At the beekeeping course (see previous post), it became clear that I wanted to label all the woodenware that I would be using. Some diseases that bees get can be transferred by intermixing the hive parts. Also, some of the hive inspections that I would be doing in the coming months and years involve rotating the order of the hive boxes. So, I wanted to number them. Over time, the numbers would be out of order in any given hive, but I would still be able to track my "hive reversals."
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| Box A-1 and its 10 labelled frames. |
The frames should be--depending on the source one reads--rotated out every 3 - 5 or 5 - 10 years. That is, the old frame with the comb attached to it should be removed and not used again. The wax could be collected and used in candle-making or other activities, I suppose. The old frames and comb and foundation should be replaced with new. So, my labeling system has the hive letter, then the frame number, and finally the last two numbers of the year that I started using them. All the frames that end in "-13" will be rotated out in the years 2018 through 2023.
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| The inner covers of boxes A and B, and a box of frames beneath them. |
The inner covers shouldn't need to be rotated out as I don't think that they will get old or concentrate any pesticides or toxins like the wax of the comb might. But, I still wanted to keep track of which hive they are covering.
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| Hive with just one box on it. |
Above, you can see one hive. It only has one box on it. If you haven't seen a Langstroth Hive before, it can be a bit complicated. Mine, above, has a black plastic stand. Starting at the top is a telescoping outer cover (it is the "lid" with painted white wood on the bottom 2/3rds and the metal covering on the upper 1/3rd). The large, painted box is one of the medium hive bodies. It has handles on all four sides. You can see the front handle. It is the recessed part of the large panel that is facing the camera. The parts below the hive body include an entrance reducer, a screened bottom board, and a regular bottom board.
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| Assembled hives, each is four boxes high. |
The hive on the left in the photo above is facing away from the camera. I need to block up that opening in the back, as the bees won't be able to use it. And, I don't want any mice or other animals setting up residence. The hive on the right in the photo is facing toward the camera. You can see the small hole in the from near the bottom. This is the "entrance reducer" set on the smallest opening. When I first install the bees, the hive will only be one box high. The number of bees will be relatively small (5 - 7 thousand bees), and they (1) don't need a large opening and (2) won't be able to defend a large opening. As the season progresses, I can steadily open up the entrance reducer to allow for larger openings.
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| The two hives, both facing camera now, and labelled. Still four boxes high. |
Above, the hives are labelled and assembled again. The holes in the front are drilled to 1" diameter. There will be corks in them at various times. They serve as additional ways into the hive when the hive is growing and strong. They will also allow for a winter opening (as the bottom entry will be all but closed, and it will also have a mouse guard on it).
As of today (4/20/13), the ETA for my two packages of bees is May 1, 2013. There is still snow on the ground today and it is quite cold (low 30's, Fahrenheit). Some people are getting their bees today in the Midwest. I'm interested to see how their installations go...
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