Spare equipment?

[Wandering Man]

I'm just starting, so my "spares" are slim. I've got a spare medium super with a another one on the way. I've also got an uncounted number of frames, two spare bottom boards and two spare screened bottom boards.

Obviously, some spare parts are the result of experimentation. Others because of clicking on the wrong products.

 I've only got two hives, so I don't need a lot.

But, helping out with a cut out, and realizing that swarms happen, I'm wondering what spare hive pieces others keep on hand.

What's in your spare parts closet?

(I promise I won't tell your spouse)

[iddee]

From March 1st to Oct.1st, you will never see my truck without a complete hive setting on it. When I catch a swarm and unload it, there is another complete hive waiting to go in it's place. Other than that, my spares are just what seems to accumulate.

[Perry]

On the truck pretty much what Iddee said, one of everything. At home, never enough of anything. I drove to Hubbards (1 hr one way) today to pick up 2 cases of deep foundation townson was good enough to pick up for me on his last trip cause I desperately need it. I also went to the store and bought a sheet of 3/8" plywood, cut it and enough 3/4" pine to make another 10 telescoping covers to cover hives that have  chunks of wood for lids at the moment.
Awwwe, just give up, cause really you will never have enough of what you need, especially when you need it the most.

[rcannon]

Ain't that the truth. I was scraping for supers today. This is the best honey flow I've seen in years.

[Bakersdozen]

Feeders, I like the bucket type.
Deeps because I like the bucket type feeders.
Frames ready to go in supers and deeps.
Shims for winter in case I need to put on winter food.
I never have enough supers.  I am going to make a call tomorrow to see about getting more.
I have two complete hives in garage, just in case. 

[riverbee]

"What's in your spare parts closet?

(I promise I won't tell your spouse)"

lol, my spouse already knows, and i have years worth of an accumulation of spare parts............

anything extra for your needs and hive setups are really invaluable, deeps, supers, frames, bottom boards, inner cover, etc......you can switch things out, add without worrying about running out of equipment.  also for swarms and divides extra equipment, even nuc boxes are great.
bakers mentioned the bucket pails, and shims.... i have extra of these, so i can take the empty off and flop the new one right away to replace it. shims can take a beating over time so i keep extra on hand.  i also cover feed with old deeps not suitable for brood boxes anymore. (you can probably buy these old beaters cheap).  i have, and actually some i fixed up to use and are still in service. 

oh and one more thing..........extra hive tools........cuz you will lose them and find them next year.........maybe!...........

[Wandering Man]

Well, I've learned of a new spare part that I must have: "Shims"

What are they?  Are you talking about regular wood or plastic shims like you use to level a piece of equipment?  Or is there a special bee shim?  Does it help bees with scoliosis to walk straight?

[riverbee]

shims are wood 'spacers' about 2" high (i make my own); square, to fit over the top of any box, whether it be deep or medium.  what shims are useful for is winter feeding. it gives extra space over your deep/medium to add winter patties, sugar or fondant.  also, i have found that the bees like the extra cluster space when my shims are on.   looking for a pic for you...........

[riverbee]

okay here ya go, looking for a pic of this on my own hives, but this is what they like, shims/rim feeder..........

Kelley Beekeeping Mountain Camp Rim Feeder

[riverbee]

shim/rim feeder i make and use on my hives:



i use pre-made winter patties, i quit messing with and mixing up fondant, but have on occasion, did last year. 

[Jen]

Frames with empty pulled wax! Deeps or Meds. Invaluable! I will put a frame of blank wax foundation into the hives, just to get the bees to pull wax for me. Then I take them out, replace with blank foundation, and put them in storage. I can never have too many.

[Wandering Man]

I will put a frame of blank wax foundation into the hives, just to get the bees to pull wax for me. Then I take them out, replace with blank foundation, and put them in storage.

Now that's just plain mean!

Poor girls.

What I have in my spare parts pile are lots of wax covered plastic foundation and BeeThinkings foundationless frames.  Stuff that's not working well with the bees.

Given a choice, I think my bees would prefer that I store drawn comb for them rather than try to force them to use plastic.

Maybe that's not so mean after all.