As I build the second box, everything comes into place quite nicely. I build them from the bottom up, starting with the brood box. I use long brad nails to put it all together. It was made easy as there were predrilled holes for where I shot my nails into. I was a little worried brad nails would not be enough but once I had them all in there it was quite strong. That way the boards were cut with a finger design seems to be the way to go with these boards. Not sure I would have been able to make them, so glad bought them and then assembled the boxes.
Once the brood box is built, I put the frames in the box to make sure its all square. They fit well so I move onto the feeder box, also where I keep the sugar water I will be supplementing their diet with.
After assembly of the boxes, I moved onto painting them. I used three to four coats of outdoor paint and filled any gaps in the fingers in the wood with extra paint. I only painted the outside and left the inside bare. After painting and touching up I moved onto sanding down the tops, as the paint I got on the tops makes the sections stick and pill paint off the sides sometimes.
Once painting is done, I will wait for cooler weather and start working in the woods to set up these homes I assembled and painted. I am waiting for cooler weather as there are many ticks in the forest, and I would rather avoid them if possible.
My plans are to set up 4x4 posts resting on concrete blocks, that will bring the hives a few feet off the ground. And I can coat the 4x4 posts with tanglefoot to minimize the ability for hive beetles to climb into the beehives. From what I have read the bees do not mess with tanglefoot, but the beetles have to cross the barrier and get stuck in it. Unlike the bees that fly around it and do not have to deal with the stuff. I also have some prep work to do around where the hives will be located. I plan on clearing out ten feet around them to keep plants from growing up around the hives. And so my bee suit does not catch on thorns or other things that may rip the suit and exposing me to bees.. haha do not want.
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Interesting post. The hives seem small.) We have big beekeepers in the forest.
Good eye, you are correct they are on the smaller side. I decided to go with smaller boxes until I get a handle on raising bees. Maybe next time ill get the next size up.
thanks alot for the comment.