Author Topic: Hive Stands  (Read 16161 times)

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Offline apisbees

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Re: Hive Stands
« Reply #20 on: May 20, 2014, 11:53:09 am »
************ EDIT *************
I meant to include that I'm going to place 4 heavy eye-hooks/screws onto each stand to connect automotive tie-downs to, instead of using bricks on top of the hives.  2 eyelets per hive.
************ EDIT DONE ********
I would be concerned about the hives when they are in full production and high with supers and the hole stand being blown over with the stand not anchored to the ground.
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Offline CpnObvious

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Re: Hive Stands
« Reply #21 on: May 20, 2014, 12:00:40 pm »
I would be concerned about the hives when they are in full production and high with supers and the hole stand being blown over with the stand not anchored to the ground.
[/quote]

Hmmm.... Well, before that time comes maybe I'll pout a little concrete in the ground at either end with an eyelet in it as well as an eyelet screwed into the bottom of the horizontals and run a cable from end "1A" down through the eyelet in the crete, then back up to horizonal end "1B", and then duplicate on the other side...  If it looks like I'll need, I'll do that... unless someone can offer a better suggestion?

Offline apisbees

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Re: Hive Stands
« Reply #22 on: May 20, 2014, 01:50:33 pm »

I wonder if the guy that invented top bar hives had trouble with geometry?  :)
I knew the guy who invented the top bar hive..... actually he never invented them but worked with a world development organization on a project in Kenya.

After studying the African bee the challenges faced both from working with the bees, the pests and predators, and the resources the native people had at their disposal. And looking at all the different types of hives available and that have been used thru out the world, the top bar hive was selected and promoted. It was chosen for it's simple design, ease of construction, and the availability of material to build it with. This is where the guy that invented top bar hives had trouble with geometry? Not really they were constructing hives with rough sawed lumber that was random in width so the geometry changed to fit the lumber used on any particular hive.

John Corner   Kenya Top Bar Hive

I had the privilege to have known John Corner, to hear him speak, watch his slide show presentations, to work and talk with him, He was the head of the Provincial Apiary Branch Department of B.C.

He also did some extension work in 3rd world country's. In the early 1980's he took on a project of introducing managed beekeeping in Kenya as up till then most honey was retrieved by honey hunting and robbing the colonies. the task wasn't as simple as taking plans for a Langstroth hive and saying build this hive.

European and North American hive sit on the ground This set up of a hives would be to easy for predator to attack. The equipment needed to make all the various pieces of the Langstroth hive was not readily available to beekeepers in the small villages, or the power to run the equipment. The beekeepers didn't have the equipment to extract the frames of honey or the finances to perches extracting equipment. The top bar hive was selected as the hive that would best allow for managed beekeeping in the area.

The top bar hive could he hung from trees keeping the predators from getting to the hives. It allowed for hive manipulation for easy access for removing honey and moving brood to make more colonies. The design of the top bar hive allowed for the construction of the hive with only needing to cross cut the boards to length, a task that could be done easily with a hand saw. The honey harvested with the wax, the wax being more valuable than the honey to the local villagers. They also took designs for veils, protective clothing, and the construction of smokers and hive tools. Once they had the tools to keep bees and become beekeepers rather than honey robbers. The new beekeepers had to be taught how to manage the colonies for honey production, for swarm prevention and to make increases in the number of colonies by splitting, and having colonies raise new queens. 

John had a picture of a news clipping of 2 nuns being caught and arrested while flying in from Europe, for trying to smuggle 2 packages of bees into the country under their dress. The Kenya agriculture branch were concerned that the introduction of European bees would compromise the native African bees ability to survive in the harsh environment and with their predators.

While head of the Provincial Apiary Branch he put together a book on building Langstroth hives. It has been updated a little and published as PDF on the web but it is close to the same as was originally published.
Here is a link to it. http://www.agf.gov.bc.ca/apiculture/construction.pdf

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Offline Intheswamp

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Re: Hive Stands
« Reply #23 on: May 20, 2014, 02:51:09 pm »
When I was first reading about beekeeping I browsed over the Kenyan TBH designs and knew it was designed for third world beekeepers but I didn't know hardly any of what you just shared.  Thanks!

Ed

ETA: Apis, you explained the reasoning behind the design very well.

Offline CpnObvious

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Re: Hive Stands
« Reply #24 on: May 20, 2014, 02:55:11 pm »
This was definitely a learning experience, thank you!

I live in the Central-MA town bordering what is considered Western-MA... Which is kind of considered 3rd-world... Do I need to switch to TBHs?  I DO have indoor plumbing, that fancy e-lec-tricity stuff, and even power tools, like shovels.

Offline Slowmodem

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Re: Hive Stands
« Reply #25 on: May 20, 2014, 03:04:55 pm »
I knew the guy who invented the top bar hive..... actually he never invented them but worked with a world development organization on a project in Kenya.

That's a great story.  Thanks for posting!   :goodone:
Greg Whitehead
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Beekeeping at 26.4 kbs

Offline LazyBkpr

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Re: Hive Stands
« Reply #26 on: May 20, 2014, 07:45:13 pm »
Good story Apis. Enjoyed reading that as well. Hanging a top bar hive had not occurred to me. I have seen non manageable hives, logs etc hanging..  That would be a good hive to have in bear country. Pull it up in a tree and lower it to inspect, then pull it back up again...   Might get seasick bees when the wind is blowing...   

   Cpn.. I need to talk top you about them shovels.. I am still trying to figure out how to start mine.. I think the battery is dead..
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Offline Bamabww

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Re: Hive Stands
« Reply #27 on: May 20, 2014, 08:29:47 pm »
Apis,

Very enjoyable story. Thanks very much for the history lesson.
Wayne

Offline CpnObvious

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Re: Hive Stands
« Reply #28 on: May 20, 2014, 08:55:55 pm »
   Cpn.. I need to talk top you about them shovels.. I am still trying to figure out how to start mine.. I think the battery is dead..

Try banging it on the ground really hard, pointy end first.

Offline LazyBkpr

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Re: Hive Stands
« Reply #29 on: May 20, 2014, 09:44:14 pm »
   Cpn.. I need to talk top you about them shovels.. I am still trying to figure out how to start mine.. I think the battery is dead..

Try banging it on the ground really hard, pointy end first.

  Hey that actually worked!!!  But.. thats not where I wanted the hole....   >:(
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Offline apisbees

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Re: Hive Stands
« Reply #30 on: May 22, 2014, 01:48:08 am »
Good story Apis. Enjoyed reading that as well. Hanging a top bar hive had not occurred to me. I have seen non manageable hives, logs etc hanging..  That would be a good hive to have in bear country. Pull it up in a tree and lower it to inspect, then pull it back up again...   Might get seasick bees when the wind is blowing...   
Bears can climb trees so wont work to well for them.
They hang topbar hives between posts for elephant fences tt protect their crops The elephants quickly learn that the pain of the stings are not worth raiding the farmers crops.
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Offline CpnObvious

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Re: Hive Stands
« Reply #31 on: September 03, 2014, 05:48:58 pm »
Should anyone decide to duplicate these, I'd recommend one change to the original design.  The bill of materials calls for 3- 2x4x12s.  Two are cut in half for the long sides, one is cut for the cross-bracing.

I would change this to 2@2x4x14 and 1@2x4x12; using the 2 14-footers cut in half for the long sides.  With the design as-is (and as I stated in my original post) a hive body barely fits between the two hives.  This means you have to reach Over the open hive body to put it there and to pick it back up.  When the bees are testy this can be a little nerve-racking.  By increasing this another foot, it gives 3 more inches of space on either side to properly put down and pick up the box.  Either that or grab 16' 2x4s and lob a foot off it.  I think 8' sides would be too much, but 7'-7'6" would work well.