Among the many features I admire about the Valkyrie hive, I particularly like the insulation components designed into the hive & hive stand. You will have fewer boxes to purchase and inspect. In two gorgeous colors, grey and charcoal, these pads are beautiful and functional as well! VEVOR 5 Boxes 10-Frame Bee Hive 1 Deep and 4 Medium Box Beehive Frames Langstroth Beehive Box Kit Frames Not Included (106) 177.99 . The idea has merit and should be pursued for seasonal testing. Do you have a different name for your hives or are they always called a long Langstroth? Apimaye 10 Frame Langstroth Insulated Beehive Set. Just sent you an email, also. Gotta get the girls through winter, but come spring, theres gonna be new houses in our neighborhood. The entire hive (not including frames) will be shipped in two boxes. Hey Rusty, Bombus affinis, the Rusty-Patched Bumble Bee, has been so honored. The hive is built to keep predatory insects out, so, it doesnt seem likely that a moth could enter inside. Thanks for contacting us with your comments and questions. A traditional box is 16" wide by 19 7/8" long. The back is 2-1/8" wide. Great site! It's really great for people whose heavy lifting days are behind them and easy to work with for the disabled. Vino Farm 105K subscribers Subscribe 215K views 1 year ago I went through the Ol' Langstroth Beehive with a fine-toothed comb and. The bees should be okay in summer as long as you have some way for the heat to escape. Clamp all four corners using right angle clamps. The canvas cover keeps the bees calm while working them. Wow, that hive body looks fantastic! I am married to a carpenter and we would love to build our own hives. as the bees are building out the hive, you will want a divider to separate the open area to where the bees are. Many beekeepers prefer to use foundation. It costs under $50 in materials and only takes a few hours to build. Enjoy! The Apimaye 10 Frame Langstroth Insulated Beehive is a standard beehive in the Langstroth style. My favorite part of beekeeping continues to be woodworking. Nice .. our hive producer makes similar hives, but the frames are deeper and larger I have been thinking of switching to something like this for a while now, I think it would be so much easier than fighting with the regular boxes. One metre above the ground? Pourriez vous me faire connaitre la demarche suivre pour avoir les plans si possible, et sinon quel est le tarif de la ruche pour la france? The Valhalla was a long hive designed by Naomi and Larry Price for beekeepers who were unable to lift heavy equipment or reach stacked hive boxes. You can extend its life by covering it with a piece of aluminum flashing, 24 wide by 50-7/16 long. The Langstroth boxes used in a single hive use the same length and width. Its wonderful to see that you use a foundationless frame (no wires) because thats what we use in our Valkyrie Long Hive. I am a little worried about too much heat in the summer. Vivian was such a delight to work with and the hive was packaged and protected incredibly well for the long trip across the country. Im a TBH hobbyist beekeeper and recently saw this blog post about the Valkyrie long hive. LT8F - Lazutin Trap 8 Frame $50.00. Stress on any of my colonies, especially that which I might unintentionally impose on them has always been my top priority to reduce or eliminate. Theres nothing on it yet, so send me some photos! I will keep my other 3 colonies going in traditional Langstroth hives and will be happy to share my experience and comparisons with this new style long hive in the months to come. How livable would our homes be minus insulation and with several windows or doors continuously open? I have heard a few stories where insulated hives outperformed non-insulated in summer. However, if you want something lighter and easier to transport, consider an 8-frame hive. Whether you are . The wool cover stays on the canvas cover 24/7/365 and helps to avoid the temperature spikes that can be so troublesome. Your bees will propolize the canvas cover to their liking. Could you let me know the procedure to follow to have the plans if possible, and if not what is the price of the hive for France? Thanks for the write up. Feel free to comment, ask questions, or share your thoughts. Many of you may remember the Valhalla hive from several years ago. Make sure that the 1-1/2 (narrow) side faces up. The space above the rack allows a great view through the observation window. More tools and accessories are compatible with 10-frame hives. First, I apply glue to all of the box joints. 38 Langstroth, Top Bar, and Warre Hive Plans 1. Start Learning Ready for a Class? This dado was cut to approximately 5/8 by 1/2. : ) Isnt it true that burr-comb of some sort will happen in every hive body horizontal or vertical? Rustys reply to your concerns about colony movement and overwintering is the same from me. One 12 board for the hive body. The long entrance also allows for making easy splits. All prices subject to . Even if a beekeeper lives in a similar area as you do, what they do may not necessarily work for you. Hopefully by next spring my husband will have built a second Long Langstroth hive and I can put the second colony in it, omit the supers and add vented gable roofs. Aside from all of that, Im felting up my thrice washed and cleaned but still a bit lanolin-y sheeps wool and making them a blanket out of that. If you're new to beekeeping, you can experiment with different hives to determine which one would be best for you. Way too heavy and removing frames to work the hive just ticks the bees off to no end. For the guide, I use a factory-edge strip of 1/2-thick plywood, 96 long by 6 wide, which I clamp to the work piece. I live in Maryland, on the shores of the Chesapeake Bay where summers are quite hot and humid and winters cold and damp. To make the search easier for customers, we created a section for 8-frame accessories so you have easy access to equipment. Also, you have access to all the frames at once, and the hive is easier to inspect because it stands at waist level. Thank you Vivien and Rusty for your quick replies. Her email is
[email protected]. Thanks for the review, Rusty its very impressive! Winter hive insulation is one of those things that you either believe in, or you don't. And there is no arguing with the fact that the majority of managed bees live in uninsulated wood boxes, even in the frigid north. Hive price starts at $580. As the colony begins to prosper, so does their desire for drone brood. The length of the top bar is 315mm, the floor board can be measured from 15 to 20mm, the floor boxes should be 1mm and the entrance notch in the floor should be 40mm to stay rigid. This area receives an average of 15 inches of annual precipitation, and experiences temperatures ranging from 105 degrees Fahrenheit to a low of minus 20 degrees (without a wind-chill factor). An extra observation window can be ordered for the right side, if desired. How much do they cost? The ANEL beehive consists of a hard-shell outer plastic body made from high-quality food-grade polypropylene (PP) and an inner thick layer of polyurethane (PU) foam insulation. In learning from my mistake, I was too excited to assemble and didnt cut in the bee entrances before assembling. I like to build more than one when I am doing a project like this. My question is how much distance is there between the bottoms of the frames and the slatted rack? or forested? The Langstroth long hive has essentially the same characteristics as a conventional Langstroth hive, except that the basic shape is more horizontal rather than vertical. I just picked up a Valkyrie long hive from Vivien. The second box. With my Langs, Ive developed an entire wintering protocol based on high winter moisture. Bees will move up if that is where the food is or they will move laterally. New to beekeeping? Do you sell the blueprints for these hives? terry. 8-frame boxes are generally cheaper than their 10-frame counterparts. Is it possible to have the roof split so as to host a Flow hive for a short time? BeeHappy Tilt the table saw 15 and run the landing board strip through it, removing one edge. The Colorado Top Bar Beehive If you are new to beekeeping, a top bar hive might be of interest to you. Rock absorbs heat and radiates it back up into the hive. Thank you so much, Adrienne, for your kind remarks! Is there a queen excluder to one side? It works the same way as a top-bar hive. The Valkyrie in the shop awaiting transport shows 2 1/2 fat from the slats to the bottom of the bottom bar in a standard deep frame. Protects the hive box from sun and rain. Derek Mitchell wrote an interesting article addressing insulation and heat loss, Honey Bee Engineering: Top Ventilation and Top Entrances for the August 2017 issue of American Bee Journal. 8-frame hives hold less frames, which makes them generally lighter than 10-frame hives. Im unfamiliar with the Karoo, is it desert? My questions is, do the Langstroth frames fit this box? Hello, Sarah, and thanks for your question: Whew, we get this one frequently: the answer may be on the Long Hive drop-down on Rustys site, but Im happy to help! This Makes it easy to cut 2 long ends from an 8 board and then all the short sides from another (4 short sides for the 2 hives). Capacity: Because this design consists of modular, interchangeable hive parts, you can add extra medium or shallow honey supers as the colony grows and honey production increases. The drape helps to keep the bees out of grasses and to facilitate an easier climb. The craftsman quality and lightness of the lid (40% lighter than before!) ), Sliding miter saw to cut the two-by boards. I may have missed this info, but how do you combine hives in a long hive? Feeding supplies and containers can be placed directly inside the hive body when using less than 24 frames, so the need of an exterior boardman feeder was eliminated completely. Bees tend to move up instead of using the two extra frames. I just returned from the Olympia WA area: so far, Rusty, youre joined by Tina L., Jan H. (two Valkyries) and Marge P., each in the Olympia area or within 20 miles of it. Outer (stores) frames from bottom, brood frames from bottom, brood frames from top, stores frames from top? Since bees cluster together for warmth, the narrower space helps them focus on moving upward to the honey super for food. I might try it so I can start with one hive but get two colonies (as recommended). THEY ARE THE BEST. Ive never seen a problem with overwintering them, and in fact, my top-bar hive is much easier to overwinter than my Langstrothsbasically, it takes care of itself. P.S. Would it be easier to alter the frame-ledge in our Long Hive so that the flow hive frames would fit? I note the Valkyrie uses a gable roof that is hinged, so assume you dont put honey supers on top. The wool insulate keeps the propolised inner-cover cloth cool v. sticky, and allows the colony to easily maintain a core temperature with high humidity. The Valkyrie would travel first to Los Angeles from Oregon, and then onto France. easy in and out. Notify me of follow-up comments by email. Rusty, did you drill openings in your end cap roof for ventilation? Our bees at Rough Close Works currently reside in a mix of two types of hive, Langstroth and National. I don't raise queens, but this might be a great way to raise queens too. The hive you choose comes down to your own preferences and experiences with beekeeping. Im a big fan of ventilation in my Langstroth hives and think seriously about your judgment and looking forward to spring to install my bees. To assemble the hive, I used screws to attach the bottom. Other's only use the term for honey collection boxes. And yes, thats Yarosvet, 5, masterfully performing the task. Not all long hives are designed equally, however, the Valkyrie does have many features for the colony to achieve homeostasis without unnecessary energy output. When I visited the shop, they were still finalizing the packaging method, but what I saw was impressive. If you're looking for more honey production and purchasing less boxes, we recommend buying a 10-frame hive. PayPal wont be fully operational until just after the holiday, and Ill still need to add a pricing sheet/shipping information before the weeks end. Center the landing strip under the entrance and attach to the hive body with two 1-1/8 screws, one on each side of the entrance. A key benefit of the Langstroth long-hive is that it minimizes the amount of heavy liftinga feature which is great for the back! The bottom will go into this groove. This modification also makes the end grain on the short edge of the hive, which is aesthetically more appealing. I too have a new Valkyrie hive and I am anxiously awaiting the arrival of spring and installing bees into this beautifully constructed hive. There are a handful of folks here in Central Oregon who have Valkyries that house thriving colonies which have over-wintered beautifully, so thats a wonderful thing. We took the same expert design principles we used to design the Warre hive roof to craft a 3/4" thick, kiln-dried, Western Red Cedar peaked roof available for either the 8-frame or 10-frame Langstroth hive. Thanks! I am still learning and would greatly appreciate any guidance. Cut the two-by-twelve board into four pieces: 44-13/16 (2) and 21-3/8 (2). The bees inside a top bar beehive overwinter better than bees inside a Langstroth hive. But much to her surprise (and mine!) In case you missed it: A Song of the Bees, All rights reserved Honey Bee Suite copyright 2009-2023 by Rusty Burlew. Replacing Styrofoam with a more ecological insulation. Otherwise pre-drill and assemble on 1-1/8 screws. Hi JCB, I realize this response is just a little too late (3 years) but anyway, I have been pondering this same question of insulation from every angle for 18 months (Ive been a beekeeper for 12 months). The closest relative of a North American native bee to make the list is the Tarantula Hawk Wasp, the state insect of New Mexico. This is what I use: Building instructions Currently my hive stands are standing in cans of oil. In order for the colony to achieve homeostasis without unnecessary energy output, these significant environmental conditions were consideration starting with the Valhalla and into its next generation, the Valkyrie. No matter what you choose, be sure to properly prepare your hive for winter and learn how to feed and maintain the hive during the season. Beekeepers are everywhere. This seems to be a very straightforward solution, but thats just my opinion ? A really cool option to this hive is the insulated hive stand. I live on Long Island in New York, USA. This helps the ladies to be their own oven control knob free to regulate the heat and humidity levels by themselves. Hi Debbie and thank you for the nice comment! (and transferring cash!). My point is this: these Valkyries will be given their colonies this year, and I am beyond excited to think of the future good reports from so many states with a such a huge diversity of climates and beekeeping practices. Beneath the frames is a built-in slatted rack with new, tighter spacing on the ends. Judging by the photographs posted previously, it appears that winters in central Oregon are similar to what what we experience. Thanks so much! Cut a piece of insulation board 48 x 21-5/8 and insert it into the top. It has been developed from the Langstroth, but it is longer. The aluminum is custom fit by hand to eliminate weather intrusion. Since heat rises it will go to the top of the vertical hive while the bees are more likely to be hanging out at the bottom. Step 12. It boasts an array of features that have impressed many, beginners and pros alike. Another combining method is to have the incoming colony walk-in. If its laid out correctly, all the parts you need can be made from the plywood. Since it takes time to set up saws to correct depths, its so beneficial to make extra while doing it. And the propolis becomes gooey and strings without insulation. Every piece was protected from every other with a variety of corners and braces. If all four pieces you cut have exactly the same width at both ends, all is good. They were using foundation in their frames, so they put a drone foundation frame in position #2 and on the outside of the honey stores frames, and the burr-comb just stopped. Plus, when I got to see the hives in action, I was impressed with the ease with which the hivesand the beescould be handled. No wonder Jack picked this design for his hive! However, the bees natural inclination is to move vertically as in a hollow tree cavity, and in a horizontal hive we are asking them to change what they have been doing for ages. Thanks for contacting us, and for your question. Do not use glue so you can remove the bottom in the future, if needed (e.g., for cleaning or to install a screen bottom board). The Valkyrie Long Hive on an insulated hive stand. Installing hinges on the top for ease of opening. Mark the sides that will face outside. Another Valkyrie owner cut away the burr-comb, made the crib, and plunked it right in the middle of the brood frames (yes,) and, the burr-comb stopped. 8. (Only 2-3 emails per year, and you can unsubscribe at any time.) Langstroth hive, the eight frame garden hive, designs for elevated hive stands, the Warre hive, screened bottom board, the Kenya top-bar hive, four-frame observation hive, hive top feeders, and more. I Fixed The Langstroth Hive (For The Bees AND The Keeper!) Product Description. An optional wool blanket fits in the space above the canvas cover. There is an option to assemble the hive with only screws, which means you can take it apart for transportation. It was created in the mid-1800s by Lorenzo Langstroth, who was a reverend as well as an apiarist. Due to its more compact nature, an 8-frame hive is cozier and better-insulated, which is perfect for winter. That being said, the wool cover is cut to fit right on top of the canvas inner cover, so the ladies wont really ever come into contact with the wool. Within two weeks of installing my first bees in a Valkyrie, the canvas cover and the inside of the roof were dripping wet and covered with mold. Twenty-four standard Langstroth deep frames fit in the hive. Well look forward to hearing from you soon! The honey storage area is not clearly separated from the brood area, so you harvest the honey from wherever you find it. Im hoping one of the other beekeepers who keeps long hives will chime in here and answer your question. Yes there will always be a plethora of apiary conditions to consider for any selected hive. Chris. Where is there room to rear drones if all frames provided are worker cells? Each time someone visits Honey Bee Suite, his or her location will appear on the map. Cut three entrances in the front wall. Good afternoon, Mr. Murless, congratulations on your inventive beekeeping! Now that I reread Johns comment, Im still not sure. The bees are excellent at regulating temperature, but if hive conditions are quite stable, they will allocate their workforce more economically and expend less energy (honey) in maintaining hive homeostasis. I did not get the wool blanket with my hive, I just continued to use the canvas cover in winter. The front, which sits on the portico roof, is 1" wide. These hives keep my bees toasty warm in the winter with perfect ventilation for zero moisture. For the best experience on our site, be sure to turn on Javascript in your browser. Dr. Leo Sharashkin, Editor of Keeping Bees With a Smile, Two-by-twelve, pine, untreated. The top was glued and screwed together and should be loose fitting enough to allow air to escape and to easily remove and put back on. Some keepers have located their long hives on a bed of rock. To insulate, or not insulate - that is the question! Take that, you predators! Ideas a free, but you'll have to pay attention. View of the inside. Im interested in exploring long hives. A single observation window is standard and placed on the left where viewing is best. So far, all is well. Step 16. Very economical under $50 in materials. Langstroth studied countless beehives before coming up with the classic design. In 2020 right before i got cancer and before the pandemic, i purchased all the materials to build and try 3 different styles of horizontal bee hive; langstro.