Shopping list for the Bees

[Bridget]

As new beekeepers we just have one National hive plus all the usual kit we got in July with the bees. They are out and about now so thinking ahead. This year we want to add another hive with bees and I was thinking of going poly. However what else do I need? A third hive in case I have a swarm and have to divide? Do I just need one super per hive or extras as well. We have some foundation that has been stored all winter and is a bit squew whiff . Will it be ok or does it need to be flat? Is there something I have forgotten?

[Jon]

I would say you need three supers per hive minimum as they will easily fill 3 in a good year. They might fill 3 by mid May if you have oil seed rape beside you and the weather is good.

Re. the foundation, you can let bees draw out their own if you like.
There are a couple of threads on this.

This one covers most of the issues

http://www.sbai.org.uk/sbai_forum/showthread.php?436-Is-concern-over-residues-in-foundation-warranted&highlight=fishing+line

[Neils]

I think 3 supers per hive as a minimum is a good starting point. All my hives always have a super on them (above the crown board) for keeping feeders covered, notes, smoker fuel, earwigs and other odds and ends safe, you can never have too many of them. I don't mind getting seconds or cheaper supers to save a bit of cash, but I'll never buy seconds brood boxes again.

I think having enough spares for a complete hive (roof, floor, crown board, broodbox) over and above what you intend to have is also a good thing. and an extra brood box for every couple of hives you have is also really handy. obviously this really starts to push the budget up and if you're intending to split your hive this year then you can maybe put a lot of this off until next year.

For the first couple of years you never have enough kit but things I've found really handy to have knocking about:

1) Nuc - Jon's correx nucs are a great backup and cheap as chips, I have 3 wood ones too, to repeat the oft used quote from round these parts; There's little in beekeeping that can't be solved by putting something into, or taking something out of, a Nuc

2) Crown/Clearer Boards. A few extra of these has come in really handy for covering things up and putting things on while trying to sort out stuff

3) Queen excluders

4) Spare Frames and Foundation. I've stopped using Foundation in the supers but I'm not sure I'm going to continue my experiment in the brood boxes this year. Foundation will keep, if it's a little old, give it a gentle once over with a hairdryer to freshen it up again. If it's a little raggedy it doesn't really matter if you can get it flat in the frame.

[Jimbo]

Hi Briget,

To freshen up your sheets of foundation and to get it flat you can use a hair dryer on a low heat and waft it across the foundation. Just be careful not to apply too much direct heat or it will melt

[GRIZZLY]

Bridget if you're thinking of getting a poly hive PLEASE make sure that it is compatable with your wooden hive(s).I fell into the trap of being assured the poly bits were interchangeable only to discover that they were'nt and I had to "fiddle about" making up special items to make things interchange (my hives were from Modern Beekeeping and are excellant if used as a self-contained system-but not compatable with my standard National gear)The "Swienty" nationals supplied by Murray ARE interchangeable-Ive got 10 of these and am waiting to rehouse my neucs into them.The national hives supplied by Paynes have the same internal dimensions as a standard national hive but, the external dimensions are bigger because of the thicker hive walls.You can super them with wooden national supers ,leaving a step all round ,but they are too big for national roofs.

[Neils]

That's a good point Grizzly. The Paynes floors are changeable with a wooden national and, as you say, they'll take a wood super. I'm going to have to try out the poly roof with the strap on top of a crownboard to see how that gets on. I did notice that they won't take a wooden roof, but I've not looked at what happens when you stick a poly roof on a standard crownboard.

[Bridget]

Thanks one and all - very helpful especially regarding compatibility of hives - I had nearly ordered a Paynes one and also re hair dryer on the foundation. I hadn't realised also that I would need as many as 3 supers. Wow I only hope I get to use them all.
6 inches of snow and blizzard today so back to winter

[gavin]

Although three supers may be an average requirement in the balmy SW or even in leafy Belfast, my colonies seldom need three and near Kingussie I would imagine that the need is less still. Two per colony should be enough to cover nectar flows or the need to cover feeders.

This year I have some stonkingly strong ones so two brood boxes and a couple of supers is a possibility when the rape comes into flower, and more might be needed at one time, but I don't think that Bridget will share in the rape bonanza. Pretty sure that the nectar will dribble rather than rush in, though things may liven up when the heather comes into flower.

[Calum]

adding one of these swarm capture boxes to my list... (http://www.holtermann-shop.de/popup_image.php/pID/2382&imgID=1)