Hive Mentality

Last Saturday was Hive making day.
It was like being at a rock concert - loud banging leaving your ears ringing, huddled up close to a load of other people!
I completed a bee-keeping course run by the Cambridge Bee Keeping Association this spring, and part of the course was a 101 on building a flat packed "National" hive at a nearby scout hut.  

Of course I took along my trusty woodwork expert (and his tools), thinking:
"We should be done in no time - how hard can this be?"
Ha ha. Well, not so bad if you have an expert hive maker, an expert woodworker and access to tea and coffee....but it still took 5 hours!!!

First we had to pick up the basic kit which was tidily stacked into a hive lid.

It looks a bit weird in this photo - but this is a stack of lids all containing pieces of flat pack.

 The first job was to take out all the pieces and sand off the splinters.  Mark was much faster at than me of course....so I swanned about taking pics!

And here he is drilling pilot holes. There was a very specific way to put it all together, and the reasons became apparent as we went on....mostly we got it right first time!

First assembly was the Brood box where my future queen will lay her off-spring, and her workers will store honey and pollen to feed and nurture them.  It is all glue and nails. Mark was itching to get some screws into it, but he had to be good and do as he was told.

just proving I am handy with a drill too...

Here is the finished hive safely stored in the garage awaiting paint job.
We had to assemble one wax frame too, as nothing is obvious from the kit!

The pressure is then on to finish the rest of the frames - 11 for the brood box, and 11 each for the 'Supers" where my honey harvest will be stored. When a swarm is sighted, it's a question of dropping everything and getting it home, so I have to be ready...

MJ and me finishing up the frames. It went so much quicker with a production line!

Meanwhile Mark got busy with the paintbrush and wood preservative.
We decided against the traditional white paint job, as this is not a pretty traditional hive.
It is all about function and economy....so the paint job had to match!

Now all I need is a custom made stand to keep it off the ground, and...bees!!