WBC hives

[greengumbo]

I've been given a few WBC hives that one day might be used in our local botanic garden (apparently the other types are not pretty enough !!).

Having never worked with these hives before I set them up over the weekend and noticed the inner brood box has no "roof" or crownboard. I am guessing this is not normal ? Should I just make a crownboard that fits snuggly on top or should I make it like a proper roof with big overhangs as per a normal national hive ? Since there is a main roof supported by the the outer walls already I was thinking just the crownboard ?

from confused in Aberdeenshire.

[Jon]

All you need is a crownboard, no overhang.

[greengumbo]

Cheers Jon. Thats what I thought. I take it they are bottom bee space like nationals ? The brood box looks to all intents and purposes a national.

[Jon]

I have only ever worked with the one we have at the association apiary which came from Thorne and it is bottom bee space and holds 10 frames.

[EmsE]

My former mentor has WBC hives. They save you needing to visit the gym with the additional lifting and they'll be harder to pinch :p

[The Drone Ranger]

My former mentor has WBC hives. They save you needing to visit the gym with the additional lifting and they'll be harder to pinch :p

That's the truth they are heavy and harder to move around.
Trouble is even the least well informed vandal recognises they are hives

Glad you are getting over the shock of the theft
You would find it hard to believe another beekeeper would steal your hive
Trouble is you will never feel safe putting bees back on the site unless they are caught

[EmsE]

Thanks DR. I think it has sunk in now but your right, I wouldn't be able to take hives back there- once bitten, twice shy. With all the moving between apiaries Ive done since I began beekeeping I'm glad I chose Nationals not WBC's as I'd have to take up bodybuilding to keep up with them :p

[greengumbo]

Yeah - WBCs would not be my first choice but free hives plus a public garden that wants "those pretty walled hives" as the curator put it......

I was actually really surprised how light the liffs were. Not as heavy as I would have thought.

[gavin]

They'll be made of proper Western Red Cedar and yes, amazing how light they can be. The budget stuff from most companies isn't that but something heavier (and cheaper).

[Adam]

(For my sins) I have 5 WBC's, the rest are Nationals. I have one Thornes WBC (no, I didn't pay full price as it was an eBay job) and I can confirm that cedar lift is pretty light - as Gavin says. The Thornes roof is quite heavy for it and I've never had it blow apart in the wind. The Thornes one has a slide-out tray underneath a slide-out mesh floor. It's been designed with a little thought. AND cedar doesn't need painting so it's not white. The other WBC's I have, I've modified and put mesh floors in. One WBC (eBay again) is made from 3/4 marine ply and it's a pig. Not for migratory beekeeping and maybe too heavy to steal.

WBC's are bottom bee space and you can JUST get a National inside the lifts if you want. (Makes you wonder why a smaller brood chamber was devised for the WBC).

Beware of wasp entrances if the lifts are dodgy as once they are in, they can get around to the front of the hive and into the brood chamber. Another problem with them is that there is no weight on the crown board and if it gets propolised up or it warps, you can get gaps when the board goes back on. And you don't need an empty super to put a feeder in. During inspections, the lifts can be used to plonk broods and supers on, or to hang the first-frame-out across the corner. And if empty, you can store 'stuff' in them in the garden.

They do look 'nice' in a garden setting.