I have a few pictures I took a couple of days ago. The base is still very much a work in progress but I wanted to record the SHB trap in place. This trap gets enclosed by other parts of the base and the only way I could photograph it was during construction.
This first pic show the slot where the SHB trap fits. Below the trap there is a 50mm drop to the oil tray. To the right of the trap is part of the hive entrance, an 80mm long ramp sloping upward into the hive at 10º.
This pic shows the SHB trap in place. It’s kept in position by wooden wedges on either side. You can see one of the wedges on the right of this pic.
The third pic show the entrance cover in place. Bees enter up the ramp, over the trap and through a 10mm wide vertical slot into hive proper. I think this type of entrance is described as the “cool” way because it is at right angles to the frames.
Yes perpendicular. Lots of people get confused by “perpendicular”. The phrase “right angles” is probably more easily understood. I kept out of the cool way/warm way discussion because it is a long way past my level of expertise.
The metal rule in the third photo is lying flat (horizontal) on the baseboard. The empty space on the left of that photo is where the 3mm screen is supposed to go. The mesh I’m making it out of hasn’t turned up yet. (Sigh.)
Thank you Dragonfly. I haven’t counted the time I spent drawing and designing this little bee basement but I’ve put a few hours into it. I’ve already built one rough prototype and I expect to put a few more together before I settle on a final design. I’ve cut enough timber for two eight frame bases and I’m in the process of assembling the first one. As you can see by the photos, it needs to be painted as it gets assembled. The yet to be assembled base will be treated with copper naphthenate before I put it together.
My first ever colony of bees was almost overwhelmed by small hive beetles a month or two ago so I’ve had an incentive to help my girls fight their never ending battle. I hived my second colony yesterday and already they are battling beetles
I ended up buying the plastic serving tray. Its slightly too narrow and slightly too short but the depth just fits if its positioned in the top slot.
I used an electric hot knife to cut an exact fitting frame out of the corflute board and used some silicon to keep the tray in flush and snug with the frame. Its a very tight fit into the upper slot but that works in my favour as no bees can then get in either.
I put a few cm of vegetable oil in the tray about 5 days ago and have managed to catch a few beetles in that time.
All in all, I’m reasonably happy with it as its catching beetles but I’m guessing some could still be escaping around the edge of the tray (in fact I saw one crawling up the side as I pulled the tray out).
On the downside, it doesn’t look that elegant compared to my beautiful cedar hive and I’ve lost the advantage of ventilation through the screened bottom board. I’m not sure if its just coincidence but the bees have been spending a bit more time hanging out the front cooling off since I installed this tray (although it is also 30 degrees here today).
I don’t have a massive beetle problem at the moment anyway, but I’ll keep trialing it for a while and see how it goes.
I think that your design is looking really clever. Sometimes finigaling as you are can result in brilliant results. It’s going to be so interesting watching your process!
I now have one 8 frame bottom board assembled and painted. Next step is to fix 3mm mesh to the top and flyscreen to the bottom. The 3mm screen is a critical component because the gaps must be big enough to trap the beetles and small enough so bees can’t slip through. I hope I’ve selected the right size mesh because it cost a fortune and the courier took a very long time to deliver it. US Americans use something called #8 hardware cloth but I was unable to source any. The screen I’ve bought has slightly larger spaces so fingers crossed the bees don’t fall through.
I’ll post more pics when I get the screens in place. Perhaps tomorrow.
Just been getting familiar with my Flow Hive with the help of an experienced beekeeper (I’m new) - he seemed concerned that the ‘back entrance’ (i.e. where the base board slides in & out) is likely to attract more pests into the hive…he suggests closing the door so to speak… Anyone have similar concerns?
I built one back entrance but was unhappy with it. The replacement will be hollow, with flyscreen on the inside and 3mm mesh on the outside. A layer of diatomite in the bottom of the central cavity will demolish unwanted critters attempting to get in the back door. I’ve noticed vents on my current hives attracting SHB. They are trapped by the flyscreen on the inside but can easily escape. My modified “back door” should make escape less likely.
Almost done. flyscreen bottom stapled and glued into place, 8 inch long by1/2inch legs attached. 8mm steel screw in legs would have been more than adequate but I had these big old bolts to hand. Sometimes a shed full of junk produces something useful.
I still need a temporary screen for the back and a slide in oil tray to catch unwanted critters but I expect to install my bees on Tuesday. I’ll move their current residence 60cm this evening and butt the two hives together tomorrow.
Hello ‘Sciencemaster’! Where do you get the 3mm screen for the bottom board? I will need some for my converted hive and also for a top bar hive we want to build. Actually, I hope you live in Australia! Otherwise you can’t tell me! ****
Forgive me if I missed an explaination in earlier posts for my following question.
Will you be placing that wonderful hive base on a concrete slab or wide ‘castors’?
Hives in full ‘flight’ can be HEAVY and the resultant point loading on those wonderful bolts would see the whole shebang either sink into the ground and/or (worse) topple over???
Abeilles, Yes I can tell you the source and here it is.
It wasn’t cheap and the freight was expensive too. I bought enough to build a few of the bases. If you are anywhere near Byron Bay I can cut you a piece of mine at cost. Best to wait until the bees have tested it for a few weeks. US Americans use mesh that go 8 wires to the inch while the stuff I’m using has gaps a little larger (3mm).
Dragonfly, I’ve just put together a “temporary” base from 4"X2" old hardwood rafters. The bolts sit in heavy, galvanised cups of oil and the cups sit on the rafters. The rafters are nailed and screwed down but that won’t stop the local white ants for long. Eventually I will cast a few concrete bases. My baby son is flying home from England in a few days. If I can distract him from the pool and the beaches… He’s a good concreter but is only home for a couple of weeks before heading back to London.
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