Today was the day I put my beehives together. I bought all the pieces (above) and I just had to put them together. It is quite a clever system; fits together easily. The nail holes are even already drilled!
The outer and inner covers as well as the bottom board are already assembled.
The outer and inner covers as well as the bottom board are already assembled.
I was a bit afraid that I would put together things that do not belong together so I was very careful to leave everything in little piles as they came. Actually, I saw after a while that it would be difficult to mix things up because of the size. The parts on the picture above are only for 1 hive.
I started with the bottom box, which is the tallest and where the queen lays eggs and the colony grows. I started nailing the pieces when I suddenly realized that it would be quite easy to nail the whole thing....crooked! So I got a square and made sure!
That is the bottom box (which is called brood box. Got to show off my new vocabulary!) and the inner lid. That lid actually does not go there, I just wanted to see how it looked.
On top of the brood box is another box, which is less tall but is assembled exactly in the same way. This is called a super and that is where the bees store their honey. The honey in the first super is not harvested (hum, does one say harvested for honey? I guess I will have to check but you know what I mean). It is left for the bees to feed on in the winter. As they produce more honey, more supers are added and honey from the upper supers is what we take.
I put one together and I think it is right (I don't see how else it 
could go together). However, I cannot remember where those things get nailed (and that will be the tricky part!) There is a sheet of wax that goes in each frame after they are put together but that will be for the next episode! Let's get those frames put together first!
That is the bottom box (which is called brood box. Got to show off my new vocabulary!) and the inner lid. That lid actually does not go there, I just wanted to see how it looked.
On top of the brood box is another box, which is less tall but is assembled exactly in the same way. This is called a super and that is where the bees store their honey. The honey in the first super is not harvested (hum, does one say harvested for honey? I guess I will have to check but you know what I mean). It is left for the bees to feed on in the winter. As they produce more honey, more supers are added and honey from the upper supers is what we take.
I am afraid that putting the hive body together was actually the easy part and I have the nagging feeling that the frames are going to be another story. Above are the pieces for the frames (10 per box). Frames hang in the brood box and supers and this is where the bees build their combs, lay their eggs and store their honey.
I put one together and I think it is right (I don't see how else it could go together). However, I cannot remember where those things get nailed (and that will be the tricky part!) There is a sheet of wax that goes in each frame after they are put together but that will be for the next episode! Let's get those frames put together first!What puzzles me are those 2 little nail holes on the side on the side of the frame. I can't figure out what they are for. I can't see anything that goes there. So before I mess up the whole batch, I am going to go ask!
But at least, I have the hive bodies put together. Yessss!
But at least, I have the hive bodies put together. Yessss!
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