Beehive Stand addition ( what do you think )

[djgriggs]

Hello,,, I had an idea I haven't decided / "don't know" if it is a good idea and that is why I am looking for advice..

I have added the following to my beehive stand.. sorry for the low grade pictures my camera on my phone is messed up.

[Acebird]

Sorry I can't make out what it is.

[djgriggs]

I built on a frame holder stand to the side of the beehive stand...I currently only have it tacked on so I can remove if need bee.

This way it is there and I do not have to connect it to the brood box....

[Acebird]

I am beginning to think you are a frustrated carpenter that needs to always build something.  Just build boxes.  If you have too many sell them.

[cao]

I think it's a good idea if it doesn't get in your way.  I say this because I typically work my hives from one of the back corners.  I reach with one hand to the front to reach the front of the frame.  If you have time before your bees get there, you might want to do a practice run with lifting out and putting back your frames.  I don't own a frame rest.  I just usually just lay the first frame on the inner cover.

[djgriggs]

I am beginning to think you are a frustrated carpenter that needs to always build something.  Just build boxes.  If you have too many sell them.

  , no, not really just extra wood I had laying around and I thought of adding it to the stand instead of having the frame holder on the side of the brood box. But , you do have a point, If I can do it and I have the time I do like to put stuff together

[djgriggs]

I think it's a good idea if it doesn't get in your way.  I say this because I typically work my hives from one of the back corners.  I reach with one hand to the front to reach the front of the frame.  If you have time before your bees get there, you might want to do a practice run with lifting out and putting back your frames.  I don't own a frame rest.  I just usually just lay the first frame on the inner cover.

I do not believe that it will get in the way as it is on the far right then there if the foundation hive and then to the right there is the foundationless hive.
and there is a free space in between the two hives. 

[gww]

I have built the same type of things into my stands and use them.


Cheers
gww

[eltalia]

I have built the same type of things into my stands and use them.

[attachme... edit ...ent]
Cheers
gww

Anything to save RSI on the spine is good.
Buut I posted to say I like the look of the RIR pullets.
Got many? And table or egg?

Bill

[gww]

Bill
Eggs and miserably pets due to a loving wife and a lazy husband.  I think I have about 35 or so.
Cheers
gww
PS  See my home made sawmill in the back ground?  My hives might be ugly but I got them honestly.

[Acebird]

I see nothing ugly about your hives but I couldn't handle those shin destroyers on your stands.
Me not being able to spot queens I do not leave frames where the queen can fall onto the ground.  I like them in boxes that are on top of an inverted tele cover.  The benefit of having two hives close together is one is the table while you work the other.  No bending over.

[Beeboy01]

I just hang the frame hanger off the side of the box or use a second empty deep to place the frames in. Still it looks like it will work so why not use it.  Beeyards evolve as they grow so what works today might not tomorrow. ;)

[gww]

I have three hives all on one stand and I leave an empty on the stand also to put frames in and a bottom board on the other side to set boxes on.  I flip the tops and set whole boxes on them on the ones with the stands but is I am pulling frames I pull the outside frame (1 or 2) and use the frame holders on the stands.  This makes a little room to slide the frames left in the box so I don't roll so many bees.  I sometimes need a little extra room due to being foundationless and my frames sometimes haveing some pretty fat spots drawn out on them.  I am playing the odd on the queen in that most times she is not on the edge frames.  I should have killed several queens in other ways like collapsing comb or smashing comb together in the hive.  I think I am lucky but am sure at some point it will happen.
Cheers
gww

[djgriggs]

I will be getting my bees next week. excited and nervous, just want to make sure everything is right for when I bring them home. I have two hives ready,, one will be foundation and the other will be foundationless. however can anyone tell me ..

I want to incorporate the frames that I will be receiving into the new hives, all while incorporating my foundation and foundationless frames. Someone told me that as long as the boxes / frames that I receive I might be able to open the brood nest .. ( I do not think that is actually what it is called) Same as checkerboarding but with the brood boxes...

My hives have two brood boxes.. I will be receiving 20 full frames of bees...... With the above notion depending on the quantity of the bees and quality of frames I was thinking that I could do this and essentially start off with 5 full frames in each box of each hive . but then again what do I know... that is why I have you guys :) :) :)

[cao]

Even if your hives are packed full of bees, I would not split the broodnest too much.  I would guess that in your hives that you are getting, the outer 2 frames will be mostly honey/nectar if box is full.  The next frames in would contain honey/pollen a drone brood(if any).  The middle 6 frames is where the worker brood should be.  This could vary a frame or two depending on how strong they are.  Adding a frame on each side of the brood nest is about all I would do.  The other option would be pull a couple frames of brood and the outside two frames and put them above the rest of the brood in the bottom box.   Either option would keep the majority of the brood together yet allow them the room to expand.
option 1             option 2
eeeehheeee      eeehbbheee
pebbbbbbep      eepbbbbpee

e=empty
h=honey/nectar
p=pollen/drone
b=brood

All of this is assuming that the box is completey drawn and full of bees.  Others on this forum may have other(better?) ideas.

[eltalia]

Bill
Eggs and miserably pets due to a loving wife and a lazy husband. 
I think I have about 35 or so.
Cheers
gww
PS  See my home made sawmill in the back ground? 
My hives might be ugly but I got them honestly.

"Ugly"????
Bees never do read "Fauntleoy's" as they communally make their
own 'decor'... as much as we hoomans attempt to change that :-)))

Issat what the red machine is....?.. I have read much of it, your work.
Much of which I do admire.

Bill

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/275247.Little_Lord_Fauntleroy

[gww]

Bill
It wouldn't be worth it for most people but is what I do.
Thank you for your kind words.
gww

[Acebird]

My hives have two brood boxes.. I will be receiving 20 full frames of bees...... With the above notion depending on the quantity of the bees and quality of frames I was thinking that I could do this and essentially start off with 5 full frames in each box of each hive .

So you have never had bees and you are receiving a 20 frame hive with the intention of doing an immediate split?  Even with all the brains and experience on this and other forums it is a path that has very little hope of success IMO.

[djgriggs]

My hives have two brood boxes.. I will be receiving 20 full frames of bees...... With the above notion depending on the quantity of the bees and quality of frames I was thinking that I could do this and essentially start off with 5 full frames in each box of each hive .

So you have never had bees and you are receiving a 20 frame hive with the intention of doing an immediate split?  Even with all the brains and experience on this and other forums it is a path that has very little hope of success IMO.

No, I have two new hives at the house each hive has two brood boxes each brood box has 10 frames. I will be picking up two single boxes of bees next week. Each box has 10 frames of bees... This way I start off with 2 hives . I suspect that, the 10 frames in each box will be 8 frames of bees / brood and 2 frames of honey / nectar . I will not know for a fact until I pick them up. Hope that clears that up..

[jtcmedic]

Even if your hives are packed full of bees, I would not split the broodnest too much.  I would guess that in your hives that you are getting, the outer 2 frames will be mostly honey/nectar if box is full.  The next frames in would contain honey/pollen a drone brood(if any).  The middle 6 frames is where the worker brood should be.  This could vary a frame or two depending on how strong they are.  Adding a frame on each side of the brood nest is about all I would do.  The other option would be pull a couple frames of brood and the outside two frames and put them above the rest of the brood in the bottom box.   Either option would keep the majority of the brood together yet allow them the room to expand.
option 1             option 2
eeeehheeee      eeehbbheee
pebbbbbbep      eepbbbbpee

e=empty
h=honey/nectar
p=pollen/drone
b=brood

All of this is assuming that the box is completey drawn and full of bees.  Others on this forum may have other(better?) ideas.

I would use option 1

[Acebird]

I will be picking up two single boxes of bees next week. Each box has 10 frames of bees... This way I start off with 2 hives .

Will each box of bees have a queen?  This is not clear to me.

[djgriggs]

I will be picking up two single boxes of bees next week. Each box has 10 frames of bees... This way I start off with 2 hives .

Will each box of bees have a queen?  This is not clear to me.

Yes


However I am told that she may be marked or unmarked

[beepro]

After last season I found out that I didn't need a beehive stand addition to hold the frames.  Last summer an expensive
Cordovan mite resistant breeder queen died because I did not use another bee box to hold her during an inspection resting the frame of bees outside of
her hive.  Somehow this queen had crawled outside of her frame of bees and on the ground.   I went back to the house on a short
notice and came back to the hive for further hive inspection.  Not know the queen was on the ground I step on her.   When I finally realized that the queen was
missing from the frame I found her on the ground with eggs that squished out of her abdomen.    My poor dead breeder queen!
After this lesson I will never use a frame rest or anything outside of the hive without an enclosure.  When you have active queen in the laying season she
tends to wander off the frame to explore her outside environment a bit ending up on the grass or the ground.   So now I use another nuc box to isolate the
bee frame with the queen in it.  It is safe inspection from now on.  Crushing a few workers is better than crushing an expensive queen.  Learn my lesson the hard way last season.

[Acebird]

Yes

So you are getting two hives and you want to know what is the best way to add a box to each?  That can't be answered until you get the hives and find out the details.  Or the person you are getting the hives from tells you what to do.  Only the supplier knows the history on these hives.  It would be foolish not to ask him/her questions.

[little john]

I use a pair of frame stands which are placed on top of an adjacent hive.  One to hold the first frame out, the second in case I want to hold a queen-rearing frame, or a comb containing naturally-drawn queen-cells, or if the comb requires some work doing to it - in all cases in order that I can work on that frame at a convenient working height.  You can't do that if the subject frame is inside a box.  Have never trodden on a queen yet ...
LJ

[djgriggs]

I use a pair of frame stands which are placed on top of an adjacent hive.  One to hold the first frame out, the second in case I want to hold a queen-rearing frame, or a comb containing naturally-drawn queen-cells, or if the comb requires some work doing to it - in all cases in order that I can work on that frame at a convenient working height.  You can't do that if the subject frame is inside a box.  Have never trodden on a queen yet ...
LJ

my thought is to make a little table top out of the center of the stand between the two hives which would give me a place to place the boxes when I do my inspections.

[Acebird]

my thought is to make a little table top out of the center of the stand between the two hives which would give me a place to place the boxes when I do my inspections.

I think you will find that the boxes will not be accessible when you try to inspect.  If you put the boxes on the outside of the hive then the hive is not accessible.  Everything is accessible if you put them on top of the hive next to the hive you are working.  So then the issue becomes if things get too high.  That is when you want to provide space behind your hives when you plant your hive stands.  The next best place to put hive parts is behind the hive.

[djgriggs]

my thought is to make a little table top out of the center of the stand between the two hives which would give me a place to place the boxes when I do my inspections.

I think you will find that the boxes will not be accessible when you try to inspect.  If you put the boxes on the outside of the hive then the hive is not accessible.  Everything is accessible if you put them on top of the hive next to the hive you are working.  So then the issue becomes if things get too high.  That is when you want to provide space behind your hives when you plant your hive stands.  The next best place to put hive parts is behind the hive.

This is a very good point; I think that in this case it might be better to work from the back of the hives instead of the sides.. This would give me the room to move around while allow for plenty of space for the boxes.

[cao]

I've got a small metal table that I use once the hives get large enoung that I'm pulling boxes off to inspect.  It is the right height the I can stack two boxes without much bending.  I keep it behind the hive I'm working with enough space for me to move around.  Then I just drag it down the line as I go from hive to hive.  With a table, It frees up both sides and back of the hive that you are working.

[Acebird]

Sure;, table, wheel barrow, wheeled cart anything to make it easier and comfortable.

[little john]

The idea of some kind of wheeled cart is (imo) an extremely good idea if a person has more than just a couple of hives.  It could consist of a box containing spare feeders and jar lids (if you use inverted jars as I do), a couple of plastic milk jugs with syrup, somewhere to hold the smoker (and some extra fuel), your hive tools - and of course have some kind of frame holder - perhaps with a tray directly underneath it ?  Maybe also a box holding a few spare frames ?  And somewhere to hold scraps of wax.  And a notebook and pen. This list could get quite long ... 
Although I don't have an inspection buggy myself - I do keep planning to make one - if only to keep all the bits I use in one predictable place.  I find nothing's worse than opening-up a hive, only to find I've left something useful - like drawing pins (thumb tacks) to mark a frame with q/cells or something else which requires attention - inside the house.
LJ

[Acebird]

I find nothing's worse than opening-up a hive, only to find I've left something useful - like drawing pins (thumb tacks) to mark a frame with q/cells or something else which requires attention - inside the house.

I got real tired of forgetting things in the basement where my bee stuff is kept.  So I mounted a mail box to the top edge of one pallet which is a zig zag wind brake fence for the hives.  Things like hive tool, torch, entrance reducer, gloves, frame gripper all stored in the mail box. I hang the smoker on one of the side slats.  Then I cut out a plastic jug to cover the bellows from the weather.  These things stay out by the hive all year long.

[beepro]

Inspecting from the back of the hive is tiresome.   The frame that you pull out is unbalanced and just down right
awkward.  After 10 frames done on the first hive you're too exhausted to go on.  Somehow the angle that you
pull out the frame is not that comfortable.    Now I do hive inspection right by the side of the box standing side way a
bit so that incoming foragers can get inside.