Author Topic: Hive identification. What are your methods? (Read 6164 times)

CpnObvious · « **on:** March 27, 2015, 02:04:05 pm »

I'm always planning ahead, though I didn't fully think things through when I started keeping last year... So I need to correct this situation before it gets further out of hand.

Background: Last year I planned to start with two hives, one in each of two locations. I built 2 - two hive stands so I could grow to four this year. I ended up with 3 hives last year, though I had queen issues as winter set so I had to combine down to one. I was calling them Hive ! Hive 2, Hive 3.

The Dilemma: The fault in that was that the location of H1 only had 1 hive, but room for a second, and H2 &H3 were at the second apiary... What if I got a 4th? H1 & H4 together and H2 & H3 together? What about further expansion, both in hive count and apiaries? What if I combine hives? What if I relocate hives? What about if woodenware is swapped (for any number of reasons) I've tangled myself into a webby mess!

The Resolution?: How do you identify your hives? How & where are they marked as such? What do you do if/when you relocate one? What do you do when you swap or replace woodenware? I have WAAAAY too many thoughts and ideas about this, but then a flaw in each. What do y'all do?

hamptor · « **Reply #1 on:** March 27, 2015, 02:14:47 pm »

Each of my hives is painted a different color : white, Carolina blue, yellow, and mint green. That helps me keep track of the age of the woodware and is a better visual for me to remember who got split to whom, etc. I also keep a log of it. Inside the hive, I write the year that each new frame went into the hive (ex: 13 for 2013, 14, 15.... etc) on the top of one end of the frame. That way I can keep up with the age of the frames.
Of course, if I had 10's or hundreds of hives - my method wouldn't be so efficient.

iddee · « **Reply #2 on:** March 27, 2015, 05:01:18 pm »

If there's bees in it, it's alive. If not, it's available. That's enough ID for me.

rwlaw · « **Reply #3 on:** March 27, 2015, 06:05:30 pm »

After this winter iddee's idea is a excellent point LOL. As far as marking in better times, painted letter on lid (that way I keep track of nucs example A1 A2 etc). I found a retractable china marker at Menards (Tradesmarker I think is the brand name) for insp dates, queen timing, etc. And a set of push pins green, yellow, and red on the box for queen condition, and a white one if I'm feeding.

riverbee · « **Reply #4 on:** March 27, 2015, 07:07:34 pm »

"How do you identify your hives? How & where are they marked as such? What do you do if/when you relocate one? What do you do when you swap or replace woodenware? I have WAAAAY too many thoughts and ideas about this, but then a flaw in each. What do y'all do?"

i don't. like iddee said...

"If there's bees in it, it's alive. If not, it's available. That's enough ID for me."

i used to keep some notes on what was what, mostly queens. i don't anymore, and it doesn't matter. frames? i mark the tops of any new frames i place in with a date on them. for newer beeks i think it can be helpful to record things so that you can look back on it, and have a 'learning history'.

Bakersdozen · « **Reply #5 on:** March 27, 2015, 10:10:05 pm »

Thanks for posting the question Cpn. I don't mean to steal the thread, so scold away if I do.
Next month I am giving a quick presentation on record keeping at my bee club. Since we have just had beginning beekeepers classes, I anticipate the audience to be filled with newbies. I was planning on including hive markings and identification in the presentation. I am definitely going to use the KISS method.
So if anyone has some pictures of their hive numbering system or identification system and they wouldn't mind if I used them in my power point presentation I would appreciate you posting them here. I would use them as examples of what some beekeepers do.
My main focus will be centered around that record keeping is individualized. Beginners should start setting good habits and keep records, any records, in which to learn from.

Jen · « **Reply #6 on:** March 27, 2015, 11:24:30 pm »

Bakers, I was going to put pictures of John, Paul, Ringo, and George on mine, but I haven't found the template yet

CpnObvious · « **Reply #7 on:** March 27, 2015, 11:27:28 pm »

Quote from: Jen on March 27, 2015, 11:24:30 pm

Bakers, I was going to put pictures of John, Paul, Ringo, and George on mine, but I haven't found the template yet

You'll need a fifth hive do you can have Pete, too. Then, when you expand to six hives, you can have Epi.

Jen · « **Reply #8 on:** March 28, 2015, 12:31:37 am »

Very Clever Cpn

That's definatley some beatles history. Poor Pete sure missed out

brooksbeefarm · « **Reply #9 on:** March 28, 2015, 09:16:42 am »

I use cattle number ear tags screwed on front of each hives, they last fore ever. and can be moved when a hive becomes junk. Jack

riverbee · « **Reply #10 on:** March 28, 2015, 05:42:56 pm »

"My main focus will be centered around that record keeping is individualized. Beginners should start setting good habits and keep records, any records, in which to learn from."

good post and advice bakers!

Perry · « **Reply #11 on:** March 28, 2015, 06:16:22 pm »

Not very imaginative, but it works. Sometimes the numbers wear off but not usually.
(ignore the numbers on the boxes, they are just beekeeper code numbers). It's the ones on the lids.

iddee · « **Reply #12 on:** March 28, 2015, 06:34:52 pm »

What are the weightsyou are using there, Perry? They look like pre-stressed concrete test plugs.

riverbee · « **Reply #13 on:** March 28, 2015, 06:39:20 pm »

i think i read somewhere perry gets his weights from a local fabricator of headstones?............

Perry · « **Reply #14 on:** March 28, 2015, 06:46:50 pm »

I made a deal with the headstone maker in Lunenburg at the time. Those are the cores they drill out of headstones to place urns with ashes in. A jar of honey got me about 2 dozen of them. Solid granite.

iddee · « **Reply #15 on:** March 28, 2015, 06:49:51 pm »

OK. They are about the same dia. but half as long as the test pours on pre-stressed concrete. They make a plug, then compress it with many thousands pounds pressure, and if it doesn't break, they use that batch. They throw away the plugs after testing.

Perry · « **Reply #16 on:** March 28, 2015, 07:17:32 pm »

I've seen those concrete plugs before, I always wondered what they did with them.

Bakersdozen · « **Reply #17 on:** March 28, 2015, 08:45:11 pm »

Thanks for the pictures Perry. I will use them in my presentation.

Bamabww · « **Reply #18 on:** March 28, 2015, 09:02:09 pm »

I've never marked my hives as such but have marked the new frames in the same way riverbee does. But all of mine are in one place. I did start keeping a journal when I started beekeeping but just quit doing it out of laziness.

Ray · « **Reply #19 on:** March 29, 2015, 08:59:39 am »

I draw a simple sketch in my note book, of the hives position and their orientation to each other, then label them. Last year I had two yards (front yard and back yard

). The front yard hives where labeled a b c....., the back yard 1 2 3... . I used that to write my notes. One day maybe I'll make BeeKEEPER and I won't need that crutch

.
I annoys me greatly when I can't remember what was happening in my hives. "Was that one doing that great last week?"

Author Topic: Hive identification. What are your methods? (Read 6164 times)

Ray