Member's hives

It's been a while since we last posted pictures of member's hives so I am creating this page to allow us to do so. Here's our last page from 2010.

Following the Hive Building Day 3 weeks ago there should be another 20 hives being completed about now so lets see your photos of these as soon as they are finished and placed in situ ready for bees. However, this page is not just for those who built their hives at the workshop - I also invite YABeePers to send me your pictures of your hives built independently this year or last - let's show what we've been up to.

Who knows, maybe we could give a prize to the best looking hive?!!!

Robin

*** Remember, click any photo to enlarge ***

And the first entry is......

Andrew P's newly completed Warré

Andrew P's hive from showing viewing windows

Emma & Dave's skep & skep house

Robin & Sarah's new observation hive,
though I can't take any credit for the build - read the full story here

Fiona's rooftop model
with one box on loan housing Bryony's swarm

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Gary & Kieran's hive ~ they have included some helpful descriptions:

The completed main hive, set up with two of the three brood boxes. It's elevated in a stool at the moment as its in a wild part of the garden with very long grass in front of it. I need to tie the whole lot down to a paving slab before any strong winds....

...the same, but showing where the hive has been situated in a quiet spot away from the house, with the entrance SE facing. It gets shade for part of the day from the summer house behind the camera.

Gary & Kieran built another roof and base from scrap wood to turn our third brood box into an extra bait hive. This is up on the garage roof to make it a more ideal height for the scouts. Its also SE facing.

After the "getting your bees" meeting, we were inspired to go home and turn this old wooden crate into another bait hive: just painted it in eco paint and pinned a plastic sack on the top to make a waterproof roof then drilled an entrance hole in the base. This one is on a small shed roof at the end of the garden. The entrance only gets evening sun, but I couldn't resist this spot nestled amongst the trees as it seemed such a natural bee home!

Roger's hive

Sarah Mal's magnificent horizontal...

...the same in its place of honour.

....Sarah Mal's Warré...

....and her bait hive.

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Bronwen's bees

Bronwen & helper shaking a swarm into her horizontal hive

NB: These bees subsequently absconded. Walking bees in may be a better option than shaking them in . There is some wise opinions that suggests that if they walk in they claim ownership of their box as they do so - this makes sense as bees in nature always walk into their colony - shaking them in by-passes this stage and may be a factor in absconding behaviour.

The strange 2012 early season weather seems to have effected many swarms as there are many reports of a high incidence of absconding. I had one swarm abscond 3 times myself.

Bronwyn - walking in her second swarm

Bronwen's bees congregate on her pergola where they stayed for a couple of hours after absconding. She reports "I was just getting ready to collect them and try again when I had the experience of watching them fly over my house. I attemted to follow them but without success so sadly I am beeless once more." Bad luck Bronwen, no fault on your part so better luck next time. :-(

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Gareth W's Warré