 250 dollars. There is much speculation to which is better for the bees, I won't get into that. For a commercial minded beekeper the Lang is the way to go. Increased honey production and ease of transport are two great reasons for this.

Great job explaining, histopicker.   Lots of discussion about over-wintering in northern areas with the Langs and the Top Bars - but with the luck we've had with our Langs lately, I doubt a Top Bar would be any worse at 30 below. 

We build our own Lang boxes and buy the frame parts.  Makes our hive cost pretty comparable with your Top Bar - and I get to work in the shop a bit.

When it comes to extracting, is there anything unique to the Top Bars?  Always wondered how it was done.

[histopicker]

Mar 23, 2015 22:15:55 GMT -5 bk said:

Mar 23, 2015 19:37:57 GMT -5 histopicker said:

I have top bar hives. These hives produce less honey and more wax than a langstroth (commercial) hive.In a top bar the bees build their combs without foundation to guide them, thus they take more care to maintain. I build top bar hive for around 70 dollars where as a Lang costs about 250 dollars. There is much speculation to which is better for the bees, I won't get into that. For a commercial minded beekeper the Lang is the way to go. Increased honey production and ease of transport are two great reasons for this.

Great job explaining, histopicker.   Lots of discussion about over-wintering in northern areas with the Langs and the Top Bars - but with the luck we've had with our Langs lately, I doubt a Top Bar would be any worse at 30 below. 

We build our own Lang boxes and buy the frame parts.  Makes our hive cost pretty comparable with your Top Bar - and I get to work in the shop a bit.

When it comes to extracting, is there anything unique to the Top Bars?  Always wondered how it was done.

it is crush and strain. Top bars give you much comb honey.

[farmertrappe]

Mar 23, 2015 22:08:50 GMT -5 bk said:

Mar 23, 2015 17:26:54 GMT -5 farmertrappe said:

I agree 100%, I have a high stand so I don't have to bend over to pick up and mover supers around. I can put two hives on it and have room to place covers, supers ect on the stand also.

And farmertrappe, it is well worth the small amount of time it takes to build for the "back" savings. Why did it take me so long to get semi-smart?

Wisdom comes with aches and pains.

[bk]

Mar 24, 2015 6:50:56 GMT -5 farmertrappe said:

Mar 23, 2015 22:08:50 GMT -5 bk said:

And farmertrappe, it is well worth the small amount of time it takes to build for the "back" savings. Why did it take me so long to get semi-smart?

Wisdom comes with aches and pains.

How true!!! I must be about as wise as King Solomon by now.