# I hear a Buzz in the air!!



## Tropicana (Feb 15, 2009)

Hey guys! Looks like this spring will bee all the buzz in my back yard. I am sure a few have caught on haha. I will be picking up my nuc full of honey bees this sunday! I am extremely excited, as this is one step further from keeping ants and wasps as I have in the past.

I am not really in it for the reward(honey/wax) but that will be a nice product of keeping the bees.

Here are a few photos of their unique hive. And when I say unique their isn't one like it, Since i built it, and the measurements are probably off.. LOL Its a style called a top bar hive, and most are made from plans and customized with different measurements etc. Anyways I will update the thread when I acquire my ladies.

The first pic I had the basic body put together, a few other things kinda ready to go.


We had built the roof (Pain the butt) and it fit perfectly lol yay. 


This is the inside, Finished, I removed some of the top bars to see the inside of the hive. 

We didnt hinge it at first and the lid probably would have become quite annoying lol so we figured out a way and it works awesome. 

Here we are all closed up! i ended up opening the entrances more, instead of 4 holes I removed the wood between two on either side to be two wider holes.

Hope you enjoyed guys More to come!


----------



## TBemba (Jan 11, 2010)

Good for you. More people should be keeping honey bees if they can.


----------



## chi (May 13, 2013)

Nice build. Got a question. Why do you put a wire screen at the bottom? would that allow other insect to get in the box? I though bees need an enclosed environment.


----------



## Tropicana (Feb 15, 2009)

chi said:


> Nice build. Got a question. Why do you put a wire screen at the bottom? would that allow other insect to get in the box? I though bees need an enclosed environment.


No problem! So the theory behind a screened bottom board is to allow mites and other debris to fall clear of the hive when bees clean them selves. instead of allowing a chance for the mite to climb back into the comb and attack other bees. I used a large metal screen and a fine mesh once again over the metal screen to keep smaller insects out. but large enough to allow mites to fall through. The larger metal screen is to deter larger animals from getting in also if they try.

I also wanted to add that I have a 7 inch wide board to cover the bottom for winter hibernation or cool days, I can reduce the opening in case it gets very cold.

Bees do need a enclosed environment, For the most part. Bees are very adaptive to different types of potential hives that people make or nature has for them.

Thanks tho guys im looking forward to keeping them. The weather has slowed the seller so hopefully by the middle of the week i can pick them up!


----------



## Tropicana (Feb 15, 2009)

Hey guys! It has been waayyy too longgg lol. But I finally got my nuc, it was a lang nuc so I had to chop frames.. and cut PLASTIC foundation.. what a disaster, I mean, it was just a mess, but I salvaged all I could and hung it from my bars. The plastic foundation really threw me off though. Anyways! with all that fun stuff over I check them this morning and saw quite a few doing their little orientation flights which is nice. None were at the syrup feeder until about 1pm when it was hot outside and they were familiar with their surroundings. By 4pm there were maybe 20 on the feeder at all times, and others flying to the massive amounts of honey suckle bush all over the place. I mean, we have a nice little hedge as an outline of the corner of our yard so they love it. I realized this when I saw the first few bees with pollen coming in, it was a nice light yellow/white pollen and I thought... Well that had to be from my honey suckles close by, Well! Here are a few pics! Lol I hope you enjoy!

The front of the hive, I put a dandelion there just to see if they would go for it and a bee did! haha.



Nice close up just as a bee with pollen was going in.




This is the honey suckle i was talking about, and one of my bees .


----------



## ArtihC (Feb 9, 2012)

Just wanted to say this is awesome. Very cool and love the pics.


----------



## shark (Jan 28, 2009)

Great! this is what we need your small step is going to help this ecosystem flourish! how long did you have the bees?


----------



## Tropicana (Feb 15, 2009)

shark said:


> Great! this is what we need your small step is going to help this ecosystem flourish! how long did you have the bees?





ArtihC said:


> Just wanted to say this is awesome. Very cool and love the pics.


Thanks guys! Ill be taking more pics when it gets a little less windy and rainy looking this week. Hopefully of the Queen and some comb shots. I have had the bees since the 28th of may, so 10 days now. They have built out so much comb it has astonished me. The comb looks amazing too. I see my honey bees on clover in my yard, checking out the potted herbs which will flower soon. On the honey suckle. Its all very fun to watch.

And I know they are my bees because there aren't any wild colonies or other beekeepers near me. We never had honey bees really near our location until I picked mine up. Anyways more to come .


----------



## Tropicana (Feb 15, 2009)

Took some video of the bees coming back from foraging. The big flower right now is Clover, so the pollen is actually brown and hard to notice. There is a bit of yellow/orange coming in also possibly from buttercup flowers and or dandelions.

Enjoy!


----------



## cb1021 (Sep 21, 2009)

Those are some cute bees man


----------



## Tropicana (Feb 15, 2009)

cb1021 said:


> Those are some cute bees man


They definitely are lol Thanks.


----------

