Backyard Apiary

In about 2 months, the two nucs I ordered should be ready for pickup. As part of my getting ready process, I built 10 10-frame medium supers. I have been flip flopping between using 8-frame and 10-frame hives. I finally decided on using 10-frame hives because they are a more common standard. Every beekeeper supplier sells 10-frame equipment, but not all of them sell 8-frame. Even those that sell both can get confused and check their inventory for the wrong part (this happened to me a few weeks ago).

To build the hives, I used a miter saw to cut all the pieces to length and a table saw to rip pieces to the correct depth and to create the rabbets. A lot of the wood consists of scraps left over from other projects. The outer cover and solid bottom board uses pieces of poplar that came from my parents’ old dining room table. I’m not sure if I want to paint the nicely finished poplar pieces or attach a plastic cover to provide weather protection.

10 Frame Langstroth Bee Hive Plans

UltraBreeze Bee Jacket

In preparation for the beekeeper workshop and the two hives that will be started this year, I ordered a pair of UltraBreeze Bee Jackets from Honeymoon Apiaries. I find the heat and humidity of the south to be too much when wearing shorts and a tshirt, so breathable bee protective clothing is a must. I have spent countless hours reading the Beemaster forum and these suits and jackets were highly recommended for warmer climates.