DIY Horizontal Langstroth Beehive

DIY Horizontal Langstroth Beehive overview of build. Lightly covering the construction with views on various methods.

[@horizontalbees3480]

Really enjoyed your video and you made some great horizontal hive!! I'm looking forward to see how they perform this year. God bless you.

[@andersonprettywaterfarm4369]

Thank you, we are anxious for spring, our favorite time of the year, here on the farm.

[@josephvogel7234]

Nice work. Let us know how they performed for you.🌵

[@macykoonts3890]

You have done a great job. Very sensible. You can tell that you have bee keeping experience The internet is full of Long Hive builds. Most of them are no good and just a poor waste of time. Keep kicking Old Man. You are tops !

[@andersonprettywaterfarm4369]

Thank you, Bees is one of my favorite hobbies, it's dynamic, every year is always different, never a dull moment. It always seems like I am a little bit behind on the management side, always something that I can do to make things better for them. Again, thanks.

[@eliinthewolverinestate6729]

I built a Lazutin horizontal hive it holds 17 Lazutin frames. I use x2 Langstroph frames bracketed together. I got nail boards covering mine to keep bear out. I call it the porcupine hive.

[@andersonprettywaterfarm4369]

The Lazutin hive is a more natural hive for the bees. I bet it will provide a great home for the girls. Thanks for the comment and you have a great state.

[@التداويبالرقيةالشرعيةوالاعشابو]

عمل موفق أخي الكريم شكراً

[@michaelnkanda6652]

How do you deal with queen excluder? Good job.

[@andersonprettywaterfarm4369]

Hi Michael, I don't use queen excluders with my horizontal hives, when doing a split I locate my queen with 3 or 4 frames of stores and brood and move her to new location. I will ensure that I leave less than 3 day old eggs in the old hive. Normally the frame that you find the queen on will generally have the youngest eggs.

[@loislangley2975]

What size are your drawers, Depth and width and size of drawer fronts? Do you use trays in them? I am in Queensland Australia. I want to put trays and screened bottom with solid bottom under drawers or trays for Small Hive Beetle and usual droppings so is easier to clean. I am building another with viewing windows, and the screened bottom with trays and solid bottom.

[@andersonprettywaterfarm4369]

Hi Lois, The drawers are 11 5/8" wide by 18 1/2 " Deep by 5/8" thick. The drawer front is 13' wide by 3 1/2" tall by 3/4" thick. The two horizontal hives did well this year. They populate heavy with lots of brood. I would encourage to use wider cover boards 1 x 6. I have two types of observation hives. My horizontal topbar and my 2 frame mini nuc that I have in my shop with the entry going through my wall to the outside. I have plexiglass on both sides. I place a frame of young eggs and a empty frame with wire. I created 5 or 6 new hives with it this year. I had a blast watching them raise a queen and then when she started her brood I would move them out and start all over. Good luck with hives. We visited Australia 4 or 5 years back, you have a wonderful country.

[@loislangley2975]

@@andersonprettywaterfarm4369 Thankyou. I just found the Queen on one end had swarmed and as I was checking frames a new queen came out. My fault 14 days since I checked. Spring here so they are doing what bees do in spring.

[@houstonsheltonbees814]

Nice job 👍 I'm working on one to try. God bless

[@andersonprettywaterfarm4369]

Thanks, I really enjoy the horizontals, I bet you will too.

[@catchemalive]

How was your first year with the horizontal hive?? I’m fixing to build one off yours!! Thanks so much. Do they make the same amount of honey in those type hives?

[@andersonprettywaterfarm4369]

I really like the horizontal hive, they are a little more of a hassel than the verticals, but the bees seem to function well. I call them my baby makers. both my hives last year created a lot of brood. I removed numerous frames of brood to supplement weak hives or create new hives. I lost one of the horizontal hives over winter, I believe the north wind got them. This year I am removing the drawers and screen and placing a solid bottom on that hive. I will observe both hives through the summer and next winter and compare. As for Honey, about the same, you will need to rotate the frames and push the honey frames to the outer frames and keep empty comb available. Don't allow bees to become honey bound, or they will want to swarm. Good Luck, enjoy the bees. Mike

[@catchemalive]

@@andersonprettywaterfarm4369 thank you so much for the in depth description!! I was thinking about 8-9 frames for brood and then exclude her and leave he rest for honey supers?? You say I’ll need to move those honey frames further out as they fill them up and leave the empty combs close to the brood nest?

[@andersonprettywaterfarm4369]

@@catchemalive As the hive expands with brood and stores, ensure you provide a frame or two for expansion. If you want to control the brood chamber you may need to replace a frame or two of brood with empty comb from time to time to prevent swarming.

[@poppys3728]

Nice video. Where did you get the plans for that horizontal Langstroth? I have one that I have been building for about 2 years now (about 90% complete) I dont remember where I got the plans. Was taking too long so I bought six traditional langs. Just installed six packages last tuesday. I thought the ventilation ports were more a consideration for moisture control rather than temperature.?

[@andersonprettywaterfarm4369]

I didn't go by any specific plans. Dr. Leo's basic Horizontal Hive was a start and I modified to my liking from that. The double wall with insulation is overkill for our location. I think using 2" thick boards for the base provides adequate insulation especially here in Oklahoma and it mimics the thickness of most hollow trees and it will last a long time. As for ventilation, watch the bees, most of my screened vent holes are covered by propolis by the bees, they normally leave a hole the size of a pencil. I always place an 1 1/2" extension on top of my Langstroths. I also use candy boards in the winter which helps soak up moisture. The following site may assist with your project, have fun with the bees. horizontalhive.com/how-to-build/long-langstroth-plans.shtml

[@tomcochrane56]

Love the build quality I see where you have seen the slight problems with the first and rectified those with the second. I use national hives in Scotland I hope to build one for next year.

[@andersonprettywaterfarm4369]

I enjoy the Langstroth Horizontals, the first season went really well despite the hard year due to late freezes on the plant life. It takes a little longer to go thru the hive on inspection compared to verticals, but the queen produces a large colony of bees. I will be curious to see how they perform on a normal year without a late freeze.

[@jeffliddicoat714]

The drawers under the hive be a good way for me to use an oxyaclic wand ( heated spoon ) for combatting Varroa

[@andersonprettywaterfarm4369]

With the screen bottom with drawers below, it provides easy access to the brood chambers for OA treatment. Thank you for watching

[@honeybee3317]

I like the drawers which can be removed in hot summers if need be. What your design has that others do not is an airspace under the open lid so bees can be brushed under it and not be squashed when the lid closes. Good design!

[@andersonprettywaterfarm4369]

Thank you, I should be placing bees in them within the next few weeks, looking forward to it.

[@jeffliddicoat714]

A well thought out adaptation, given me some great examples. Thank you for this

[@andersonprettywaterfarm4369]

Thank You

[@somegladmourning443]

I love the idea of putting little screws in the top boards to lift them up.

[@andersonprettywaterfarm4369]

All I needed to do was put a screw on a couple of the top cover boards. I placed them on both sides of the moveable end board. Anything to make things easier, is always good.

[@evonnewhalen9794]

Beautiful hives. Job well done

[@andersonprettywaterfarm4369]

Thank You, Spring is here!!! We are busy starting the gardens. We have had a lot of rain, we need 10 days of dry weather to get our cool weather vegetables in. The forecast looks favorable we will keep our fingers crossed. Have a great day.