Hi All
 
I was recently given a number of hives by an old beekeepers wife. Her
husband died and she asked if I would look after the hives. She said
I could take one home as well as I was interested in the bees (she
lives at the coast and the bees there are more aggressive than mine
which are further inland).
 
This beekeeper built hive lids that were made with a thin wooden
frame that fitted onto the edge of the hive rim. Accross this frame
he had nailed floor boards with tongue and groove joints. This had
then been creosoted and apparently left in the sun for a month. Then
he put the lids on the hives and that was that. These lids are at
least twenty years old as that is when he last made equipment, and
his bees work extremely well. The space above the frames is about 4cm
(2 inches'ish) and on hot days the bees pile into this space. They
never build burr comb on top of the bars either, which is nice. it
appears they don't because of the creosote. They forage really well
and are aggressive as hell (this is their nature though).
 
I took this lid and put it on another hive and it actually helped
them, and they worked harder almost immmediatly.
 
I am not sure why this is, but I believe it may be to do with the lid
not having any hiding places for hive beatles which trash the brood.
 
Anyhow the whole thick black layer of creosote over wood thing with
bees there scares me, but this guy produced honey for forty odd years
using the system, and some of his equipment looks like it must have
been with him from the beginning!
 
Keep well
 
Garth
 
---
Garth Cambray       Kamdini Apiaries
15 Park Road        Apis melifera capensis
Grahamstown         800ml annual precipitation
6139
Eastern Cape
South Africa               Phone 27-0461-311663
 
3rd year Biochemistry/Microbiology    Rhodes University
In general, generalisations are bad.
Interests: Flii's and Bees.