Bee Barn Produces Full Slabs of Honey | Fall Bee Barn Inspections

[@reddivrbob]

Earlier this year I sent you an email with pics of a method to extract honey from BeeBarn frames, and a number to contact me on how I created an extraction frame to use in my Hillco UltraMax extractor. Never heard from you.

[@BugFarmerBees]

I will check the spam folder. I do not recall the email. I would love to see that.

[@reddivrbob]

@@BugFarmerBees I will resend if I kept it.

[@reddivrbob]

@@BugFarmerBees We emailed back and forth from 4/23 to 5/20.

[@reddivrbob]

@@BugFarmerBees Resent emails, just checking you received.

[@apveening]

Maybe a stupid question, but have you considered replacing the top boxes on the bee barns with boxes of about one or two inches high and filled with solid isolation? That will get rid of the top boxes and allow you to still place the top covers on.

[@BugFarmerBees]

That is a great idea. My problem right now is time. I don't have enough of it. :-)

[@apveening]

@@BugFarmerBees I know the problem, I come up short about 168 hours every week ;)

[@gallowaylights]

​ @apveening * I use an inner cover, then an empty deep box on my insulated hives so I can use a normal lid! Sometimes, I throw a pillow in the empty box. 😂

[@hedoublehockeystick2046]

Great guess! 12:45 Walking from the bottom of the frame up in the middle towards the nice sunshine on the left, there's your beautiful, black, shiny queen.

[@BugFarmerBees]

Awesome. I'll look. Thanks.

[@wstepnout7215]

great call!

[@theshadowoftruth7561]

My first year bee barn style hive filled 1 supers on top with honey this year. You got stung more today than I have all year. Then again I only have 2 one year old hives.

[@BugFarmerBees]

:-). That sting session was from 2020 when the green hive lit me up. I showed it after I commented that I wasn't afraid of bees, which I clearly am :-)

[@gallowaylights]

00:05:58 Finally the bottom line is out!😂

[@BugFarmerBees]

The bottom line? That is not a fair statement. The bee barns have been great hives and I have never suffered a winter dead out in one. They just won't work in my situation anymore as I transition into a sideline beekeeper. It is important for all of my hives to use the same equipment. I am converting everything to 10 frame gear. For the hobbyist or the strictly backyard beekeeper I can't think of a better hive. The Bee Barn was, is, and has been an awesome hive.

[@gallowaylights]

@BugFarmerBees yep! When you run out of day hours and have a job to do, the fun heated hives and insulated barns get stream lined.

[@rogue9346]

Not that I get a say but you’re one of the few KZbinrs still running bee barns so you’re one of a niche who I can still get bee barn content from.

[@BugFarmerBees]

Maybe I'll keep a few running to do tests on :-)

[@rogue9346]

@@BugFarmerBees Ended up losing one of my bee barns to varroa already. hoping the other ones hold on but it wiped out my strongest colony.

[@BarnhillBeeBarn]

i love the videos always fun and learn a little as well

[@BugFarmerBees]

Thanks. I appreciate the kind words and you stopping in to have a look.

[@rtxhoneybees]

I'm running a few colonies on "bee barn" sized frames. Mine are 10 frames, and I call them Texas Deeps. You can just stack a medium box onto a deep box and drop those frames right in. In your area, you dont need that side insulation anyway. You are correct that they store more honey in the bottom, but thats no different than running one and a halves or double deep brood boxes. My 7 Texas Deeps (of about 50 colonies) haven't required a drop of supplemental feed so that's a plus.

[@BugFarmerBees]

It is a plus. Sugar is expensive.

[@Jimflawless927]

I have a question you must have gotten forever. When will a keeper know when to remove the robbing screens

[@BugFarmerBees]

I don't use robbing screens personally. That said, If I used them, I would keep them on until the daily temps are to cold for the bees to fly.

[@Jimflawless927]

@ ok I will find out from KZbin someone in New Jersey might know. Thank you

[@gallowaylights]

​@@Jimflawless927* probably when it's cold out, remove the guards 😅

[@Jimflawless927]

@ thank you makes sense. 👍

[@Ambees_Honey]

Good Morning! Not related to this particular video, I'm working on my 2025 beekeeping journal and i believe we are in similar growing zones. I'm in a 7b zone, looking at your info, is that yours as well? I know different regions of the us differ as well, just looking for commonalities :). Hope you have a fantastic day!

[@BugFarmerBees]

Yes, I am in 7b metro Atlanta Georgia. Because we are in the same zone feel free to share any growing or beekeeping tips with me :-)

[@Ambees_Honey]

@@BugFarmerBees will do, once I figure out time management and have time to garden again lol

[@lauramaeputnam4803]

Any bee barns for sale?

[@BugFarmerBees]

I will probably give them away when the spring rolls around. Contact me then.

[@karenpruitt6833]

Hi BugFarmer, is there a way to modify the beebarn frames to a size that fits an extractor? Maybe use 2 shallows?

[@BugFarmerBees]

I could actually probably fit them in my Hillco Supermax. Doesn't solve my problem of standardization though.

[@kathyhathaway8823]

Take all your supers off install a 2” feeder shim an put lid back on an problem solved. Easy . What kind of bees do you have .

[@BugFarmerBees]

I have a mix of bees. Mostly Italians, Caucasians, and Crynock's which are a mix between Italian and Buckfast.

[@PeabodysApiary]

You can build a quick small shim to put on top then a lid on that

[@BugFarmerBees]

I could do that but it requires time. Time is something I have very little of these days. You will understand soon when I reveal what I have been up to. Lots of irons in the fire at the moment. I just want to get the girls to bed for the winter and handle some of my other tasks :-)

[@Tanks-In-Space]

Only 2 out of 18 lost? that sounds great! Mr End mentioned a few videos ago that he lost at least 30% or more.

[@BugFarmerBees]

I have been fortunate over wintering bees. I am topping all of the hives off now before the cold weather sets in. Then I will need to start building hive stands for the new bee yard.

[@Tanks-In-Space]

@@BugFarmerBees, maybe because he does not feed or treat for mites?. When I asked if it was a world record, the reply was that a 30% loss is a normal number for beekeepers. 😭😭

[@gregmoessing1433]

I’ll take one our your bee barns. I’ve long been a subscriber

[@BugFarmerBees]

Remind me in the spring after I move the colonies into 10 frame hives.

[@scipio2009]

Largely gathering information for a planned project, but is the only issue with the bee barn the lack of honey being pushed into the honey super? Because if everything else is ok, that's not all that much a negative, tbh. Let the bees keep the honey, maintain their populations and health, while being ready and able to forage right as the flowers bloom in the orchards... and the occasional honey pull as it comes up, sounds about perfect to me. Any other issues, generally?

[@BugFarmerBees]

Actually that is really only an issue because I failed to manage them this year. My real issue is I am standardizing to all 10 frame equipment and they just don't fit with what I am doing these days. The Bee Barns are good hives.

[@thomashouser5877]

I didn't like the no talking part. Not for me.

[@BugFarmerBees]

Sorry. I was just trying something different.