Are you using the conventional frames that the commercial bee keeps use or are using the taller Layens frames. I am looking for used wood to start building. Going to build the insulation box hive because of the cold we have here in the winter and very hot dry weather we have in the summer months.
https://youtu.be/C0V9U54jgow this is a good interview with Dr. Leo Sharashkin.
Bob
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Here are two more videos on showing the Layens horizontal hive with Dr. Leo Sharashkin at one of his conferences into his home town and at his home in Mo.
Bob
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Bob, scroll up abit to see my horisontal hive. In short, the bees liked it and its a joy to work with but im surpriced to see Als bees being honewbownd. In my experiances it was the opposite.
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Hi Kristijan, from what Dr. Leo says that is when they run out of room for making honey in the hive. By removing the honey comb or giving them more frames to work on prevents this. A good healthy hive of bees usually will make more honey than they need for the darth or winter months says Dr. Leo. I will scoll up and look at your hive. Thanks for your input.
Bob
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The Longstroth is the hive system that is mostly used here in the USA. Do you also use the Layens horizontal hive system? No box stacking and unstacking to inspect the bees. I like that concept in working with bees. I have always been fascinated with them and wanted that times to rise them,but life seemed to get in the way, or I did not live in the right place. I now live in the right place, and life you just move over it is time.
Bob
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Hi, Bob. I have not used a horizontal hive, but like you, It looks like a good thing to try. Dr. Leo S. has been on my radar for a couple years, and his results are hard to ignore. This year I have pre-ordered two-5 frame medium (10 frame box) Nucs which are bees and a queen established with some brood and food. They wonât be ready until the end of May, then I pick them up near Delphos, Ohio from a breeder of Carniolan bees about 60 miles away. One hive is for Fort Wayne, In WPTA TV (workplace) location and the other for home. Hope that doesnât overwhelm me. Last yearsâ package bees hive failed early Fall, either from my incompetence, or disease, or CCD. I thought they were working hard, but they were getting robbed out in a frenzy⌠happened very fast, then the hive was empty of everything. No Bees. Bees can break your heart. Try, try again is my theme. Beekeeping: another rabbit hole⌠
!!
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I thought while I wait to find more free materials so I can work on my gasification projects, I could do some wood working. No not make fuel, but to build some bee swarm NUK boxes. I had a piece of plywood laying around and other wood to make them.
From Brinkâs Bees site he shows how to build three simple swarm traps out of one piece of plywood.
I drilled 1/8" holes in the corners just in case water got into the hive. The bees will probably pluged them up.
The frames have a small foundation strip at the top and vertical wire running down to help support the comb, because of the larger frames.
I made a sliding block that will vent, close, or open and partial screen entrance opening , just by changing the block around.
The frame design are a Langstroth frame and Layens hybrid. They are shorter only 12 1/8 " but wider than a Layens frame 19" wide.
Why the odd size? So the swarm boxes can also be used in a modifed insulated Horizontal Hive that I am building for the climate I live in. It will house three hives in one box hive. One colony on each end and one on the back side in the middle. Or just two larger colonies on each end with a spliter borad in the middle.
Bob
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Warning to all. Watch the price of sheathing materials. I talked to a buyer friend who was looking into getting bids for a project 4 by 9 ft sheets of 15/32 (1/2 inch rated) osb minimum one semi load over $92 per sheet. They didnât bid sheeting costs for the project. Makes you wonder 
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I was not happy with the way my wire tension was on my first three frames. I figured out how to tighten the wire more and then tighten the first three up some more. I canât play a tune on them but they are tight now. I like the Layens frames because no bees are ever on top of the frames or under the lid, no scraping wax of the lid and top of frames.
Put some spacing shims on each side of the frames and this bee swarm trap is read to be hung up in a tree.
I will put a thin coating of bees wax on the inside of the box and the top of the wood strips for starting the comb. Bait it with some old clean brewed comb and very little lemongrass sent. Put it in the tree and I now ask YEHOVAH to send some Scout bees to check it out then bring a nice gentle temperament swarm of bees with her queen to take up residency in their new hive home.
Bob
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That looks nice, hope some bees like it.
How do you pull out the frames since there are no gaps at the top to grip?
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There are gaps, on each side. I just have to put the spacers out. The spacers keep the frames in the middle of the box.
Next is to find some more free wood to build a horizontal hive. I am thinking this might be accomplish by using pallet wood, as long as the wood is not treated or contaminated with something bad.
Free pallets every where.
Bob
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This will my first attempt at catching a swarm of bees. I baited it with lemon grass. I didnât find a old dark brood comb, the box has wax on the wood strips for foundation. If I find some I will add it to the hive.
I hung and leveled to the swarm hive in the tree and security strapped it to the trunk of the tree. We do get some strong winds here. The hive opening is facing South south east.
It has been a couple of years ago the last time I have see a swarm around here, so we are do with Godâs help.
Bob
On a side note, how do you fix a old wooden ladder at is a bit loose on the steps and cracked at the top?
I use OSHA approved wood glue and ducktape in silver color. Tighten up the steps bolts and use some wood screws. This ladder is good for another 20 years.
Bob
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Oh, this was a rhetorical question. I was going to suggest you chunk it, and use it to drive to the hardware store to buy one made of fiberglass 
The only thing I hate more than ladders, are wobbly ladders.
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I was going to start chanting âChunk it!â until I thought about it for a second and realized if I was in that position, I would probably end up standing on my tippy toes on top of a 5 gallon that is on top of a couple of 2x4s on top of a wobbly picnic table. 
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Yes, I am with Carl. Get a new ladder, life is short. I like the Orange 250lb rated fiberglass. Yes, they are heavy and expensive, but⌠We had an old wooden 12 foot step ladder at the station for working on studio lights and such. That thing wanted to toss you off the top. Very scary. We replaced it with a 12 foot orange fiberglass step ladder. I donât mind working at the top of that one at all. Sometimes need help setting up because its top heavy and can get out of control easy. OK outside, but not next to people working at desks and fragile equipment. We have 6 foot and 8 foot step ladders in the lighter weight blue fiberglass, and those are very handy sizes with high ceilings. Be safe, we need you, Bob! God Bless!
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Good news on the repair of the ladder Carl, this ladder is now only half as wobbly as it was, now it is about like a fiberglass or better yet a aluminum ladder. I have all three kinds.
The best part is I do not have to go the gym for a upper body work out carrying this heavy brut of ladder. Lol
Bob
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As the old saying goes " I just love it when a plan comes all together â, except I realize now this plan was not my plan.
When I built the three bee swarm/ NUKES hives off some plans, a idea came to me to build the frams with a layens top frames but a Longstroth 19â across and then only 12 3/8" deep. The top of the frame is 1 1/2" wide. Yes a custom frame, but why. Well hear is the rest of the story.
I wanted to build the Layens horizontal hives. But had no wood and the prices on wood around here are going up fast at the box stores. If it keep going up I will be to afford to drive on wood to @Wayne place pick some custom sawn wood and save monies with the trip down there.
So I prayed and asked Yehovah God for free wood. I was sitting there a it came to me I can build the Layens horizontal hive out of pallets, but these pallets are the longer ones. I need to find some but where.
It was Wednesday and I had to go the store to buy some food itemâs. I was helping with the cooking at the Lighthouse Ministries that day. I went over to URM bulk food store and right next door, the business had just put out some long shipping pallets. Fresh untreated wood. I asked and they said I can have all of them. A truck load later back at the house I unloaded them.
Here are some picture after I had stripped them down.
Lots of extra wood to build more frames. Simply amazing.
Two Horizontal hives half built. I will need to buy some Rockwool insulation, maybe not I just need to ask Yehovah in Yeshuaâs Name.
Thank You Yehovah in Yeshuaâs Name. What a Blessing from God. And it only gets better. When I measure them and cut them in half and down the middle of the pallet, one pallet will make two Horizontal hives with out the lid or bottom. And I with room for insulation. And get this, are you ready. My custom frames fit in side nicely. This is not a coincidence. This Is God answering my prayer request and guilding me on making the frames before hand to fit in the pallets of a certain size.
Any One (Thatâs All of Us) who Calls upon the Name of the (LORD) YEHOVAH He will hear You, and give you what you ask for, according to His will. God is Amazing. Ask and you will receive, knock and the door will be opened to you.
Always remember this, do everything in Yehovahâs approval and timing. Not man made religious approval and bad timing.
No bees yet in the swarm box. Praises to God in all things. It makes a difference when you use this Name Yehovah out loud when you are asking.
Bob
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We went for a drive and a walk yesterday on the Sabbath, it was a wonderful Saturday of rest. My back was sore from the pass week of work so following Godâs Commandments I rested on Saturday. Today look what showed up in the bee swarm hive in the tree by the house, praises to YEHOVAH GOD in his Son Yeshuaâs Name.
Scout bees checking things out in the hive.
Hereâs a video.
It was really windy yesterday I had to repair the turkey coop metal roof this morning from the wind try to blow it off the roof. Flapping metal can be dangerous. It is amazing that any bees were flying yesterday maybe they just showed up this morning. God is so good.
Bob
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Hi, my husband and I are new to beekeeping now. I inherited this from my grandfather, as a child I was a little afraid of bees, but now this fear is gone, because my grandfather explained to me the basics of communicating with bees. We are architects in our everyday life.
I now have a whole bee farm with five hives. I bought several books to learn more about bees (The Backyard Beekeeper, Collins Beekeeperâs Bible: Bees, Honey, Recipes and Other Home Uses, Natural Beekeeping: Organic Approaches to Modern Apiculture and Top-Bar Beekeeping: Organic Practices for Honeybee Health, Employee Monitoring). this thread I learned a lot of new and interesting, I hope my bees are not waiting for those terrible parasites, which were mentioned above.
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