Beekeeping Beginner / DIY Log Beehive / Build and Setup.
Having been offered a swarm of honey bees, I decided to build and setup my own beehive out of a log. As a beginner in beekeeping and a total novice this project really is as rustic and informal not to mention, basic as it comes.
The beehive is made out of a Horse Chestnut log as it seemed like a much cheaper alternative to buying a preformed or flat pack hive. Particularly as I do not really want to keep these honey bees so much for their honey as for their pollinating ability among our abundant meadow and woodland environment.
As there was a degree of urgency to get some kind of hive ready soon, plus not really having a necessity to access the beehive for harvesting the honey it made sense to have a go at building my own hive out of a large log in an attempt to replicate a more natural habitat for the bees. With a hope that this natural setting and hive will allow the bees more chance of being able to moderate and control their own hive with very little or (hopefully) no intervention in due course.
I am intending to build more log beehives in the future if this one turns out to be a success so I hope to share that at some point too.
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Пікірлер: 26
Watch out for the high winds. Drive a post next to the hive and secure it. Shalom.
Thats an awesome bee house , well insulated the bees naturally like tree hollows. im keen to make one myself, good work .
Wow great job
If you drilled a hole down the center of the tree trunk and burned out center like a Swedish torch, then sandblasted or scraped the inside down to the wood, do you think the bees would use it for a hive?
Wander full and nice
This type of hive would technically be illegal in the USA as would be a skep because it does not have frames that can be removed for inspection.
U should be using a Husqvarna saw. Great video tho! 👍🏽
@PeculiarFinds
3 жыл бұрын
🤣 you a husky guy 👍🏼
Hi new to your channel, looks fab, I think the bees are going to very happy here . I found out that the mineraloid shungite dissipates the harmful effects of pesticides,so by putting a lump or powder by the entrance way the bees are attracted to it and in turn it also helps with disease and reproduction increases vastly.
@PeculiarFinds
6 жыл бұрын
Hi there and welcome, I am really hoping they will be satisfied with the log hive. Just have to see how it goes and hope for the best. Very interesting what you say about Shungite mineral! I shall certainly do some research on that. Thanks for the info!
@rachelhybrid632
6 жыл бұрын
Peculiar Finds it's pretty new information.. not sure you'll find much as yet but need to spread the word ! 👍
@rachelhybrid632
6 жыл бұрын
Peculiar Finds and thank you !
@rachelhybrid632
6 жыл бұрын
Peculiar Finds shungite bees on youtube 👍
Nice job! What are the dimensions of this log?
How are you going to stop them from swarming when they have filled all the area in the log.....? I am not a bee keeper but have been watching a lot of beekeeping video's, and at some stage they out grow the lodgings, the square bee hives they just add another super on top. Wow all those shavings for the garden would be great, do you put them on your garden?
@PeculiarFinds
6 жыл бұрын
Thanks for the question. To be honest I am quite happy for the bees to swarm once capacity in the hive is at maximum. All being well they will leave new queen cells to hatch out and continue the population of the hive. Having said that I have another 6ft of that log so could perhaps make a log super. I do intend to make another log hive before they swarm next season with the hope that with some thoughtful positioning the bees may choose it. This venture really is born of curiosity rather than intent or desire . Yeah, a lot of shavings. I have used eco-friendly chain oil for this project so it is suitable for composting. Fresh shavings must be used mindfully as they contain huge amounts of tannins that leech into soils and can have pretty harmful effects on sensitive soil cultures. Most of these shavings go on the path at home and effectively act as dog litter 😃 .
@pjd2709
6 жыл бұрын
Thanks for answering my question, it is very interesting, good luck with your project. I'm jealous of those shavings, great use of them! Best wishes to you.
@PeculiarFinds
6 жыл бұрын
PJ D , bless you and thanks. Believe me if I could magic those shavings to you I would as I get heaps and heaps if the stuff from carving. It can be a pain to know what to do with and hate to burn it as it is too good. Unless packed in a drum burner in winter time 😆
@pjd2709
6 жыл бұрын
Pile them up somewhere on your property for a couple of years to compost down, and use them for a Back to Eden Garden. !Or pit up a sign for people to haul them off! Don't burn 'em though.
Please update when bees get delivered.
@PeculiarFinds
6 жыл бұрын
Sure!
hi, any ideas how you would hollow a log without powertools?
@PeculiarFinds
5 жыл бұрын
Hi there, Great question! The first thing that comes to mind is patience and determination! seriously though, without power tools I would be looking at going primitive and perhaps using a carefully selected and well seasoned piece of wood, drill or gouge out a hole in the center of the log end then pack it with hot coals and a source of wind to burn out the center. I have seen log hives made with this method in central Africa, It may take some little skill but seems like a less labor intensive way to try before resorting to the blood, sweat and tears of hand tools for the entire task. If anything else comes to mind I will update you. Good luck
@luciobrazil007
5 жыл бұрын
@@PeculiarFinds Thanks, I'll give that a go next year
@HerrSchwaar
4 жыл бұрын
Use a sharpen flintstone.
Horse chestnut is not healthy for bees.