Choose Your Beekeeping Equipment Wisely [ 🔴 My Video Inside ]
If you dont...
You could be creating a big headache for yourself in the future. See, I made a mistake when I ordered boxes and frames a few years back. What I ordered was called "Medium" boxes, but then again later I bought more "Medium" boxes... but they were a different size. It was then that I learned that there is a 6" and a 7" medium.
In this video I discuss that and show you a beehive inspection where I'm swapping out some frames so knowing the size is important.
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Getting the right equipment is important. I know the 7 inch as a dadant because dadant markets the size. Most seem to call it a medium. Guess I picked it up from Jim Bunch my first mentor. He's the one that taught me to work bees without smoke. A skill I am most grateful for.
The other as a shallow. 6 inch.
Another thing is the bee space. There are 3 types on the market.
Top space Frames are flush with the bottom. Fatalistic way to crushing queens.
Bottom space Frames flush with the top. Ok but don't fit any other boxes well.
top and bottom. I make and use these in my operations and teach my students to use them. they will work so so with both top and bottom.
We also use this size for our mating/urban hives.
As selling bees and brood is also a part of our operation and teaching we use a lot of 1 and 1/2 Which is a Dadant and a deep. This allows us to sell all the deeps and still have next years queen in the dadant which will fill a deep in time to be a honey producer.
Notes on your frame spacing from looking at your video. Your point on question the spacing of the frames. There was little brood in the Dadant. so it is not critical as you are not really interrupting the nest just the honey storage. It is also not late in the season so they will have time to fill the removed brood nest honey. If you are in a heavy chemical use area this is a vary good idea. As you don't want contaminated honey in the hive for winter.
I would have put the honey on the outside two position and come in the middle. This would give resources for a possible drought on nectar flow. They can use the area for brood if needed. If they don't get the flow needed for winter stores. You can feed. The advantage of cane sugar feeding is you know the feed is not contaminated so you will not have neonics interfering with fall and spring brood production.
I usually only use the alternating method when I am worried about drawing comb. This gives them something to work against. I will be doing videos on that in the future. Will it really make much difference? Not likely.
Love your videos. Keep them coming.
I really appreciate taking the time to share your experience and wisdom in such a great reply!
Shared for others to learn how to do it!
Thanks!
Resteemed & Upvoted. Great article, don't know when or if bees will ever "bee" in our future but we really enjoy learning along with you. Looking forward to Saturday morning LIVE show. It's always fun to grab a cup of coffe and hang out with ya. Oh! We did bring home our first family milk cow this week and named her "Honey"! LOL the closest thing we have to real honey around here for now. haha Please tell Luke we all say hi! Hope your having a blessed day friend.
Thanks! Honey is a great name for the family milk cow :) We'll see you Saturday.
Nice to know. I wouldn't have known that either until I myself made the mistake.
Now I have to work on sorting all that our over the next few seasons LOL
so you don't play chess or checkers with the bees then ? darn that would have been interesting :D I've heard of the term checkerboard but this video clears that up thanks for sharing :)
They would beat me at either game. It's better that I don't film that embarrassment.
always love ur bee keeping series . learn so much
I love the bee videos. Keep it up! I'm learning so much.