Long Lang Horizontal Hive Startup. Home Made, Saskatraz Package honey bee Install. The Beginning!

[@vegassims7]

Bees are the most beautiful of insects in my opinion... I used to be so afraid of bees when I was young, but I have grown to love them.

[@satorizero5448]

Most wonderful video I've ever seen. Your commentary and videography are incredible. Thank you

[@FrederickDunn]

Thank you!

[@bobwebber8521]

Very good video thanks also for not having rubbish music playing which usually overwhelms some other clips.

[@FrederickDunn]

Glad you liked it!

[@EddVCR]

I knew that copper has anti microbial property, but I had no idea that it had any effect on viruses, including COVID. That’s amazing. The girls look so gorgeous walking on shiny copper, with its warm glow reflecting back at them. I think you’re right, the girls know they look so good!

[@wpankey57]

That’s a nice new hive. Thanks for the tour of your bee yard.

[@FrederickDunn]

Thanks for watching!

[@wpankey57]

@@FrederickDunn being a new beekeeper and 66 with a bad back this looks great. However, I’m not handy like you are.

[@maryannl7904]

I know this video this video is 3 yrs old but I’m happy I stumbled upon it. I’m entering my 2nd year and my first yr was a struggle with all medium boxes. Even they were extremely heavy for my 64 year old body. I’m a year older and already anticipating the struggle. I will have to try a horizontal hive

[@FrederickDunn]

Horizontal hives are great for young and old beekeepers alike :) I'm so glad you found it useful :)

[@annlight1894]

Great videos! I'm a new bee keeper and my husband just built us the same horizontal hive. We installed bees last month and they are doing fantastic. We added three screened bottom sections with a hinged door that we can hang open or close depending on weather. Enough wax bits fall on the "doors" to make them sticky and I would not use oil. We also had some extra top slats that have 2.5" holes covered in screening for added ventilation when needed. We also started 2 vertical hives. The horizontal hive day by day is leaps and bounds faster in hive development. We really like it!

[@58Kym]

Thanks Fred, that was great. Will be fascinating to track progress going forward,

[@FrederickDunn]

Thank you Kym, it's going to be a fun and interesting beekeeping year!

[@shaunroberts9361]

Fred. The Bee Whisper. For sure. You have all your ducks in a row when you do these videos. I mean every question you had, You had a answer. Pretty darn impressive. I have been watching Doug & Stacy homestead. Anyway I got head phones on. And when a bee goes by your microphone man it sounds real. I am sitting on my couch and moving my head because it sounds so real..... Thank you for sharing.... And every one of your hives look so strong

[@FrederickDunn]

Thank you Shaun, I'm so glad you enjoyed it. I watched the video where Stacy and Doug were visited by Dr.Leo :)

[@bellunderwood4272]

Beautiful hive! I like the thickness of the wood to keep them warm. I did a direct release with queen of my Saskatraz into my Cathedral hive. I just love them😍! Thank you for another great video!

[@FrederickDunn]

Thanks Jane! Yes, I've been doing direct releases of all of my queen installs for the past few years and have wondered why I ever waited once it was clear that the workers wanted to care for her. It's now my standard method and I haven't lost a single queen.... knock on a wooden hive.

[@T0tenkampf]

Actually wood has very little insulation value although a 2x4 would have double the value of a typical hive wall it is still only about R2 for pine. I have a cathedral hive as well, I hope that you are liking yours better than I have. Boy, I really wanted to love it!

[@chrisswoboda6732]

Thanks Fred. I HAVE LEARNED. Lot from you. Mann Lake said my bee's will be shipped May 4th. Can't wait

[@2kings3queens]

Fred's channel is truly a wealth of knowledge. I am in the process of watching all his play lists, just finished all the vids in the "My flow Hive Experience" list.

[@FrederickDunn]

wow, you have a lot of patience :) Thank you so much for watching and for the wonderful compliment! :)

[@shotgunbobby11]

Just bought the latches off your link for my wine barrel hive. 👍🐝🤟

[@FrederickDunn]

I have a bag of them, they are my favorite latch design! Thanks for using the link :)

[@shotgunbobby11]

@@FrederickDunn my pleasure. It’s one way of giving back to you for giving us so much insight and guidance to backyard beekeeping. Truly amazing work my friend.

[@kathyhathaway8823]

What a great video and also a great setup you have . Hope your new hive works out great . Thanks Gene

[@kareno8634]

I Love your Horizontal Box - Great Work ~ Bees are Lucky. Thanks!

[@FieldFarmForest]

Great bee info. I am about to step into the horizontal hive world. Thanks for sharing. -Kirsten

[@PKBees]

We have four Long Langs. Everyone is built a little differently. I like the design you've made.

[@danielgriffith8911]

How much of the langs do they use from your experience?

[@PKBees]

@@danielgriffith8911 We've only had them for about a year and a half, converting our four colonies one at a time. The range in capacity from 27 to 30 frames. Right now, during our honey flow each hive has 5 to 7 empty frames. There is room for three to four more frames to be added. This is the fullest the hives have ever been. We'll start pulling frames for the harvest in a couple of weeks. Oh, and we split one hive about a month ago, but we made the split because they were getting mean. We added new queens to the old hive and the new one (which is a standard vertical langstroth).

[@PKBees]

@@danielgriffith8911 And I didn't answer for "typically". Short answer is a little over half to 3/4 of the box.

[@beekeepinginaustraliabyala9825]

Just made my firs horizontal Lang Cant wait for spring to get bees in

[@ethnedamm6357]

A work of beekeeping art! Will be watching to see how they fill it out. Always a pleasure seeing what you are up to Fred.

[@FrederickDunn]

Thank you so much Ethne! I thought of you when I did the Queen Cage install. :)

[@beebob1279]

I'm going to be switching over to the long style hives because of shoulder issues. I've run bees for 25 years and this will be a true challenge for me. The journals from time to time have photo contests or look for interesting beekeeping photos for their magazines. I think you should get a picture of the honeybees on the copper. What a great shot.

[@johnmcneill923]

Gr8 stuff, Fred. Always looking to educate. Many thanks. Hope family is well and Virus Free.

[@FrederickDunn]

We're healthy John, but then we're staying away from "people" so, I'm thankful to have this property and so many things to keep me occupied. I hope you are well also!

[@richardkuhn8115]

Really great video Fred. I really enjoyed it. Looking forward to follow up videos on the Long Lang. Thanks for sharing.

[@FrederickDunn]

Thanks Richard, it's going to be a joy to evaluate.

[@MerlinspopTBH]

When I had a top bar hive, I found cove molding mounted centered on the bar made a perfect V guide and I had nearly no cross combs or strange shapes. I also drilled round entrance holes that were sized so I could use wine corks to close some up if I wanted to reduce the total entrance amount.

[@polvotierno]

Great video! I learn so much from you, Mr. Dunn. The metal kitchen pad to slow down air flow in the roof is awesome. Most others never think of that. I used crumpled up newspaper in the attic space. It can collect moisture too. But the metal pad is a great idea. I think your feeder system is perfecr. You have a place for syrup, dry sugar, pollen patties and dry pollen. You probably even have space for a beetle jail. Eventually the key is to see where the brood area ends and the honey reserves atart. Great work. Looking forward to all of your updates.

[@FrederickDunn]

Thank you so much! I'm sure we'll make more observations and improvements as the season continues. I'll have a pretty good final design by next spring I think. :)

[@polvotierno]

@@FrederickDunn I was thinking about your design while going to sleep, and I was wondering if there was enough bee space below the frames. If not, you could shim up the frames 1/4", then shim up the top boards 1/4", then shave down the top boards so that the roof closes nicely. I think that 1/2" bee space below the frames is best. How much space is there in your long lang below the frames?

[@polvotierno]

Hello, I made a video today of my beehive design incorporating your feeder shim. Here is the link.. kzbin.info/www/bejne/h3PIh2eqn66sq9E

[@polvotierno]

@@FrederickDunn I sent a video link for my hive design in a message, but now I hear in one of your videos that it probably went to spam because it had a link. You can search the video with "Horizontal Long Beehive Design with option to stack 8-frame supers". Some little details were left out, like putting screen on the bottoms of the chimneys, but the main points are covered.

[@mihaiilie8808]

Precious information about the robber bees trying to get inside the hive from the back. Maybe you will find the queen and save the robbed hive. The jokes about the coffin in the back yard made me laugh because it reminded me of a beekeeper here that had coffin looking beehives and he also had a hive build to look like a small church among them.

[@mihaiilie8808]

I uploaded my first youtube video finally.Is somewhat similar to your nature silence videos but not professional film maker quality like yours. More to follow and i will somewhat copy your videos,make reviews about the cheap gear i just got and about my backyard,orchard, bees and greenhouse. The deep sea aquarium and trout farm maybe the next year.

[@kencollins3565]

Love the new hive! I am thinking of building one now. Sure would save my back and issues lifting.

[@FrederickDunn]

You should! I have to say Ken, it's a very easy hive to tend. We'll see how the year goes and I may add other variations in the near future.

[@kencollins3565]

2 Questions: 1. Do you have plans for the construction? 2. What about a queen excluder application? I guess it could be modified to fit / hang in place like the divider board.

[@donbearden1953]

Thanks for the video Fred! I really enjoyed seeing you install the bees. Have a great weekend!

[@FrederickDunn]

Thanks, you too!

[@risenphoenixfarm7394]

Looks great, lots of thought out details. Agree only thing missing is an escape each end. I love my horizontal hives!

[@FrederickDunn]

Thank you so much.

[@rodkirt9273]

Excellent ! I am going to sell my vertical boxes and build a long hive . I am 70 and I don’t bend over very well .

[@FrederickDunn]

They are definitely the most comfortable hives I've ever worked with :) You will definitley save your back.

[@zates2272]

Wonderful install. Hope they stay strong! You too sir.

[@FrederickDunn]

Thanks, you too!

[@sabgab]

I am in Venango County here. I just discovered your channel today and subscribed of course. Question though, why didn't you use one or two already used frames for this new install?

[@FrederickDunn]

I like to start new hives fresh and Bettercomb gives them a real boost without any residue at all.

[@robertmalis4493]

Hey Fred I haven’t watched a video of yours in a while and as always you put out another absolutely amazing video you were such a wealth of knowledge and it’s just awesome that you provide your knowledge to others so they can be successful with their apiaries

[@FrederickDunn]

Thank you Robert! It's always nice to see your comments and welcome back! :)

[@SmallTNHomestead]

That was impressive Fred! I love the copper. I may do that at my entrances. Thanks so much for taking the time to do this video. By the way my shirt and mug came In. Very very nice!🌻

[@2kings3queens]

I also think the copper flashing is a very nice touch, would look good as a visor on my Flow Hive

[@FrederickDunn]

OOOhhhh thank you for buying those Mary! :) I need to design some new shirts this summer, I've had requests for dandelion illustrations :) Thank YOU for supporting me :)

[@Vladviking]

If the copper has no coating or additive it's going to turn a color not to unfamiliar to the paint job too.

[@mbgal7758]

Omg you definitely need a bee escape or leave that circular hole open so the bees can get down there. I couldn’t handle doing all that brushing 😂 I adore this hive though. The best of both worlds. You can use a long hive while still being able to use all the Langstroth equipment. It’s really nice looking too. You’ve done great job, you can just tell it’s a quality build. 👍

[@FrederickDunn]

Thanks for the tip! Beach Girl!

[@mbgal7758]

Frederick Dunn I realized that I forgot to mention you’d have to put a trap out cone in the feeding circle so they wouldn’t keep coming up. I guess that’s a given. It would probably mess with your ventilation tho. Silly brainstorming. I saw you mentioned they’re not coming up too much now that they’re in there and used to it. Glad to hear it since it looked like herding cats 😂

[@rrbrickmason]

Hi, Fred. This is a great video series. I just discovered it a week or so ago while trying to find a good site for some new beekeepers that I am mentoring for our club. Of course, I've learned a lot from it too. As it happens, I installed a Saskatraz package on Thursday myself. (So far, I love them.) And your Saskatraz installation clip from last year (showing the bee buss) was a great help understanding that unit. I've also built a long hive and been keeping it going for a couple of years now (with Italians). I do not have any boards over the frames the way you do. Yesterday, I opened the hive up (after two weeks) to find a lot of burr and honey comb on top of the frames and attached to the ceiling of my hive. Opening the hive made an unexpected mess and cleaning it away from the frames and ceiling angered the bees. They didn't do anything like this last year, but I am afraid they will continue doing it going forward, now that they have started. How do I prevent that? I am trying to figure out how to retrofit the hive, still populated with bees and a growing colony. The roof is an A-frame, but the ceiling of the hive bee compartment is flat plywood, insulated with two inches of polystyrene panels above and another plywood panel above that with vent shafts through the ceiling with entrance and exit holes covered with wire screening. A plastic ridge line caps the ridge line. (Otherwise, the hive is 2-by construction throughout.) The wood boards shown in your video seem like the ideal solution, but I don't have a second, routed shoulder, like you seem to have. (Am I right that you have two shoulders?) I'm thinking of stapling a 3/8" round dowel or 3/8 square wood rod to the end of each board to elevate the board over the frames. I'm sure the bees will propolize the rods and they may pull apart, but I've no better notion. What do think of that idea? Any better suggestions? I'm putting the finishing touches on a new long-hive and will go back and add a new shoulder for the cover boards, the same as (I understand) your hive has. -Robert

[@FrederickDunn]

Hi Robert, based on what you're describing, I'd cut strips that run the length and width of your box, remove the cover and hinges, install the strips as shims so you and then creater your inner cover/boards/bars... and then reinstall the lid. Tough to do with the bees in it, but that's all I can think of at the moment. Feel Free to share your photos and have a discussion on the Facebook page, maybe others there would have some helpful suggestions? facebook.com/Freds-Fine-Fowl-167853353261108/

[@rrbrickmason]

Fred, I did more or less as you suggested on a new hive that I was constructing. I already had rim boards that function like shims. I just raised them to the cover board thickness, cut the cover boards, and reattached, the cover. Its a box made from 2x12 pine boards, 44 inches long and 22 inches wide (more or less) with an "a-shaped" frame roof. I am waiting for for my first split to try and populate it.

[@robertmathurin3716]

Thanks Mr Dunn,, Was missing those Out door videos,,👍,,🇱🇨👊🖤

[@FrederickDunn]

More to come! I've been continuously frustrated by late season snows and freezing temps. Even this morning it was only 34 deg. F. I would much rather do outside honey bee working videos. :)

[@voodooqueen322]

Planted my pollination yard of 1/2 acre this year. Plan on building 2 long hives this fall. Really want to do this as I have retired this year. Looking forward to the updates. Thank you for the helpful info.

[@FrederickDunn]

Sounds great! Thanks for watching!

[@ottawabarber]

In your plans you show the optional "shim" 2 x 4 below main box. I am building this now and was curious if you have built one with the shim, and how does it compare to this one without the shim - regarding hive strength, honey production, venting, etc ? I will be happy to show a few photos of the finished hive in a few weeks.

[@FrederickDunn]

The one with the shim is being built now. I've found with other custom hives, they leave that lower space open, but "can" build drone comb there that you can then harvest.

[@ottawabarber]

@@FrederickDunn see my recent comment for photos of my hive from your plans

[@gordonmaurer5236]

Thanks for another beautiful video.

[@FrederickDunn]

You are very welcome Gordon! Thanks for watching!

[@sumyungai1]

New subscriber, love your videos! Great humor, informative, and I don’t even keep bees! Your narration is like the Bob Ross of beekeeping.

[@FrederickDunn]

Thanks!

[@fishmanfairclough7530]

Built 2 layens hives for this year the size of them is amazing, because I made all my old bee stuff they were a great adaptation from the Warre that I also build, if I had bought lang stuff this is a brilliant solution to not having to adapt or dump your lang equipment.

[@PKBees]

I use innercovers with holes between the top of the bars and the lid. After two years we've never had a problem with bees making comb between the lid and the inner cover.

[@curtstivison5610]

Nice looking hive Fred. I like the copper accents.

[@FrederickDunn]

Thanks Curt, I may be adding more exterior copper accents... I like it also and am happy I did that. Thans for watching and commenting!

[@6Deep6]

Great video Fred - thank you. I think you should cover the entire hive in copper! I agree, it looks spectacular.

[@FrederickDunn]

I opted for aluminum on top to reflect some of that summer sun/heat. :) but I do love the look of copper.

[@jeremydepenning]

Love your vids! Thank you for the quality guidance

[@richardkuhn4358]

Looks like it could go pretty fast 😃 Nice Job;!

[@rcheneviere35]

Great video. Thank you

[@FrederickDunn]

You are welcome!

[@MarcellaSmithVegan]

Exciting! So glad you are doing a horizontal hive!

[@FrederickDunn]

Thanks, it's a fun change and I'm looking forward to seeing how the bees use the space through the next 12 months.

[@RaySarasin]

My friend made one but in our winter it can get to -50 plus wind chill. That being said bees do not move sideways very good i understand. So in my neck of the woods, i cannot see the use here. Again my opinion on this. Winter can be very brutal here for some years. But good luck with it

[@kentbomberger5786]

Great video, thanks for sharing.

[@FrederickDunn]

Thanks for watching!

[@naturalwitchery]

This made me want one SO BADLY!

[@hiddensprings4195]

Thanks Fred

[@LarryLeesBees]

Fantastic!!! That is an awesome Long Lang. It should survive most everything! LoL!!! Thanks for sharing Sir. Also thanks for pointing out my bad photography! Blown out images... pssshhh!!! Hahahahaha!!! 🤣

[@FrederickDunn]

Hi Larry... yep, I thought I'd fix that exposure before one of my past students tears me apart! That hive is just sitting on that support and it's so heavy that it's already handled 50 mph wind gusts without budging! Heavy is nice and I'm giving a lot more thought to static hive designs. If you don't have to lift them, thick and heavy is a definite advantage. forgot to put a coffee cup shelf in there though... oh well (';')

[@LarryLeesBees]

Fred - It’s a beast. But man is it awesome! 50 mph winds, wow! Yep it’ll do. Coffee shelf, that can definitely go into the next design! LoL!!! 🤣

[@georgegarcia5052]

What a beautiful video!

[@FrederickDunn]

Thank you so much!

[@jimharmon2300]

Built a top bar . Had five swarms already . Bees seems to like it but I don’t. Was going to build a long Lang . Think I would like it better than the top bar hive . Very nice video. Great job .

[@FrederickDunn]

Hi Jim, I'm not personally a fan of the top bar hives. Many friends have tried them and had poor experiences. Southern climates may be better.

[@jimharmon2300]

Frederick Dunn Built it in 2018 , lost total hive . Cleaned it out . Modified, took screen off , solid bottom , insulated lid . Relocated . 2019 put a package in . 2020 in this last two weeks had 5 swarms . Rushed out bought a hive . Put in the first swarm , all dead the second day . Put in another swarm . Called a guy to get the others . It was getting down to freezing that night I was afraid they would die . Decided to built a long hive last year , just didn’t think I would need it so soon . Just so glad the girls made it through the winter . I hope I will like the long hive better , I think I will . I will be ready next swarm , I hope .

[@jimharmon2300]

Frederick Dunn Forgot to tell you my location . Close to Huntington, WV .

[@TheFarmacySeedsNetwork]

Hey Fred, Thanks for another great video! Just FYI detail;s is misspelled. Not trying to be a nitpicker, but I have made that mistakes so many times on videos and sometimes don't catch it for a while. cheers! Excellent design, build, explanation, and photography! Haha! the narcissist bee! Really looking forward to seeing how this long lang does!

[@FrederickDunn]

What?!!!! (';')( ';')... misspelled?! thank you!!!! See, I need friends like you to keep me looking good!

[@TheFarmacySeedsNetwork]

@@FrederickDunn I can't imagine anyone losing respect given your content and quality! but cheers!

[@DavidWilliams-wr4wb]

I love how you slip in your humor, ( most videos) 😝 I was teasing my wife yesterday and it’s much funnier when you joke about narcissism lol , I actually spit my coffee on your how do you drown a narcissist bee joke 😝😝 I guess I either appreciate your sense of humor or I drink my coffee at the wrong time 😝

[@FrederickDunn]

:) I was told years ago not to be "witty" with the students as many of them can't tell when I'm serious or being "funny". I do try to be sincere all the time, but it often goes against my nature.

[@DavidWilliams-wr4wb]

@@FrederickDunn life is short and I appreciate dead pan one liners and quick wit , so this student is a huge fan 😋❤️

[@MrMagicDennisWeir]

I made a Long Lang horizontal hive this winter with 7 flow frames at the far end as an experiment. Just waiting to capture a swarm to put into it. From Ontario Canada May 2020

[@FrederickDunn]

I hope it works for you Mr. Magic :)

[@garthsorenson45]

Frederick, Do you have plans for you horizontal hive? I would love to see them. It looks great! Garth

[@FrederickDunn]

It is currently a work in progress and I'll be making some changes, I will eventually put the plans on my main website, but I have some changes to make still.

[@jamesgrissom3750]

Mr Dunn That's a really nice looking long langstrum hive. Favorite colors ! Your newly designed logo , cut out in copper would be a nice special accent piece. Perhaps they could be placed over the top cover escape holes on the ends. And a curved cover to prevent rain. Or not truly enjoyed your demonstration. And looking forward to its pergresstion .

[@FrederickDunn]

James! You're ruining my idea! I've already thought of a copper plenum over those gable end vents! We'll see that that ends up looking like, but I do plan to cover those! We're on the same creative wavelength...

[@jamesgrissom3750]

So sorry. Mr dunn I just love ur logo design , Living here in south FL. I wanted to start with a L L Hive .I drew up plans for a 64 inch size . But everyone that had bees said the hive would grow too quickly and I would have to add on boxes . Or have a 2nd hive..So I bought 6 deeps .And will start out with 2 separate 10 frame hives with Wheaver queens and add as needed . We have learned so much in this fascinating field from your videos , F. A Q. and Fridays live pod cast . I earned a style of art , working with thin sheets copper . And a thin bed of clay to make a deminnual art piece images when I was a kid . And that beautiful reflective copper on your hive started me thinking. Looking forward to see your L L Hive grow through the year. And adapts to seasonal changes. Thank you again be safe.

[@russsherwood5978]

that was a good video, just subbed and thumbs - up, be strong, be safe, and be blessed

[@FrederickDunn]

Thank you so much Russ

[@carolnagata4855]

I’ve seen a couple of langstroth long boxes that have a bee escape hole in one of the gable ends of the lid, so no bees get trapped between cover boards and the lid. Also, in Canada (where we get WINTER) people insulate the lid.

[@FrederickDunn]

Thanks for sharing, Carol, yes, I have a bee escape in the gable end.

[@TheRainHarvester]

My hive in full sun Texas is the most productive. Why is your long Lang in the shade? Is it beneficial?

[@FrederickDunn]

It's only in the shade part of the day, and receives full sun in the winter months. Not intentional.

[@rrbrickmason]

Fred, Here is another question related to beekeeping with long hives. I treat for varroa and expect to treat this spring with FormicPro. Do you have any thoughts about whether or how much ventilation should be provided in the longhive when I put fresh strips in the hive? The guidance from the NOD says to "remove the entrance reducer" suggesting some ventilation is needed, likely at the base of the unit. But I am not sure what is called for with the longhive. My entrances are at the ends. Other than those 6 entrances and 3 screened 2-inch vent holes, the unit is quite tight. Thanks for any suggestions.

[@teamgoldenhomes]

Hey Super Fred, Chris and Becky Golden here with yet another rookie beekeeper question. Robbing screen; install now on my newly-installed nuc in my 10 frame hive? Ie, how do you know when to install a robbing screen anyhoo? Never been robbed, but I want to be proactive. Bees from nuc are exploding, cannot find queen yet, but it probably means I need to take my reading glasses with me to the apiary, sigh.

[@FrederickDunn]

Hi Chris, you "can" put one on just in case. Look into the BeeSmart Design Robbing Screen. They are handy to have around so you can bee prepared if things go bad. :)

[@teamgoldenhomes]

@@FrederickDunn Thanks for the speedy answer, yep, at $7 the robbing screen is affordable too.

[@shaunroberts9361]

This was really cool Fred.

[@NewEnglandgardening]

I've also seen the additional feature where you drill another screened hole thru the bottom and insert threaded pvc pipe with a cap with oil for the hive beetle. We also haven't had to many windows of good weather for the bees to fly here in Massachusetts. It's currently 47 F and rainy today with four days out of the next week with rain forecast. I've wondered what happens when a weak hive gets robbed and the queen is still alive? Do they leave with the queen or fight to the death?

[@FrederickDunn]

The reason for the robbing in this case was that they are queenless and suffered diminishing numbers. I complete Queen-Rite Hive, if robbed, would starve out.

[@smilingdog54]

What do you think of the long lang box that has a wire floor for summer? Why are the frames spaced on this hive but touching in a top bar? New to bees so asking lots of questions

[@FrederickDunn]

You can see my current designs here, and the plans are free - In a top bar hive, the frames themselves form the cover, while in this Long Langstroth the bees can pass over as well as around the frames and then have cover boards over them that are 3/8" above the frames for bee space. This makes inspection easy and feeding possible. Top bar hives offer not space or access for feeding directly above the brood. www.fredsfinefowl.com/printsforyou.html

[@volleyazflake]

What essential oils are you using and what is the reason for using them?

[@honeybeebro]

Thanks for all the help Fred. I am in the Northeast near your grandfather’s old home in Chester. I want to experiment with a long lang. If you had it to do again would you stick with the same hive design? What wouuld you do differently?

[@FrederickDunn]

I like the design so far, particularly the high interior space in the cover. When doing the next version, I'd make it a tiny bit deeper so there would be more space beneath the frames. AND, I'd cut the top of the hive at an angle (top of the box before the cover is on) and cut a matching angle on the cover so there is a rain shedding aspect to that open joint. I hope that makes sense? I've also made rigid insulation foam boards as cover inserts for winter. Aside from that, I'd demonstrate better craftsmanship with the ridge flashing... people are always asking what hit it? (';')( ';')... and, I don't think I'd put the copper mesh on the bottom of the follower/divider board. I'd let the bees seal that up with propolis as that seems to be what they attempt to do.

[@FrederickDunn]

Do you actually live in Chester? :) If you do, I have some questions :)

[@honeybeebro]

@@FrederickDunn Swanzey NH about an hour south. I grew up near Chester but across the river in NH. I would love to connect. My other hobby is reef keeping. I have been a life long aquarium geek. Happy to chat about japonica shrimp and fish too.

[@MrMagicDennisWeir]

Hi Fred , thank you for such a great video, I got a ideas to add to the long Lang that I made this winter. I have a swarm trap Set up to get natural bees that have overwintered her in Ontario, Canada. I also am going to use 7 flow frames at one end of the long hive. Time will tell how this will work. Thanks again, love your videos.

[@FrederickDunn]

Sounds great! I hope the flow-frames work out for you, keep us posted! If you make a video about that, feel free to share your link here!

[@jay300m04]

excellent job! i have 1 question; when you open the hive how do you stop the queen from coming out? thank you for your time.

[@FrederickDunn]

She instinctively remains on the brood frames.

[@GrandpaBees]

Fred, what a well built Long Lang hive. Do bulging disc I need to go a different style hive setup. Can you tell me where you got the Long Lang from, I'd appreciate it. Bill

[@FrederickDunn]

Hi Bill, there are lots of resources on HorizontalHive.com with Dr. Leo. This one I just built myself and didn't have plans.

[@GrandpaBees]

Thanks Fred. You built a nice hive.

[@walterhiegel3020]

Looks great Fred...sad to hear about your early Saskatraz demise. The good news is that those bees are so prolific that you can probably split the new packages and replace them. You are going to be overrun with honey this year!

[@FrederickDunn]

Thanks Walter, and I agree that this will be a huge honey year for us here. I'll probably take a split from a BeeWeaver colony when the drones come in strong.

[@ButchParks]

When building the horizontal hives, is there a recommendation for exterior paints or sealants?

[@FrederickDunn]

I use either exterior acrylic latex semi-gloss, orrrr treat the wood with Eco-Wood and not paint at all.

[@elizabethrogers1152]

Great video😍🐝🐝🐝🐝

[@FrederickDunn]

Thank you Elizabeth! :)

[@peterscott151]

Hi Fred, I really enjoyed the video of the Long Lang. What is you opinion about using a Queen excluder in the long hive. I built my own long Lang and installed a vertical QE, but after a full year I am considering removing it. I don't think the Queen will venture beyond the honey frames to lay eggs. I would appreciate your opinion.

[@FrederickDunn]

I don't personally see a benefit to installing a queen excluder in the horizontal hives. They do a good job of segregating their resources and this year, they are storing only honey at the end away from the entrance. So it would be very easy to remove only honey frames without brood on them. Short answer is that I wouldn't recommend queen excluders in horizontal hives.

[@danielgriffith8911]

Nice video! I heard you mention 'Weaver bees"... the BeeWeaver queens from Texas? How do you like those? How do they compare to Saskatraz bees?

[@FrederickDunn]

Best stock I've used.

[@Leelz247]

When you made that comment, I got excited about the prospect of honeybee keeping in an actual coffin...

[@FrederickDunn]

Innnteresssting.... (';')

[@timmarks3050]

Holy shit... that might be the coolest most morbid idea ever. Love it

[@ronfults3844]

I was wondering about using the rough sawn lumber for the top boards to encourage them to put propolis on the surface. I understand why as bees will put propolis on the inside walls of a hollow tree. I imagine they do it for health reasons. My question is, what if you took some heavy grit sandpaper and roughed up the interior walls? Think that might encourage them to coat the entire walls with propolis? There's a good reason they do it in nature and I think it be good if we could get them to do it in our hives. If you think I'm way off in my thinking please correct me.

[@FrederickDunn]

Rough cut lumber does that the best, scarring, scoring and roughing up the wood has produced variable results. You're on the right track though Ron.

[@T0tenkampf]

I have taken to wiping the inside of a new one down with a mixture of raw linseed oil, comb wax and a solution of propolis to give it that new bee smell!

[@jamesoquinn9303]

Any chance of getting some blueprints for this hive? It's one of the better designs that I have seen

[@FrederickDunn]

I will be sharing that later on this year. It's too early to call it a success, since this is the first winter. Lots of evaluating yet to do.

[@T0tenkampf]

Do you still feel that copper mesh and strips are safe for use in hives? I was shocked how bad aluminum is when i just researched that.

[@FrederickDunn]

The way I use it, it's safe. I no longer use the mesh under the follower-board. Regarding aluminum, please share your research. Thanks so much.

[@Vladviking]

Lots of Bees in my Purple Lady Banks rosebush now. Their either looking for nectar and not finding it because they don't stop they just crawl all over the anthers. Maybe just after the pollen??

[@Rob_Brock]

Do you have plans for the hive you can share or a link to ones you used? Also, if bees get any not the roof of the hive is there an escape hole? One last question, your hive doesn’t appear to be setup for inspections with a screen bottom and trays. Is this intentional?

[@FrederickDunn]

There is a horizontal hive playlist on my channel... I've answered those questions in follow on videos :)

[@Rob_Brock]

I appreciate the fast response and after sending the questions realized you had already addressed them. Great videos by the way. I’m planning to start beekeeping next spring likely with a local nuc if I can find one. Two questions, are local bees a better first step than the type you purchased this spring. Secondly, given Langstroth hive equipment is so available and possibly cheaper would you still recommend a Layens hive for Ohio? If Layens, do you have a good source for frames and foundation?

[@petrafischer6599]

I have a question regarding your “awnings “. Your entrance is always in the shade. Wouldn’t you like the sun in the morning shining at the entrance?

[@FrederickDunn]

Morning sun comes in at a lower angle, so it hits the landing board, mid day sun is shaded.

[@crzrck]

Fred, I recommend you put some type of a handle or mechanism to pull those boards up when you need to. They're going to cement all those things in the place and it'll be easier to pull out if you have some type of a small handle on each one of those pieces of red oak

[@FrederickDunn]

I'm going to leave them flat and handle-less for now. It's easy to add that later on if I think I need them. The feeder holes are an easy finger grab and I can pull them from the end and work my way towards the brood. it's also why I kept the boards at 4" in width so there isn't too much "tension" to overcome when they glue them up. Most horizontal keepers do have handles on each board. We'll see how that goes and the good part is that we can modify as we go. Thanks as always for your thoughtful comments!

[@crzrck]

@@FrederickDunn I ended up putting my horizontal Hive in my garage removing the roof. I put two entrances out of the garage and decided to make it to separate hives that I could put standard Deep's on top of. The bees made it through the winter famously. The temperature never dropped below 32 but never went above 45 because it's an attached garage. The only reason I did this is I lost my entire horizontal colony by the second week of November back in 2018. That was my first bee Colony ever so I decided to try something different. I am starting my third season learned a lot especially from you. you put out really good information I really enjoy your videos

[@joshuawilliams1248]

would you have enough room to place the other top board over the hive so they could go back down that way

[@FrederickDunn]

Hi Joshua, I plan to make a single opening under the gable end for those bees to find their way out after inspections. I'll explain and show how that works in my update video.

[@thebigzapfer8696]

Sorry if this was already covered but how does the queen exclude work in the long lang?

[@FrederickDunn]

I'll talk about that today during the Friday Q & A :)

[@thebigzapfer8696]

@@FrederickDunn Ah great ;] looking forward to it, thanks.

[@wadebarnes6720]

Do you know anywhere in South Carolina are close to South Carolina I can get some honey bees that don't want to tear my socks off

[@FrederickDunn]

Hi Wade, contact any of the bee associations, or reach out to your Ag Extension Office :)

[@elihere]

I wasn't sure if this would be better asked here or on a faq video, but would you recommend beginner keepers start with only one hive, or two so we could compare their situations like you did here?

[@charitablemiraclebeekeeper1200]

Start off with as many as your gut tells you to get. No reason you shouldn't be able to handle a few hives as a beginner so long as you've done significant search and research and you're connected with a private club or have a mentor to help guide you.

[@charitablemiraclebeekeeper1200]

If you have more questions, try sending a message to Charitable Miracle Beekeepers on FB

[@lilyyu1085]

I believe he mentioned 2 in his previous videos

[@FrederickDunn]

I always suggest two hives for beginners since you'll be able to make comparisons. I cover this in my FAQ #1 video. If you have a single hive, and you lose the queen, or they die out in winter, you're out of bees. If you have two and one dies out, you can make a split and carry on. :)

[@elihere]

@@FrederickDunn thank you! I'll rewatch your older episodes so I can avoid sending repeat questions in the future👍

[@stevegertz2148]

How is your horizontal hive doing after a few years of operation as I have been told by experienced bee keepers that they don’t work well?

[@FrederickDunn]

Bees do prefer to move up rather than horizontally, however, if horizontal hives are all that you can manage to work. (No Lifting) then they do use them, and you can have very good results. Go heavy, go insulated, and you'll see some great progress.

[@stevegertz2148]

@@FrederickDunn thank you and I might just have to build one

[@dianeburgess3899]

Have you got a plan on how to make your horizontal hive please

[@FrederickDunn]

Thanks for asking, I'm holding off until it's been through a full year with bees in it, I'll be making some minor changes and then the plans will be available free on my website. :)

[@havenparkapiary2452]

Fred, Do you have building plans that I could follow to make one of my own?

[@FrederickDunn]

I'm still probably going to make some changes, so holding off on plans until spring of next year... they will be free on my main website.

[@gregwaskom552]

Hi. Have you figured out what happened to you saskatraz colony. To go from your most productive to dead is a big swing

[@FrederickDunn]

You're right Greg, that colony went from top-dogs to the weakest colony. I should have realized sooner that they lost their Queen and had no brood, so, their numbers were just in continuous decline with only a few hundred workers left. We've had terrible weather and this is the first time I've been able to evaluate the colonies. I'll replace them with a split after the raids are finished. Orrrr... pull the remaining frames and start fresh with that hive.

[@mervynshute880]

so. if you forget to close the bottom vent after the dehydration process. do the bees then close it for you? they would not close before this?

[@FrederickDunn]

They sealed up the bottom screens, I can't tie that to a specific week, but they proved non-functional after propolizing.

[@houstonsheltonbees814]

Sorry I just found your link for the latches. Thanks

[@tylergladys6626]

This thing is badass

[@liquidrockaquatics3900]

Hive building theory questions: 1: why use copper mesh at the bottom of the separator board instead of stainless steel? Actually, why use any metal other than stainless on the openings/meshes/grates? With stainless steel T50 or crown staples available, it would be easy to use staples instead so you don’t have galvanic corrosion. 2. Is there a reason for the wood choice? 3. Is there a reason for the wood type? Specifically, why not use plywood that is made to be strong and flat instead of solid wood that is prone to warping with moisture?

[@FrederickDunn]

Treated plywood isn't something I want for the bees. Untreated plywood hasn't held up well to the cycles of moisture and drying out. You can certainly try it out. There hasn't been any noticeable corrosion due to a bi-metallic issue... the nails are also copper. You can us anything you like, stainless would be fine.

[@liquidrockaquatics3900]

@@FrederickDunndo you have any other hive building videos? I am getting more seriously into woodworking and I am both handicapped and interested in bees, so I just stumbled upon your video. I wasn’t trying to come across with any attitude or anything, just learning. As I continued to watch, I had an idea for future builds. Add an acrylic or polycarbonate window to allow light in and then position your red oak board with a hole above it to let those bees in the lid see the light and chase it down. You can just have a lid for the window as needed perhaps? I also had a question as far as mesh sizes. What size is best to keep out pests? To keep the queen from passing? To just prevent the bees but keep maximum airflow? Also, that little awning over the hive entrance made of copper, how has that worked over the last 4 years or whatever? Any problems?

[@liquidrockaquatics3900]

@@FrederickDunnoh, and I asked about the little awning because that was a cool as hell looking little awning. I was thinking of how cool a hive trimmed out in copper(and sealed) would look

[@christrepal]

Can you let me know the measurement from the top of the frames to the bottom of the planks. Do you need a bee space or should it be a tighter fit.

[@FrederickDunn]

I provided the dimensions in Q&A episode 96.

[@christrepal]

@@FrederickDunn epidd as ode 96

[@christrepal]

@@FrederickDunn episode 96

[@geekwithther8853]

Would you share the plans for the horizontal long lang?

[@FrederickDunn]

Absolutely, they are right here for FREE :) www.fredsfinefowl.com/horizontalhives.html

[@PhyllisGlassup2TheBrim]

I've *always* wanted to keep bees, but because of circumstances (army wife, then nomadic lifestyle) I never did. Now, I'm too old and arthritic to be able to manage lifting supers. So I was wondering if a horizontal hive might work better for me. After watching your videos, I've been surveying my little half acre as to where I could site a hive safely as I've ponies, *lots* of dogs, cats, chickens.It might be that I will die without every having kept bees, so I'll get my fix watching your videos. Plus, you keep fowl. I've kept, bred, shown fowl for the last 30 years. I no longer show, nor keep pure breeds. Nowadays I keep for egg colour and decent size cockerels to put in the freezer. After 8+ years, I've produced a layer of deep British army Khaki eggs in homage to my army upbringing. Heck my blood is A+khaki. I'm constantly introducing new breeds to keep the eggs dark, increase the breast size of the cockerels, keep the flock placid and healthy. So it seems I can simply subscribe and enjoy watching the 2 things I'm interested in :) A few years back I was lucky enough to have a bumble bee nest in my old stud goat house (an old caravan) and spent weeks watching them and taking photos. I work on the theory that if I'm calm, softly spoken and move slowly, they seem to be the same. Never been stung by a bee in my life, but been stung plenty by those yellow striped blighters no matter *how* calm I am.