This is my first year beekeeping.
 
I am a lomg way from a young lad, and I find lifting supers difficult enough.
 
What I was wondering was, if any beekeeper has devised something as follows:
 
A tripod, with flat pieces of mild steel at the ends of chains, which could
be inserted between the hive boxes at the required places. Then by using a
handle attached to a screw, lift the boxes concerned, swing the load to a
work bench or wheelbarrow and then slowly lower the boxes. Because you would
have one hand free, you could then smoke the bees to keep them out of the
way when the two surfaces touch, and thereby avoid crushing bees.
 
When returning the supers to the hive, you could then suspend the boxes over
the hive and then lower them until they are almost touching the hive. Then a
quick smoke all around to clear the bees to avoid crushing, and then a final
lowering into position.
 
You could lift all the supers as one unit if you did not want to examine
individual ones, thereby keeping bee disturbance to a minimum.
 
 
I would love to hear comments
 
Sincerely
 
Tom Barrett
49 South Park
Foxrock
Dublin 18
Ireland
 
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