Getting Started in Beekeeping: 05: The Beehive - The Norfolk Honey Co.
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 3 ต.ค. 2024
- Getting Started in Beekeeping - Part 5: The Beehive - Making the right choice for you.
This series of videos is designed for the new beekeeper or for someone who is thinking of starting to keep bees for the very first time.
In this video I look at how the honeybee has certain nest requirements and look at the different types of commmon beehives that are currently in use.
Beekeeping can be a total pleasure but beekeeping can also be a total pain! Get things wrong and beekeeping becomes a frustration and not a joy.
In this basic beekeeping series called Getting Started in Beekeeping I aim to help anyone who is thinking of starting beekeeping or has just started beekeeping to gain more knowledge and understanding about beekeeping and therefore enjoy the beekeeping experience even more.
Subscribe to my channel to keep up to date with all of my beekeeping videos:
Sunday: Beekeeping Basics
Wednesday: Getting Started in Beekeeping
Friday: Microscopy for Beekeepers
Subscribe here: / @thenorfolkhoneyco
My Social Media Feeds:
Twitter: @NorfolkHoneyCo
Instagram: norfolkhoneyco
The book used as a reference for the SuperOrganism information and featured in video 03: is linked below for UK viewers:
(Affiliate links)
The Buzz about Bees by Jurgen Tautz: amzn.to/2eLJcLM
Or try here for US Viewers:
amzn.to/2eDlldN
Looking for a great first book for beekeeping? Check out two of my favourites below:
UK:
Try The Best Selling Beekeeping Book Ever!
Guide to Bees and Honey by Ted Hooper
Click here for Link: amzn.to/2eWHB42
The Honeybee, Around and About by Celia Davis
Click Here for Link: amzn.to/2eVa2la
USA: The Backyard Beekeeper by Kim Flottum
Click Here for Link amzn.to/2fi9JOo
Or Try The Best Selling Beekeeping Book Ever!
Guide to Bees and Honey by Ted Hooper
Click here for Link: amzn.to/2ficqzi
Great job explaining the why and how of getting a start. Thank you so much for sharing your experiences with the bees👍
Hi Thomas,
I'm glad you are finding them all so useful. Check out my Patreon group for extra content and support.
www.patreon.com/norfolkhoney
Stewart
why are the super frames smaller then the brood frames, cant the super frames be the same size?
Stewart, thanks for another educational video. I am keen to know the measures of your commercial frames...I think I have a very similar setup although with Swedish traditions and measures :-)
Hi Fredrik,
Great to hear from you.
The dimensions of the commercial brood box is 465 x 465mm and the frames are commonly known as 16" x 10"
I pull these dimensions from the Thorne Beekeeping website.
Top bar- 171/4" x 11/16" (438mm x 27mm)
Side bar- 10" x 13/8" (254mm x 35mm)
Bottom bar- 16" (406mm)
Cheers
Stewart
Absolutely fantastic videos ❤
That's very kind, thanks for commenting.
Stewart
Hi Stuart, thank you for your videos. Is a modified National beehive commonly known as a National beehive or is the distinction still maintained?
hi, why is the comb on the supers smaller than the brood frames
With my new bees which is a nuc of five frames of bees. Should I place a queen excluder on the deep brood hive or should I leave it off and place a brood hive on the top?
Thanks, great video
Hello Stewart,
Great videos! On hives, is there any truth in WBC giving extra insulation than the National and upping the chances of your bees getting through the winter? They do look much prettier too, but that's hardly a reason for choosing them, or is it?
Cheers,
Tim
Hi Tim,
Thanks for commenting. The WBC does look lovely doesn't it :)
Generally speaking, I've never lost a colony through it being too cold but I have lost colonies due to damp and starvation so I would consider these to be a bigger killer. The double wall system of the WBC will trap some air between boxes and so may improve the general temperature but I don't think UK conditions will mean you get any real advantage, there are always exceptions of course. The inner box of the WBC is thinner than the National box so there are pros and cons I guess.
If it's only a couple of hives then go with the one you like the look of best.
Stewart
Thanks Stewart.
So what are the dimensions of hives/ hive components please?
Stuart, wanted to say THANKS SO VERY MUCH for taking your personal time to help us new beekeepers. It's very obvious the LOVE you have for our worlds lil pollinators! Since i was around 7 years of age i have been extremely fascinated with HONEYBEE'S and at 56 years of age i have just now been able to pursue beekeeping. I have 3 grown daughter's and my wife of many years went to HEAVEN 2 years ago. So to keep my mind set somewhat between the lines i got my first nuc in mid May. By July the colony swarmed and i lost a vast majority of the colony. One of the swarm cells hatched and the colony recovered, but only to be overrun by the devastating Varroa mite. Sad to say that i dove into this beloved hobby without FIRST researching and have learned everything the slow, after the fact and hurtful way. Hurtful especially to the bee's. Much too late i got on the Varroa problem with Oxalic vaporization.As you are aware heavy mite loads will bring a strong, healthy colony and the keeper to their knee's. Going into fall and winter though the mite load has been taken care of, the hive is very weak. Certain by spring it will die.I just by chance happened upon WONDERFUL video's . Starting fresh back to square one with your Getting Started In Beekeeping. Something i OUGHT to had done FIRST AND FOREMOST! Now have all the equipment i need for 3 hives to start over in spring. Stuart again thanks so much for your dedication to help beginners and failures such as myself. Absolutely refuse to toss in the towel because i'm already addicted and will follow all your instructions and classes. GOD BLESS!
Hi Bruce,
Thank you for your very kind comments and I am so sorry for the loss of your wife. Beekeeping has a way of steadying and focussing the mind, when I am beekeeping I allow the rest of the world to carry on without me and I get completely lost with these fascinating creatures.
Regarding your honeybee challenges, we have all been there, but I'm sure the experience will help you with your future beekeeping. Stick with it and keep watching the videos, with a little luck we'll both have a great season next year.
Stewart
The Norfolk Honey Company Thank you Stuart!
Sir do you prefer a solid bottom or screened?
Hi Rabbit,
My preference is the open mesh screen. It allows debris to drop through on the floor beneath and not build up inside the hive and it allows circulation of air through the hive. I think for me here in the UK it is the damp in the Winter that causes most of the problems so this is usually prevented with the OMF.
Stewart
we have 2 brood boxes here then the suppers your brood box is bigger then ours our biggest 1 is 10 frame, I use 8 frame because of the weight
Your videos are great thanks
Yes Frances there are many different styles and sizes of bee hive, finding one that suits you and your bees make life a lot easier.
Thanks as always for your comments.
Stewart
What do you think of top bar hives. I have see them with both square ones using bs frames and standerd top bars how would you use build them ?
Hi James,
I have attempted using a top bar hive in the past and failed terribly, the bees we put into the hive absconded after a week leaving brood, eggs and a small amount of comb. I am determined to try it again as I don't think I gave it a fair chance and it would be wrong of me to judge it purely on my first experience. I did see some very strong colonies in top bar hives a couple of years ago that were really fantastic so I know it can work really well.
As far as building them is concerned I have seen free plans online for them but I am no woodworker so will probably get someone to help me.
Watch this space.
Stewart
I've read where some don't like an excluder cause it literally wears the workers wings and bodies out going through it. Any thoughts on that mr stewart?
Hi Rabbit,
I've not seen any significant damage caused by queen excluders. Having said that my preference is the wooden framed, wire excluders which do not have a sharp edge to them unlike the pressed metal zinc style excluders.
Stewart
ive bought a couple of plastic ones but didn't use them last yr. i didn't have any issues with the queen leaving the two brood supers and moving up into the honey super, perhaps next yr i may institute the excluders.
Interesting, the bees don't always do what they say in the books!
I have had queens squeezing through the excluders and getting into the supers so I sometimes wonder if it's worth it!
Stewart
hi Stuart , you say you have 11 frames in your commercial brood box my commercial box has 12 frames are you just leaving one out to fit a feeder in thank you ..Tim
Hi Tim,
Thanks for commenting. I normally use 11 frames in the commercial brood box along with a dummy board. It gives a little more access for me when I take the dummy board out when removing the first frame and prevents rolling and killing bees.
Having said that I do have a few hives which have 12 frames in as I ran out of dummy boards and would rather have the extra frame in there rather than the space be filled with brace comb and cause even more damage.
Stewart
I am the first thanks 4 the video
Hi Zwaardvis007,
Congratulations, Yes you are. There really ought to be a prize, but for now you have my thanks for commenting. I hope you enjoyed the video.
Stewart