Author Topic: Hive stand while inspecting (Read 8223 times)

tbonekel · « **on:** March 03, 2015, 10:35:25 pm »

As I am inspecting, I place the outer cover on the ground, upside down. Then I lean the inner cover up against the regular hive stand. I go though the top deep or super. If I need to go further, I will place that box on top of the outer cover on the ground, at an angle so not to squash many bees. If that top deep is full of honey, we all know how heavy it is. It is a pain to place it on the ground and then lift it up again when I am finished. What I would like is a collapsible, light weight table type thing that I can use to hold my wooden ware out of the way. What type of equipment, if any do you use?

barry42001 · « **Reply #1 on:** March 03, 2015, 10:43:28 pm »

I have a old el cheapo rolling tv table

Jen · « **Reply #2 on:** March 03, 2015, 11:01:03 pm »

You can see in the hive pic that my hives are already elevated. Then in the beer pic the plastic foldable table is my back saver. Minimal bending for me.

Slowmodem · « **Reply #3 on:** March 03, 2015, 11:10:34 pm »

Since the shed where we keep the boxes and frames is about 100 yards or so away from the hives, I got this cart (we use it for all kind of yard work) and it works well to carry stuff and to stack stuff while working in the hives. The sides let down if desired. I got it at Lowes. It can be pulled by hand or hooked up to the lawnmower.

Jen · « **Reply #4 on:** March 03, 2015, 11:17:04 pm »

We have one of these as well, used all year long.

riverbee · « **Reply #5 on:** March 03, 2015, 11:21:49 pm »

tbone, when i have supers on, unless there is a problem, i don't lift anything off. if the bees are happy and are making honey i don't mess around with inspections in the double deeps of my hives, i just check the progess of the supers.

with that said, to inspect deeps, i use an extra deep set off close to the side. take off the outer cover, place it on top that extra deep, upside down. if i lift a box it goes on that extra deep. if i am looking at frames i can also use that extra deep to put frames in, or use a frame holder. i always inspect the underneath side of the inner cover to make sure the queen isn't up there for some reason before leaning it up against the hive. if i want to go to the first deep, i lift the 2nd deep off and set it off to the side on the extra deep, go through the first deep, then i put the 2nd deep back in place and go through it. really, you only need to lift one frame out to enable going through the rest of the frames of a double deep hive.
hope i made sense?

barry42001 · « **Reply #6 on:** March 04, 2015, 02:06:17 am »

I used to go in put the super on top of the upsidedown outer cover the problem is you still have to lift it all the way from the ground up and half the time the outer cover sticks to the bottom of the deep because of the propolis so now I use that little table that you see with the tools on it when I'm working the hive the tools are not it.

iddee · « **Reply #7 on:** March 04, 2015, 08:01:02 am »

I use the next hive over as a table.

rwlaw · « **Reply #8 on:** March 04, 2015, 08:26:56 am »

I bought a gorilla work platform from Home Depot. 30" high, plenty of room for two boxes and as I remember it was about 26 bucks

Papakeith · « **Reply #9 on:** March 04, 2015, 09:38:49 am »

I either use the next hive as a table or the extra space on the stand I built to set the boxes on.

brooksbeefarm · « **Reply #10 on:** March 04, 2015, 09:45:51 am »

I have old unusable deeps in all my outyards, takes away alot of heavy lifting, just set them beside the hive i'm working. Taking equipment in a pickup truck to 7 outyards on a 130 mile round trip is almost impossible to have everything you need, so i have to plan ahead what i'm sure i'll need. I keep some extra equipment at each yard, most of the time it's not what i need.

Jack

brooksbeefarm · « **Reply #11 on:** March 04, 2015, 09:47:58 am »

That would be a neat trick iddee, don't you just have one hive.

Jack

iddee · « **Reply #12 on:** March 04, 2015, 10:07:26 am »

No, Jack. I've only got 1 colony. I have many hives.

LazyBkpr · « **Reply #13 on:** March 04, 2015, 08:55:25 pm »

LOL
one of the fellows at the bee club reported that all ten of his hives made it through winter with flying colors, unfortunately none of the bees in those hives survived.....

Jen · « **Reply #14 on:** March 04, 2015, 10:48:08 pm »

None! bummer

JPBEEGETTER · « **Reply #15 on:** March 05, 2015, 08:29:28 am »

Had one going in and got one now. nice colony also. Plan to split in April, want to come help Wally . thanks for the happy birthday. If I had time and space , I would tell you all the tests I have been thru this last couple of months. all they came up with was a leaking heart valve, not bad though, just get tired quicker, later. JP.

iddee · « **Reply #16 on:** March 05, 2015, 08:39:17 am »

Give me a call when you are ready. If you don't have my number, I can PM it. Glad to see you back on the confuser.

LazyBkpr · « **Reply #17 on:** March 05, 2015, 08:57:03 am »

Depending on which yard I am in, I do like Iddee and use the hive next door as a work table.. This also depends on if they have supers on. When they get too tall I use the ground, as mentioned. Tele cover flipped over and laid flat, set the first box on it kitty cornered so there are only 4 small contact points, less bees squished. That bottom one is the hardest, next box doesnt have to go down as far..
Going to try to be MUCH less intrusive this year. Let the production hives roll on and fuss with making nucs and queens more here at the home yard. The plan is to see how fast I can bump up the first year colonies with brood pulled from the managed nucs. If/when the time arrives I no longer have weak hives to put that brood, I'll make up more nucs. I hope to have nucs for sale, as well as one, two and three box medium hives for sale by July. 40 nucs? will allow me to sell the queens, though only about 20 of them will be managed for queens, the other 20 will be the older queens pulled from hives. I am also considering allowing these nucs to go to three boxes to provide extra drawn frames, and or frames for cut comb..
In managing the nucs, I do need to figure out a cart of some type. I may in fact build stands to put the nucs on to raise them up higher. I like the idea of the pull behind wagon/cart I was thinking it would be nice to have something like that I could pull behind the Fergy to putt around to the outyards with.

Jen · « **Reply #18 on:** March 05, 2015, 12:00:56 pm »

Scott- "In managing the nucs, I do need to figure out a cart of some type.

We sure love this wagon, sturdy and won't tip over either

http://www.amazon.com/FR110-2-400-Pound-Capacity-34-Inches-18-Inches/dp/B003OANHEY/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&qid=1425574660&sr=8-7&keywords=wagons

LogicalBee · « **Reply #19 on:** March 06, 2015, 01:43:33 am »

I like the wagon idea too.

I have been using the adjacent hives to stack boxes on but it's not the best system in my eyes. We're beeks darn it, we should be able to come up with a better idea, right!