Long Langstroth Beehive Setup

[@thomasrape4616]

I built several of those and love them. Mine have their own legs, a screened of lower compartment(1/8" hardware cloth) for oil pans to kill hive Beatles, and 1x6" cover boards. I'd recommend only 1 colony per hive box because a 4 foot box allows for 30 or so frames. If a colony is making a lot of honey they will need every bit of that hive box or you will have to constantly pull honey frames and replace them with empty frames. You need at least 10 frames for brood and you'll need to leave them 10 frames of honey for winter. That's 2/3 of that box, you need he whole box for 1 colony.

[@StewartFarmApiary]

Thank you for this information. I am still new to these boxes but love them so far. It’s a big change from the Langstom hive and not as much work by a long shot. I’ll keep what you are doing in mind for the spring season. Thanks again.

[@tealkerberus748]

This. You can put two or even three baby colonies side by side in one box, but the day you do you need to be ordering more boxes because a good young queen will fill out that space fast.

[@dcsblessedbees]

Nice wood working its the small stuff that adds up, those entrance divots, tung & groove real nice extras shows the care taken from the craftsman. Been think about building a 2 box version. Ty for your time, Blessed Days...

[@StewartFarmApiary]

Thanks for the reply - Yes, they do an outstanding job over at Beaver Creek Woodworking. Always good to have a friend that is a craftsman.

[@Michael-yl2iq]

On my horizontal Langstroth hives I have a peaked galvanized roof that has 2' thick insulation under it. Then I left a 3" gap between the insulation and the top of the cover boards. This allows me to add feeders, such as rapid rounds or fondant over the frames. My divider boards have more play in them so they don't stick due to expansion. The sides and bottom are 1-1/2" thick pine. I only have two entrances, so can only have 2 colonies max in each hive. To be honest I have never it done it. I have used the second entrance as a lower vent in the winter. Yours looks great and I hope it has worked well for your bees.

[@StewartFarmApiary]

Thanks for the comments. I’m still adjusting to this - I think my bee mind says to not have open space and this definitely has it. I still have my traditional hives and hope one day to be able to keep this one fully functional. Thanks again and have a great week

[@SouthBayFamily]

Great video

[@StewartFarmApiary]

Thank you for your kind words. I hope you have a great day

[@collinvickers2345]

Idea for you: glass panes can be integrated into those inner cover panels, which will serve as a propolis trap - provided that there is some light coming through the main cover.

[@StewartFarmApiary]

Many thanks for this tip. I will be sure to check it out and see what I can find. Have a great day!

[@tealkerberus748]

And if it's really well built and no light comes in, they don't cover the glass with propolis and you can look at what your bees are doing just by lifting the lid and looking through the window.

[@beebob1279]

Nice looking hive. A few things I am going to do differently. But that's my thing. I want to build one for nucleus colonies. The top will need to raise up so that I can expand into two 5 frame hives. I would like to see five or six nucs in each long hive. A lot easier than going through the smaller nucs. Plus, overwintering will be easier

[@StewartFarmApiary]

Brilliant idea - Thank you for the feedback. Have a great week.

[@beebob1279]

@@StewartFarmApiary Thank you. You have a great holiday

[@tarkine71]

Brilliant!

[@StewartFarmApiary]

Many Thanks.

[@gailstone6337]

I stared using the long hives and LOVE them. I built my own. One thing is the queen excluder, where do you get one for the long hive? I bought some and will cut them down but not liking that idea. I stared using the long hive this year with a swarm and the other with a split so i didn't need an excluder this year. Making 4 more. Like the inner cover design. Thanks for the video!

[@StewartFarmApiary]

Thanks for the response. I am having a queen excluder made. I have not found one that fits either. Let me know if you find one. Have a great week.

[@jeffreyhenderson2762]

Make those inner covers smaller. As they are, if you reduce the size of one hive and the next butts right up to the other side of the divider, that wide inner cover will uncover all or part of the second colony as well, perhaps inducing fighting. Many people use 4” boards for an inner cover so you can REALLY vary how much you open up. Just a thought…

[@StewartFarmApiary]

I really appreciate you telling me about this. I'll check it out

[@s.fla.beekeepingmangoesand1517]

Is an inner cover really necessary?

[@tealkerberus748]

@@s.fla.beekeepingmangoesand1517 Yes. Without an inner cover over the frames, the bees will fill up the attic with burr comb, and you'll need demolition tools just to get the roof open. I've seen a different type of frame where the top bars of the frames butt up against each other so the bees can't get above them, but that also restricts how easily they can move around inside the hive. The separate inner cover that leaves bee space over the frames is better.

[@user-xw2mg6tz2n]

I do not see any ventilation, you may wish to address some vent holes in the inner covers. Hot summers and cold winters both need adequate ventilation. Summer heat needs a way for extra air in & out. Winter cold causes condensation without ventilation, resulting in cold wet bees. You can add 1.5 x 4 inch holes in each cover, then staple window screen to cover the holes, to maintain your compatrtment segregation. Then add some wood blocks in the topcover corners so it leaves some vent breathing room when closed (just a 1/4 inch ajar should do). Those entry diskss may not allow enough air in summer. Consider a screened opening that can be controled with a slider or closed off in the winter.

[@StewartFarmApiary]

thanks

[@annjones237]

​@@StewartFarmApiary5:50

[@StewartFarmApiary]

@@annjones237 ,

[@mikecomet3057]

Perhaps it is my ignorance as a first year beekeeper here in extreme upstate NY, so indulge me. I am currently managing my first hive and just put it to sleep for the oncoming winter (working under the friendship of a Cornell certified beekeeper). First year fall harvest was quite fun and I am looking for winter woodworking plans. If I build a long Langstroth is there a honey super that can be fitted to the top? Otherwise, doesn't the entire thing become a brood box? Could I design honey supers to put on top or a long super? Would hate to spin out honey and brood and am thinking that a long super would prevent that (with appropriate excluders). Just intrigued by the entire thing. I am also about to start producing honey at my school (a grant allowed me to purchase three hives to start just off school property next spring) so I am looking for options.

[@StewartFarmApiary]

Thanks for the questions - I’ll help where I can…… You can get ( make ) a queen excluder so it’s not all brood. I have never heard of putting a super on top - I think it would go against the entire reason for a horizontal hive. I’m still learning from it. Hope this helps.

[@dadu63]

Why does that one top drop down and the others don't? Somem not right with that

[@StewartFarmApiary]

Not sure but it is working great. Have a great week

[@josephvogel7234]

The question that is nagging me is, how do you clean the bottom board?

[@StewartFarmApiary]

Great question. I’ve been able to use my hive tool to loosen anything then I use a ryobi battery vacuum. You can use any car vacuum too. Hope this helps. Have a great week.

[@rodneywells2781]

Hi why have you not got a Morower mesh bottom on this hive?

[@StewartFarmApiary]

I have found that with the additional holes for ventilation I don’t need it even where I am. I also have mite resistant bees and the need for mesh bottoms is not as needed. Thanks for the question.

[@StrangeMustacheMan]

Hello! where did you get those entrance things?

[@StewartFarmApiary]

Amazon

[@thepooper2010]

I'm very new to this. Why would you want to seperate the hive into three? Why not just hive frames throughout the whole box?

[@StewartFarmApiary]

Every beekeeper is different but I prefer to keep the hives tight until the frames are full and then expand as they grow. Too much space will allow beetles and moths to take over a hive. Hope this helps.

[@thepooper2010]

@@StewartFarmApiary Very much!! Thank you! My wife and I have been talking about starting a hive but we have zero knowledge on how to even start, as we don't have anybody in our family/friend groups that have any experience with beekeeping.

[@StewartFarmApiary]

@@thepooper2010 Glad to help. You should look at Randall Carter (Carter Honey Bees) channel. He does a great job of explaining beekeeping and helps me with any questions I have. Check him out.

[@TheRainHarvester]

Was this hive successful? Has the bees temperment changed? (Angry/happy/same)

[@StewartFarmApiary]

The hive was slow to adjust but it is doing great now. I plan to do a follow up when it cools down. It’s over 100 today where we are! Thanks for asking

[@TheRainHarvester]

@@StewartFarmApiary oh 100s here too. What area are you in?

[@TheRainHarvester]

@@StewartFarmApiary what do you mean by slow to adjust? Bad temperament? Slow honey production? Dwindling population?

[@StewartFarmApiary]

@@TheRainHarvester The hive did not build out as quickly as I have seen with the other langstrom hives. I'm not seeing as much honey production and mainly brood. I would like to see more home being built after a ten frames of brood. I think this may be a great set up for my pollination bees ( I can always use them for the plants on the farm) but maybe not a honey producing hive. Thanks for the questions.

[@TheRainHarvester]

@@StewartFarmApiary can you explain your 3rd sentence? Thank you for the info. What area are you in?

[@abubakirasqarov8463]

Приветь робота есть пчёловода стаж есть

[@StewartFarmApiary]

I hear ya!

[@abubakirasqarov8463]

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