About the PLEXIGLASS: I found a plastic supplier in Massachusetts that sold acrylic sheets. (Piedmont Plastics) (Google "Acrylic Plexiglass sheet supplier" in your area). I bought a full 4x8 sheet of 3/8" acrylic and they made as many cuts as I needed for a $25 flat fee. I got 15 pieces out of that sheet measuring: 19 1/8" x 13 5/8". The total cost was about $325. Roughly $22 per piece.
One thing that I don’t like about the design is that the metal wheel (in closed position) has gaps & cracks that allow warm air to escape the top of the hive. Considering the infrequency of feeding, I think that a better solution might be just a simple piece of vapor tape (like red Tuck Tape) over the hole. This would also allow for a piece of XPS foam of nearly any thickness to fit flush against the plexi and insulate it directly…which would negate the need for the insulated shell. Just my $0.02 Keep up the good work, Jim.
My question is how you do your OA treatment. I have a provap and the tube is not long enough to go though the whole hive wall and the hot tube is going to melt the foam wall. Do you have any sugestions?
I want my bees to have the best chance to thrive. This hive looks amazing! It is hard to tell by the video, is this one super and 2 medium, or 2 super and the top a medium? I am new to bee keeping and planning on following, pretty much, your videos. It would be nice to know the exact pieces to purchase.
Any updates on how they are working? Anything you would do differently (before i build 3+ of them) I have 3 of the V1 Barns, they work ok winter season, looking forward to seeing how these handle the Minnesota winter.
@@prizonfrost123 I mean just a little wider. Same deep/medium size frames. My boxes max out with 8 of my frames. Having a 10 frame box would give that little extra space during the heavy brood months (May/June) but the rest of the year my bees are fine with 7-8 frames. If I did have 10 frame boxes I’d still over winter with 7-8 frames and fill the empty space with foam spacers.
You've outdone yourself! See if you can get your hands on some raw wool from a local sheep farmer to put in that top feeder box. Way better than burlap for insulation, also reusable, and relatively cheap. I just gave mine a double rinse with no soap so there is still enough lanolin to repel other insects from nesting in it.
A one gallon plastic bucket sits over the screw. (At least mine do.) The problem with this design is that the medium box is about 1” too short to enclose the bucket. A deep would have been better. Or, finding shorter feeder pails.
I know nothing about bees nor building things, but watching you work is so mesmerising. Your attention to detail is incredible and your inventive mind is nothing less than genius! Thank you for sharing, even though I’m never likely to need to build a bee barn, I enjoyed the process of learning how to do it 😊
Super slick design. I love the idea of the viewing window. The stress of hopefully having a warm day when you also have time to do work on the hive and be super quick is crazy hard. Being able to see in and add food safely is a HUGE upgrade. I love this idea. Having a super tight box the bees dont have to seal with propelis is probably not my goal, but boy, that window is sweeeeet.
Love the meticulous attention to detail, even cutting the zip tape on the corners to make it lay flat. Well done! I'm really looking forward to the start of the season to see how the bees fared and to see what modifications they made, if any, to the 2.0.
Jim, Thanks for sharing these video tutorials. I love that you are channeling Thomas Seeley in a creative way - the bee barns align with his research, replicate conditions found in natural beehives in trees, AND are more supportive for beekeepers! I am a fellow (still new) beekeeper in central MA and will hopefully be able to create a version of the bee barn to try out in my bee yard. Thanks again for your creativity and sharing!
Sika Post Fix is a 3lb 2-part foam available in the box store fence section for $15. ALternately, we've used a product from a company called Secure-Set which has a 5lb foam at ~$47 for 1gal shipped from OK. Just pour each bag into a separate quart container. Then mix 1:1 in a 3rd container for each pour. When we do small projects, we get plastic containers from the dollar store for each pour, because once it foams up you'd want to pitch the container the mixed product is in.
I like the way your top box is larger than your main brood box section. This will let the rain and snow melt water and drip from your top box edge and not drip on your lower brood box area. Although, even if it did wind blow and drip on your lower box, it would still be no problem and drip off the bottom edge of your lower brood box.
Love the plexiglass idea!!! I will be changing my tops and I think I will add some RGB LEDs to the corners and a camera. Thanks for the great idea generator ... my wife is going love this one.
I have viewed you video several times and I did not see you give a measurement of how far from the bottom of the box that you cut the 3/8 in dado for the plexiglass. I am doing 2 bee barns for myself. I feel really good about the hive structure and hope that I have as good of success as you have had. I also like the deep frames. Have a great day and look forward to seeing your next video.
Doing some really great work on this hive project Jim. Fascinating watching these hives being built, even more so how the bees respond to them. Best wishes as always.
I estimate about $220 in materials per hive. That does not include the frames. Lyson Boxes: 1 Deep, 2 mediums, 1 bottom board - $124 Plexiglass: $22 Foam Board: $47 Zip tape, Spray foam, misc fasteners: Less than $20 per hive. You could do the same conceptual build on an existing wooden hive for under $100 per hive.
@@jarethgroves8194 You know what? I clicked all of the links on mobile and they each worked. But now I'm on my desktop and they are doing what you describe. Ugh. If you click the main "Shop Link" It takes you to my shop page and then you click on the "VinoFarm Favorites" link. AMazon is frustrating. Let me know whatever questions you have about gear. www.amazon.com/shop/vinofarm?ref=cm_sw_em_r_inf_own_vinofarm_dp_dq5ck8grfljjv
Thank You very much for your videos and recommendations !! We greatly appreciate your work ! I sent you a message on Instagram about your potential bulk bee barn frame production. Not sure if I missed your email address somewhere on your channel. Keep up the good work !
Thanks for including what doesn't work well in this great video (like the foam) so we don't make the same mistakes! I am looking forward to your next video!
I was hoping part 3 would be the frames, but this was so great too. Really looking forward to video 4. Thank you for saying the foam fill was 4lb density. Any idea what the density is of the foam in those Lysen boxes?
Great video thank you. Where did you source your plexi and what were the dimensions of the plexi needed for the Lyson you used and the depth of the dados?
Call plastic sheet suppliers in your area. I found one that sold 4x8 sheets and they cut it into my exact size pieces I requested for $25 flat fee. Each piece came out to about $22 in the end.
Can I say nothing but praise. I do have one question. Why fit the metal spinner on the plexiglass if you only use it for feeding. Would a cork stopper not be better. Better insulation than the thin metal. (And one less specialist item to buy) Thanks
Jim, that is an amazing boxes and yet not to complicated. Good job. My only concern is moisture. Bees need moisture in the winter to drink and typically use the condensation off of the hive. Will this box allow for condensation for the bee to use to eat honey?
Yes. They will have plenty of moisture. It just won't soak into the wooden boxes and destroy everything. I'm sure there's plenty of water condensing in cooler areas. Humidity levels are exactly like last year if not a touch higher.
You monitor temperatures within your hives. Perhaps it would be a good idea to put a thermometer within the feeder box to find out what the difference is in temperatures between the boxes
I have a question. You are using a medium Lyson box. If you put the plexiglass in the box a 1 gallon feeding bucket is 7.5 inches high, but the box is Internal: 18-3/4" x 15-3/4" x 6-5/8" (to inner lip 5-7/8). I don't see the bucket fitting unless you make the cover greater than the 6-5/8 so the bucket will fit. I am trying to figure out what I am going to need to build the bee barn for me. I am liking what I am seeing. Thank you for your research and I like what I am seeing. Ray
I feed in 1 gallon buckets. They are 1" too tall for the Lyson mediums. I noted this in the very beginning of the video. If I was going to do this again, I would consider using deeps, but then I would have need giant outer foam lids. What I plan on is just putting the gallon buckets in the mediums and setting my foam lids over the top. They won't sit flush, but I only feed in relatively warm weather, so it shouldn't matter much. The other option is to find or make a pail that is under 6" tall. There IS a liquid feeder product that would fit, but I don't feel like buying all new feeders. (The BeeSmart Ultimate feeder would JUST fit.)
@@vinofarm Thank you for you response. I was thinking of using a deep for the box and that would work great. I believe you have one more video. Is that going to be how you do the honey suppers on the hive and what kind of top you use on that? Looking forward to the last one.
Hello Jim, I'm in the process of assembling 2 of these Lyson Bee Barns. Thinking forward, I was wondering if you are using your old wooden (less expensive) Supers or converting to Lyson boxes (very expensive with shipping to Wash. State)? I only ask because I don't have any 8-frame equipment, as I built 10 frame Bee Barns last year, so starting fresh with the Lyson 8-9 equipment.
I’m using my old 8 frame wooden supers. Queen excluder will sit on the lip of the Lyson box and then supers will stack. They will be strapped together like I’ve been doing before.
@@vinofarm I don’t have any of the lyson boxes yet, so no idea of the foam strength, but I’m wondering if the weight of a couple full medium supers could crush or compress the raised lip of the lyson box, making a funky fit next time the winter top box goes on the brood box. They must be like solid plastic to take that kind of weight?
You may have a problem at the interface between the top cover and the bottom box. You now have 2 inches of insulation on the outside of the hive except at the interface between the cover and the top box. Because of the air gap (Thermal break), making the covers outside dimension larger than the top box, there is only 1 inch of insulation overlap at the seam. Not sure how that will affect the temp of the plexiglass viewing window. Something to check with your temperature monitoring.
Remember that this is version 2.0. Version 3.0, 4.0, 5.0, etc will be better. I'm monitoring everything and will be modifying designs as I come across problems. Thanks.
Thank you so very much! I have known that I would be converting to foam boxes for my bees. You have shown me how I can do it easily. No saws for me. Just knives will work fine. Thank you again. By the way. I live in Oklahoma. We get some freezing in winter. Not a lot. Just enough to kill bees. We also usually have vey hot summers. Last summer was 100 degrees all summer long.
Jim, Thank you so much for doing the work and being willing to share it. I'm a long time home rehabber, so I completely got the build part. I'm not yet a beekeeper though (license just arrived). I'm pulling together my materials list and would like some advice on supers please. Wood Mediums I assume for weight. How about frames (wood or plastic, foundation material, color, wax?, pins?, rods??), queen excluder material metal or plastic?. Should I dip the boxes in a parafin wax prior to assembly for weather resistance? Also would be happy to have the whys of the recommendations if you're wiling. Thanks again! Cheers, Osh
I’ve been using it for years, too and noticed how well it holds up. But I recently learned that the R value of polyiso drops when it gets cold. Luckily, this is more of a backup layer than primary insulation.
Hey Jim, I now have the necessary boxes and materials to start constructing 2 of these hives, but I have 2 questions regarding the inspection/feeder box. 1. With using a Medium box and dado-ing a 3/8" grove for the acrylic safely above the bottom of the box, I figure there's only about 6" from the glass to the top of this box. What size bucket feeder are you using? I have several different 1gal buckets and the shortest is 7" tall, would not fit very well under a cover. Unless the cover rests on the feeder. (???) 2. The 2-part foam for filling the voids in the box sides, how much product was mixed (ounces each part) for each side? Or for the 4 sides, if mixed all at once? My apologies for nit-picking the details. Looking forward to the Frame construction video.
1. I feed in 1 gallon buckets. They are 1" too tall for the Lyson mediums. I noted this in the very beginning of the video. If I was going to do this again, I would consider using deeps, but then I would have need giant outer foam lids. What I plan on is just putting the gallon buckets in the mediums and setting my foam lids over the top. They won't sit flush, but I only feed in relatively warm weather, so it shouldn't matter much. The other option is to find or make a pail that is under 6" tall. There IS a liquid feeder product that would fit, but I don't feel like buying all new feeders. (The BeeSmart Ultimate feeder would JUST fit.) 2. I mixed about 16oz at a time and very quickly poured it into about 6-8 super sides. After it cured, I would mix another round and fill in any spots that needed more and then went on to the next set of panels. You can always pour more in low spots and shave off excess.
@@vinofarm Thanks for the response, I must have missed the comment regarding height differences for the feeder. Could possibly build a shim to sit on top of medium box during warm weather feeding. But then that's another item to store during the winter. Good to know regarding the pour foam. Again, thanks for sharing all your experience and experimentations.
@@sirwinstonhoneybees1376 THe inner boxes had spray foam because it was more convenient to shoot it in vertically and put the outer boxes over it. Those spray foam areas will never see weather. These boxes are going to sit out exposed to the elements so I wanted something super dense. The 2 part foam is a lot more expensive, so I only wanted to use it where necessary.
Hey Jim, do you have any concerns for the weight of the supers when you start stacking them for honey? I think you had a picture where you had like 5+ supers on top of your Bee Barn 1.0. Now that Bee Barn 2.0 is made of foam, is there any concerns for the foam base handling that much weight?
@@vinofarm it's a ten frame medium box, I know you can put galvanized nail 25mm nails *6 but if you wanted to put screws instead, which ones would you recommend?
@@point305 Probably just some 2 inch screws? I prefer 2 inch staples if you have a power or pneumatic stapler. And probably some wood glue in the joints.
Thank you for this series. Do you find that the plexiglass stays nice? What are your thoughts on not gluing one side to allow the plexi to be replaced now and then?
Jim - terrific design. What container do you use for feeding syrup, given the relatively shallow medium box height? Also, I’m aware Lyson makes hive-top feeders for their 10-frame equipment, but I have not been able to locate one that works with the Lyson 8/9 boxes. Do you know of one?
I feed in 1 gallon buckets. They are 1" too tall for the Lyson mediums. I noted this in the very beginning of the video. If I was going to do this again, I would consider using deeps, but then I would have need giant outer foam lids. What I plan on is just putting the gallon buckets in the mediums and setting my foam lids over the top. They won't sit flush, but I only feed in relatively warm weather, so it shouldn't matter much. The other option is to find or make a pail that is under 6" tall. There IS a liquid feeder product that would fit, but I don't feel like buying all new feeders. (The BeeSmart Ultimate feeder would JUST fit.)
Will you be showing what you use for adding honey supers, Lyson or wooden boxes. Do you use a standard telescoping top. Beings air tight on reduction of bees, how does it affect the mite load and HB .
What is the average cost for the materials? Suggestion for the top cover. Even with the thermal break and sitting flush would a small notch where they meet for condensation drainage or does the connection able to weep out condensation?
I think you should run your design by the Passive House Institute. You may have the first passive bee house here. Also someone in the back of my head is yelling “roll the tape”. Well done on the design Sir.
I was thinking of just cutting packaging foam (or a few layers of foil-back double bubble) to fill the space. If you run a bead of caulk around that space and put that next foam wall on, it should make a great dead air insulated area for a lot less cost than that awesome 2 part foam.
Jim, great work! Thank you for all of your ever-evolving great-ideas & free inspiration over the years! ❤ I’m really happy that these are doing so well for you & wish all the best continues! 🎉 -R3
Woohoo! I think this was the part that perplexed me the most! THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU! Now, all I need is to convince my big brother (THE handy man in the family) to make me a few of these!
Great work Jim! My bees are in Ag Zone 9B about 2,000 feet elevation (winter nights get about 30-35F on the coldest nights so very mild). I'll probably do something similar and have my 8 frame equipment with enough insulation to fit 10 frame hive stands and leave it as a more modular system so I can use standard frames for my extractor. Many different ways to skin a cat, enjoy all of your videos!
About the PLEXIGLASS: I found a plastic supplier in Massachusetts that sold acrylic sheets. (Piedmont Plastics) (Google "Acrylic Plexiglass sheet supplier" in your area). I bought a full 4x8 sheet of 3/8" acrylic and they made as many cuts as I needed for a $25 flat fee. I got 15 pieces out of that sheet measuring: 19 1/8" x 13 5/8". The total cost was about $325. Roughly $22 per piece.
Thanks!
That is exactly what I needed. Thanks.
In Denver we have Plasticare. They're great!
Thanks again
@@strive4impact Thanks Strive4 I'm in Evergreen and I will use Plasticare for my plexi
One thing that I don’t like about the design is that the metal wheel (in closed position) has gaps & cracks that allow warm air to escape the top of the hive. Considering the infrequency of feeding, I think that a better solution might be just a simple piece of vapor tape (like red Tuck Tape) over the hole. This would also allow for a piece of XPS foam of nearly any thickness to fit flush against the plexi and insulate it directly…which would negate the need for the insulated shell. Just my $0.02
Keep up the good work, Jim.
They have that hole filled with beeswax and propolis as soon as I remove the feeder pails. They got this!
@@vinofarm
That’s good! Just trying to think of simpler & more possibly more effective solutions
the stationery knife on the table scares me😅
Yeah, it's only there while I'm doing a specific build and immediately removed. There's probably a better way.
@@vinofarm 👍I understand, but still be careful
I too love and yet fear danger knife. So useful , so dangerous
Really value your ingenuity. Nice series.
Just be ready for when they propolize the plexyglass. They did on my observation mediums.
Yeah, I'll see what happens.
Still one of the best tutorials on TH-cam.
My question is how you do your OA treatment. I have a provap and the tube is not long enough to go though the whole hive wall and the hot tube is going to melt the foam wall. Do you have any sugestions?
Front entrance. Just shoot it in there.
I want my bees to have the best chance to thrive. This hive looks amazing! It is hard to tell by the video, is this one super and 2 medium, or 2 super and the top a medium? I am new to bee keeping and planning on following, pretty much, your videos. It would be nice to know the exact pieces to purchase.
One deep, one medium combined into one continuous cavity.
I can't wait to see how these hives perform.
Any updates on how they are working? Anything you would do differently (before i build 3+ of them) I have 3 of the V1 Barns, they work ok winter season, looking forward to seeing how these handle the Minnesota winter.
Getting away from wood was a game changer. I only wish I could make the brood box larger. You’ll be happy with the switch to foam.
@@vinofarmdo you mean more frames or double deeps?
@@prizonfrost123 I mean just a little wider. Same deep/medium size frames. My boxes max out with 8 of my frames. Having a 10 frame box would give that little extra space during the heavy brood months (May/June) but the rest of the year my bees are fine with 7-8 frames. If I did have 10 frame boxes I’d still over winter with 7-8 frames and fill the empty space with foam spacers.
To drill holes in plexiglass i use a hole saw in reverse....... slowly!!!
Do you use queen excluders?
Yes. Then regular supers on top.
Super job!!!
Absolutely impressive! You are quite the craftsman! Thanks for sharing!
You've outdone yourself! See if you can get your hands on some raw wool from a local sheep farmer to put in that top feeder box. Way better than burlap for insulation, also reusable, and relatively cheap. I just gave mine a double rinse with no soap so there is still enough lanolin to repel other insects from nesting in it.
Dude your channel used to be so cool. BEE'S.
You ever heard of winter?
you have the most lovely work room
Thanks, It'll never be done, but it's coming along...
Excellent job Jim. You're making the process of following your design very easy!!
Hey How do you stop the bees from protolyzing the polycarbonate?
Lots of training! Some colonies learn faster than others.
Bro, I dig ur stuff. Aloha.
I like it. Well done.
Genius! Love love this design!
Another great video. Thanks, Jim
It just dawned on me that I won't be able to get the 1gal. feeder bucket over the hole with that screw. How do you solve this?
A one gallon plastic bucket sits over the screw. (At least mine do.) The problem with this design is that the medium box is about 1” too short to enclose the bucket. A deep would have been better. Or, finding shorter feeder pails.
Again thank you for taking the time to instruct us.
I know nothing about bees nor building things, but watching you work is so mesmerising. Your attention to detail is incredible and your inventive mind is nothing less than genius! Thank you for sharing, even though I’m never likely to need to build a bee barn, I enjoyed the process of learning how to do it 😊
This is such a logical upgrade!
Love the build series.
Thank you for posting! I’ve been waiting for this episode to hit
Yes! Part three
would this work with a very hot climate? would the insulation protect the bees from the heat as well? Awesome project dude!
Insulation slows the transfer of heat. That's it. It does not generate heat. I believe insulation would help any beehive on earth.
Absolutely! Insulation works both ways.
Awesome set up. The shop is looking good too!
Super slick design. I love the idea of the viewing window. The stress of hopefully having a warm day when you also have time to do work on the hive and be super quick is crazy hard. Being able to see in and add food safely is a HUGE upgrade. I love this idea. Having a super tight box the bees dont have to seal with propelis is probably not my goal, but boy, that window is sweeeeet.
Do you have a video on the frame building to match these new hives?
Next week. Part 4.
Someone didn't watch the end card of this video.
@@naxgulengames9863 - oops. ☹️
Another 10/10 video that will help someone in the future ggs.
How do I find your Amazon Store?
What USDA zone are you located. We’re in Zone 4 so I’m thinking that our seasons would be comparable.
All links are in the description. Zone 5A
Truely appreciate what you are doing. Thank You!
Love the meticulous attention to detail, even cutting the zip tape on the corners to make it lay flat. Well done! I'm really looking forward to the start of the season to see how the bees fared and to see what modifications they made, if any, to the 2.0.
Jim, Thanks for sharing these video tutorials. I love that you are channeling Thomas Seeley in a creative way - the bee barns align with his research, replicate conditions found in natural beehives in trees, AND are more supportive for beekeepers! I am a fellow (still new) beekeeper in central MA and will hopefully be able to create a version of the bee barn to try out in my bee yard. Thanks again for your creativity and sharing!
Hi Jim,
Thank you for all your design and building steps.
Does the Glue, Adhesive, and Zip tape contain any formaldehyde?
I have not checked. All of that is way outside of the brood cavity, though.
Thanks Jim, for sharing your Bee Barn video's.
Do you have space to put on a patty between the plexiglass and top of frames? Could you make the lid deeper for a feeder shim?
Pollen patty will squeeze right into that space. It's the same a a normal inner cover.
Part 4 - 5 year review of the bee barn 😉 great series. Love the innovation!
Part 4 is the XL frames. Next week!
For the pour foam, I found a kit that is 1 qt., do you think that would be enough to do two hives?
I got the gallon kit and did 8 medium super boxes (all 4 sides) with about 1/2 of the product left over.
@@vinofarm Oh wow, it really goes a long way. I think the quart kit will be more than enough then. Thank you.
Sika Post Fix is a 3lb 2-part foam available in the box store fence section for $15. ALternately, we've used a product from a company called Secure-Set which has a 5lb foam at ~$47 for 1gal shipped from OK.
Just pour each bag into a separate quart container. Then mix 1:1 in a 3rd container for each pour. When we do small projects, we get plastic containers from the dollar store for each pour, because once it foams up you'd want to pitch the container the mixed product is in.
Thank you Jim.
Do you have a full supply list for the builds
No, but everything I use is pretty clearly laid out in the videos.
I like the ability to see inside the hive without removing the inner cover. Can't wait to see how all the changes work.
I like the way your top box is larger than your main brood box section. This will let the rain and snow melt water and drip from your top box edge and not drip on your lower brood box area. Although, even if it did wind blow and drip on your lower box, it would still be no problem and drip off the bottom edge of your lower brood box.
Love the plexiglass idea!!! I will be changing my tops and I think I will add some RGB LEDs to the corners and a camera. Thanks for the great idea generator ... my wife is going love this one.
I have viewed you video several times and I did not see you give a measurement of how far from the bottom of the box that you cut the 3/8 in dado for the plexiglass. I am doing 2 bee barns for myself. I feel really good about the hive structure and hope that I have as good of success as you have had. I also like the deep frames. Have a great day and look forward to seeing your next video.
yippy!
Doing some really great work on this hive project Jim. Fascinating watching these hives being built, even more so how the bees respond to them.
Best wishes as always.
I see the brood minder in the hive. What temperature do the bees maintain in the fully insulated hive?
Frames vid up or next?
Thx
Awesome series!! What is the total cost of this bee hive 2.0? I can't remember if you did a cost post or not.
I estimate about $220 in materials per hive. That does not include the frames.
Lyson Boxes: 1 Deep, 2 mediums, 1 bottom board - $124
Plexiglass: $22
Foam Board: $47
Zip tape, Spray foam, misc fasteners: Less than $20 per hive.
You could do the same conceptual build on an existing wooden hive for under $100 per hive.
@@vinofarm if you translate it into Russian currency, then it's a lot
I love your videos man. I'm all about doing things differently
I made clear top covers like a few years ago. LOVE IT!
Is there a gap between the top bars and acrylic and if so what is the measurement?
About 3/8" -1/2" or so. Same as a regular wooden inner cover.
@@vinofarm Thanks for the info and I love your videos. Great job brother.
Hey Jim...all of your Amazon links appear to be dead!
Hmmm… I just clicked each one and they all worked for me. What country are you in!
@@vinofarm hmmm I'm in the US. They all took me to the Amazon home page. I'll try again.
@@vinofarm Follow-up, I was specifically talking about the camera equipment links!
@@jarethgroves8194 You know what? I clicked all of the links on mobile and they each worked. But now I'm on my desktop and they are doing what you describe. Ugh. If you click the main "Shop Link" It takes you to my shop page and then you click on the "VinoFarm Favorites" link. AMazon is frustrating. Let me know whatever questions you have about gear.
www.amazon.com/shop/vinofarm?ref=cm_sw_em_r_inf_own_vinofarm_dp_dq5ck8grfljjv
Can you please share a link for the straps you use to secure the bee barn ? Thank You for sharing the bee barn !!
www.lodimetals.com/2-inch-endless-loop-cam-buckle-strap
I ordered 15 footers. Best straps ever.
Thank You very much for your videos and recommendations !! We greatly appreciate your work ! I sent you a message on Instagram about your potential bulk bee barn frame production.
Not sure if I missed your email address somewhere on your channel. Keep up the good work !
Thanks for including what doesn't work well in this great video (like the foam) so we don't make the same mistakes! I am looking forward to your next video!
I was hoping part 3 would be the frames, but this was so great too. Really looking forward to video 4. Thank you for saying the foam fill was 4lb density. Any idea what the density is of the foam in those Lysen boxes?
Those hive boxes are as dense as pine. They feel like 2x8s.
These new boxes look awesome. I hope this year proves to be successful and productive. God speed ❤️☺️good luck and glad your back
Great video thank you. Where did you source your plexi and what were the dimensions of the plexi needed for the Lyson you used and the depth of the dados?
Call plastic sheet suppliers in your area. I found one that sold 4x8 sheets and they cut it into my exact size pieces I requested for $25 flat fee. Each piece came out to about $22 in the end.
@@vinofarm what were the dimension you have them cut the sheet into?
@@timblaney3 13 5/8" x 19 1/8" but that was specifically for the Lyson 8/9 medium box. The Dados are about 3/8" deep.
Amazing craftsmanship Jim. I really like this build series. You are going to have bees coming out your ears this spring!
Have you done any videos of how you build your double nuc boxes. Just found your site and love the videos on the bee barns.
Double nucs are just standard double nuc boxes purchased from Betterbee. I wrapped them in foam. That’s it!
Wonderful build. Thank you! Your BeeBarn design will probably qualify for LEED Platinum rating.
Can I say nothing but praise. I do have one question. Why fit the metal spinner on the plexiglass if you only use it for feeding. Would a cork stopper not be better. Better insulation than the thin metal. (And one less specialist item to buy)
Thanks
Do whatever you like. This is just what I did.
Jim, that is an amazing boxes and yet not to complicated. Good job.
My only concern is moisture. Bees need moisture in the winter to drink and typically use the condensation off of the hive. Will this box allow for condensation for the bee to use to eat honey?
Yes. They will have plenty of moisture. It just won't soak into the wooden boxes and destroy everything. I'm sure there's plenty of water condensing in cooler areas. Humidity levels are exactly like last year if not a touch higher.
Hi and thanks for your efforts and time explaining all the details. My question, what about rodents? Isn't foam to soft to keep them out?
Thanks.
I'll just need to see. This is only version 2.0. Wait for version 3.0.
You monitor temperatures within your hives. Perhaps it would be a good idea to put a thermometer within the feeder box to find out what the difference is in temperatures between the boxes
I have a question. You are using a medium Lyson box. If you put the plexiglass in the box a 1 gallon feeding bucket is 7.5 inches high, but the box is Internal: 18-3/4" x 15-3/4" x 6-5/8" (to inner lip 5-7/8). I don't see the bucket fitting unless you make the cover greater than the 6-5/8 so the bucket will fit. I am trying to figure out what I am going to need to build the bee barn for me. I am liking what I am seeing. Thank you for your research and I like what I am seeing. Ray
I feed in 1 gallon buckets. They are 1" too tall for the Lyson mediums. I noted this in the very beginning of the video. If I was going to do this again, I would consider using deeps, but then I would have need giant outer foam lids. What I plan on is just putting the gallon buckets in the mediums and setting my foam lids over the top. They won't sit flush, but I only feed in relatively warm weather, so it shouldn't matter much. The other option is to find or make a pail that is under 6" tall. There IS a liquid feeder product that would fit, but I don't feel like buying all new feeders. (The BeeSmart Ultimate feeder would JUST fit.)
@@vinofarm Thank you for you response. I was thinking of using a deep for the box and that would work great. I believe you have one more video. Is that going to be how you do the honey suppers on the hive and what kind of top you use on that? Looking forward to the last one.
@@khbeefarm478 Next week will be the video about the frames.
Hello Jim,
I'm in the process of assembling 2 of these Lyson Bee Barns. Thinking forward, I was wondering if you are using your old wooden (less expensive) Supers or converting to Lyson boxes (very expensive with shipping to Wash. State)? I only ask because I don't have any 8-frame equipment, as I built 10 frame Bee Barns last year, so starting fresh with the Lyson 8-9 equipment.
I’m using my old 8 frame wooden supers. Queen excluder will sit on the lip of the Lyson box and then supers will stack. They will be strapped together like I’ve been doing before.
@@vinofarm I don’t have any of the lyson boxes yet, so no idea of the foam strength, but I’m wondering if the weight of a couple full medium supers could crush or compress the raised lip of the lyson box, making a funky fit next time the winter top box goes on the brood box. They must be like solid plastic to take that kind of weight?
@@davejoly4690 They feel like 2x6s or 2x8s. Super dense. I would be comfortable standing on the top of a Lyson hive,
@@vinofarm Sold!
Curious to see what moisture will do eventually in your design.
You will get the full report.
You may have a problem at the interface between the top cover and the bottom box. You now have 2 inches of insulation on the outside of the hive except at the interface between the cover and the top box. Because of the air gap (Thermal break), making the covers outside dimension larger than the top box, there is only 1 inch of insulation overlap at the seam. Not sure how that will affect the temp of the plexiglass viewing window. Something to check with your temperature monitoring.
Remember that this is version 2.0. Version 3.0, 4.0, 5.0, etc will be better. I'm monitoring everything and will be modifying designs as I come across problems. Thanks.
Make that 1.5 inch overlap (same foam, 0.5 inch airgap).
Thank you so very much! I have known that I would be converting to foam boxes for my bees. You have shown me how I can do it easily. No saws for me. Just knives will work fine. Thank you again.
By the way. I live in Oklahoma. We get some freezing in winter. Not a lot. Just enough to kill bees. We also usually have vey hot summers. Last summer was 100 degrees all summer long.
Jim,
Thank you so much for doing the work and being willing to share it. I'm a long time home rehabber, so I completely got the build part. I'm not yet a beekeeper though (license just arrived). I'm pulling together my materials list and would like some advice on supers please.
Wood Mediums I assume for weight. How about frames (wood or plastic, foundation material, color, wax?, pins?, rods??), queen excluder material metal or plastic?. Should I dip the boxes in a parafin wax prior to assembly for weather resistance? Also would be happy to have the whys of the recommendations if you're wiling. Thanks again! Cheers, Osh
Food for thought.. you know that material used to make Croc shoes? Super lightweight foam stuff? Well it would be perfect for bee hivestoo
I’ve been using a coated 2” foam board similar to your Atlas board as a hive top for a year now and it holds up well.
I’ve been using it for years, too and noticed how well it holds up. But I recently learned that the R value of polyiso drops when it gets cold. Luckily, this is more of a backup layer than primary insulation.
@@vinofarm Good to know. Thanks for the videos!
Hey Jim,
I now have the necessary boxes and materials to start constructing 2 of these hives, but I have 2 questions regarding the inspection/feeder box.
1. With using a Medium box and dado-ing a 3/8" grove for the acrylic safely above the bottom of the box, I figure there's only about 6" from the glass to the top of this box. What size bucket feeder are you using? I have several different 1gal buckets and the shortest is 7" tall, would not fit very well under a cover. Unless the cover rests on the feeder. (???)
2. The 2-part foam for filling the voids in the box sides, how much product was mixed (ounces each part) for each side? Or for the 4 sides, if mixed all at once?
My apologies for nit-picking the details.
Looking forward to the Frame construction video.
1. I feed in 1 gallon buckets. They are 1" too tall for the Lyson mediums. I noted this in the very beginning of the video. If I was going to do this again, I would consider using deeps, but then I would have need giant outer foam lids. What I plan on is just putting the gallon buckets in the mediums and setting my foam lids over the top. They won't sit flush, but I only feed in relatively warm weather, so it shouldn't matter much. The other option is to find or make a pail that is under 6" tall. There IS a liquid feeder product that would fit, but I don't feel like buying all new feeders. (The BeeSmart Ultimate feeder would JUST fit.)
2. I mixed about 16oz at a time and very quickly poured it into about 6-8 super sides. After it cured, I would mix another round and fill in any spots that needed more and then went on to the next set of panels. You can always pour more in low spots and shave off excess.
@@vinofarm Thanks for the response, I must have missed the comment regarding height differences for the feeder. Could possibly build a shim to sit on top of medium box during warm weather feeding. But then that's another item to store during the winter.
Good to know regarding the pour foam.
Again, thanks for sharing all your experience and experimentations.
in video one you showed putting expansion foam in the hand cut outs
--would you recommend putting the two part foam instead
I would like to know too.
Same question-or why didn't you just use it when you made the boxes? Maybe you discovered the 2-part foam after?
@@sirwinstonhoneybees1376 THe inner boxes had spray foam because it was more convenient to shoot it in vertically and put the outer boxes over it. Those spray foam areas will never see weather. These boxes are going to sit out exposed to the elements so I wanted something super dense. The 2 part foam is a lot more expensive, so I only wanted to use it where necessary.
Hey Jim, do you have any concerns for the weight of the supers when you start stacking them for honey? I think you had a picture where you had like 5+ supers on top of your Bee Barn 1.0. Now that Bee Barn 2.0 is made of foam, is there any concerns for the foam base handling that much weight?
The weight will fall on the Lyson hive inside the outer foam. Those boxes are as dense as wood. No worries at all.
Hi 👋 I'm building a beehive, what screw do you recommend, I know they have to be galvanized but I do not know what size! can you help me with this?
Gonna need more info to answer this question....
@@vinofarm it's a ten frame medium box, I know you can put galvanized nail 25mm nails *6 but if you wanted to put screws instead, which ones would you recommend?
@@point305 Probably just some 2 inch screws? I prefer 2 inch staples if you have a power or pneumatic stapler. And probably some wood glue in the joints.
@@vinofarm Thank You for that information! keep up the Great work 👍
Thank you for this series. Do you find that the plexiglass stays nice? What are your thoughts on not gluing one side to allow the plexi to be replaced now and then?
It's only been in since October. I'll let you know how clear it stays over some time.
Jim - terrific design. What container do you use for feeding syrup, given the relatively shallow medium box height? Also, I’m aware Lyson makes hive-top feeders for their 10-frame equipment, but I have not been able to locate one that works with the Lyson 8/9 boxes. Do you know of one?
I feed in 1 gallon buckets. They are 1" too tall for the Lyson mediums. I noted this in the very beginning of the video. If I was going to do this again, I would consider using deeps, but then I would have need giant outer foam lids. What I plan on is just putting the gallon buckets in the mediums and setting my foam lids over the top. They won't sit flush, but I only feed in relatively warm weather, so it shouldn't matter much. The other option is to find or make a pail that is under 6" tall. There IS a liquid feeder product that would fit, but I don't feel like buying all new feeders. (The BeeSmart Ultimate feeder would JUST fit.)
Awesome, looking forward to seeing more videos and trying something similar with my hives.
The viewing window is probably the feature that most excites me.
Great job Jim, we are fairly new beekeepers and you are an inspiration! I'm really looking forward to building this myself.
Will you be showing what you use for adding honey supers, Lyson or wooden boxes. Do you use a standard telescoping top. Beings air tight on reduction of bees, how does it affect the mite load and HB .
Wooden supers. We’re currently getting hit with a foot of new snow. Once the season begins there will be detailed videos. It’s going to be a bit.
You are quite the craft's man!! 👍👍👍
Do you use a queen excluder btw the brrod box and supers?
yes.
What is the average cost for the materials? Suggestion for the top cover. Even with the thermal break and sitting flush would a small notch where they meet for condensation drainage or does the connection able to weep out condensation?
Everything is sealed at the inner cover level. There will not be condensation under the outer lid.
I think you should run your design by the Passive House Institute. You may have the first passive bee house here. Also someone in the back of my head is yelling “roll the tape”. Well done on the design Sir.
Styrofoam pellets in the dead air space is great too
I was thinking of just cutting packaging foam (or a few layers of foil-back double bubble) to fill the space. If you run a bead of caulk around that space and put that next foam wall on, it should make a great dead air insulated area for a lot less cost than that awesome 2 part foam.
When you place your supers on once the colony is established do you make an outer cover like you place over the feeding area in the winter? Thanks!
No. Supers are uninsulated.
Jim, great work! Thank you for all of your ever-evolving great-ideas & free inspiration over the years! ❤ I’m really happy that these are doing so well for you & wish all the best continues! 🎉 -R3
Woohoo! I think this was the part that perplexed me the most! THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU! Now, all I need is to convince my big brother (THE handy man in the family) to make me a few of these!
You've got us on the edge of our seat waiting on part 4! I've been checking back daily.
This Old Bee House
Great work Jim! My bees are in Ag Zone 9B about 2,000 feet elevation (winter nights get about 30-35F on the coldest nights so very mild).
I'll probably do something similar and have my 8 frame equipment with enough insulation to fit 10 frame hive stands and leave it as a more modular system so I can use standard frames for my extractor. Many different ways to skin a cat, enjoy all of your videos!
Yup... these videos are supposed to be inspiration. I look forward to everyone's creations.