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1. The History of
BeeKeeping
2. Anatomy of a Bee
3. The Brood Rearing Process
4. Queen, Worker & Drones Behavior
5. Races of Bees
6. Nectar and Pollen Plants of Pacific Northwest
7. Beekeeping Equipment & Hive Assembly
8. Selecting the apiary site
9. Packaged Bees and how to care for them
10. How to Manage Bees
11. Swarming, causes and control
12. How to hive a swarm
13. Removing and Extracting the Honey Crop
14. Wintering the Hive
15. Colony treatment for bee disease & mite control
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LESSON 7:
Beekeeping Equipment & Hive Assembly
To be successful in beekeeping, certain beekeeping equipment is necessary. All equipment must be uniform and standard when assembling a hive.
Bee Space: Langstroth discovered that honeybees always allow a 3/8" space between combs. Any greater space is filled with additional comb and any smaller space is filled with propolis.
Modern Bee Hive
Most modern hives can hold a total of 10 frames inside the hive body. To start, you can begin with only one hive that you will insert your packaged bees into. This hive will be for brood rearing & pollen storage for food. As the bees multiply and begin to fill all of the frames, then you can add another hive on top for the bees to expand into and begin to store honey. Depending on the rate at which the colony expands you can stack up to 4 hives on top of each other for brood rearing and honey storage.
- Bottom Board - Should be reversible - fit deep box. This is the base of the hive and creates the entrance to the hive.
- Entrance Cleat
- This is an entrance reducer that can be used in the winter months to close up the entrance so it is very small.
- Hive Body - Hive body is the box that holds the frames in place.
- Brood Chamber - This is where all of the eggs will be layed, bee pollen and food stored for maturing bees. This must be kept separate from where the bees store their honey. A deep brood chamber is a 9 5/8" super which is recommended as the base of the hive but you can also use a 6 5/8" super.
- Honey Supers - This is where the bees will store all the honey and keep it separated from the brood chamber. A typical honey super is a 6 5/8" super.
- Comb Honey Super - Same as a Honey Super but the frame and foundations are setup to make comb honey.
- Inner Cover - Used so that the outer cover is easier to remove. Also used as an escape board for removing honey and as an entrance for top feeder.
- Outer Cover - Covers the top of the hive.
- Queen Excluder - Wire bound is the best. Used to allow workers to pass through but not queen. Queen excluders are helpful at times to prevent the queen from laying eggs in honey supers and should be placed in between the brood chamber body and honey super body.
- Foundation - Is the beeswax midrib of the comb and where the bees will build their brood chambers and honey stores onto. It is made by running sheets of pure beeswax through a roller press which imprints the base of the cell in the wax. You can also use plastic which is easier to use and more durable. Comes in several weights. Light weight for comb honey and heavy for brood rearing and extracting. Foundation is also available with reinforcing wires that get tied into the frame.
- Frames - There are two basic styles of frames, plastic frames and traditional wood frames. Plastic frames are an all in one unit that already have the foundation as part of the frame. These are the easiest to use as there is no assembly of the frame and foundation. Standard wood frames have to be assembled and have the foundation wired to the frame. This is a much more involved process but the frames and foundation come with easy to follow instructions on how to get it done.
- Painting Hive - Use Latex - waterbase paint
- Hive Staples - Used to nail down the hive and the top and bottom covers or used to fix all the supers together when moving the entire frame. Usually hive staples are not needed to fix the top and bottom covers because the bees tend to glue them down.
APIARY EQUIPMENT
Bee Smoke - Necessity in handling bees. This smoking causes bees to rush to the cells of nectar and honey and gorge themselves. This results in them becoming less apt to sting. Materials used for smoker fuel can be decayed wood, corn cobs, burlap, corrugated paper and mattress stuffings. Used as you approach the hive, first at the entrance and secondly as you are lifting the hive cover with a few puffs now and then. Always stand to the rear of the hive. Move quickly but not with jerky movements and never swat at bees.
Bee Veil - Necessity in handling bees. Usually made of wire screen that is closed on the top or fits like a hat. Bee stings around the face are painful and unnecessary.
Hive Tool - Necessity in handling bees. Used in removing the cover, cleaning off burr comb, propolis etc. It is especially helpful in removing frames.
Bee Brush - Used to brush bees from combs and used for brushing bees when catching swarms.
Bee Gloves
Frame Grip - Gripping the frame
Clothing - Wear light colored clothing. Wool clothing is the worst.
Hours - Work bees when they are flying, as bees are easiest to handle when they are busy.
BEEHIVE FEEDERS
When honey is not available, the best food for the bees is sugar syrup or make honey syrup. Feeders are necessary when the following conditions apply.
- Feeding medicine in liquid form
- Winter and Spring Feeding
- Starting with or bringing in Package Bees
- Bringing in a Swarm
- Divisions
- Nuc's
Types of Bee Feeders
- Overhead Feeder or Friction - top pail
- Division Board Feeder - Plastic or pressed wood type
- Boardman Feeder
*Never feed bees liquid in a dish because they can drown.
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