Week 23 - Extra parts that need finishing off

 Roof

For the finishing off of the hive there are a few things that need to be done. First I am starting on the roof, for the roof I need to add insulation in the gap left in the middle that you can see in the photograph to the left. I am doing this because it will help the bees in the colder months to regulate the hives temperature, by keeping the bees warmer for longer.

In this picture I am cutting the piece of board that is an offcut from the board I used to make the crown board. It is the perfect size for the gap in the roof, and it will help to keep the insulation in place. I am only cutting abut 10mm from the end of the board just so it can fit in. I am using the saw because I am only removing 10mm - this would be too difficult and potentially too dangerous to use the circular saw  as it could cause injuries.

Here I am putting the insulation into the roof, you can see that I have chosen to use straw as insulation for the hive. This is because it is very light, so it wont add to the already heavy roof, also it is easy to acquire as I found some in the sheep shed and used it. In this picture I am stuffing it into the gap trying to fit in as much as possible, as this will increase the warmth of the hive.

Now I am fitting the board I have just cut on top of the straw, this will cover the straw to keep it in place so it wont fall out everywhere. 

The board was a little tight when I was putting it in, so I had to use a hammer to tap it down slightly until it was firmly in position. Although, it is not a bad thing that it was very tight as this will ensure that the board will not come loose and will stay tight for longer.

Now I am pushing the straw in, so that it leaves no gaps and all the straw is put to use and not wasted, and then I can use nails to secure the board into place.

You can see in this picture I have nailed in 4 nails down each side of the board. I am using nails because it is a relatively thin board that I am using and it would be too messy if I had to pre-drill every hole and use screws when they are not really needed. With this done, the roof is now finished.

Crown board

For the crown board all I had to do was find a piece of thin stone to fit over the hole and cover it. As you can see, I did find a piece of stone slab that I found, although it is not as thin as slate or as light, it is not a problem as the crown board is already very light. Also, a heavier piece of stone could be more beneficial as it is unlikely to move out of place at any time.

This is just another picture showing that the stone slab can cover the hole without showing any gaps for the bees to escape from. The only time the slab wont be over the hole will be when the bees are being fed during winter, as this is where the ambrosia fondant will be placed so the bees have easy access. With this in position, the crown board is also finished.

Floor

Now, all that is left to do is the floor. For the floor I need to make a hive entrance for the bees to enter and exit the hive. First, I am measuring a offcut from a previous plank of wood I cut. It is about an inch thick and and inch in width. It measures at 445mm, which is the length of the gap I cut in the wood for the entrance. 

I have decided to cut the wood into two pieces, I will cut the wood at 300mm. Again I will only use the hand saw for this as it may be too difficult for the circular saw to cut. 

These are the two pieces of wood I have cut for the entrance. One is longer than the other because they will be used for different parts of the year. For example I can use the shorter one for autumn or early spring, when the bees are are active and the longer one for the winter months and therefore closes the entrance. There are pictures below that will show you what I mean.

This is what it will look like in winter, the entrance is reduced so that less bees can enter and leave the hive, and also it will help prevent any predators form entering the hive with ease, as it is easier for the bees to defend a small entrance. It can also stop a lot of cold air from entering the hive as well if it is relatively windy one day. 

This will what the hive will look like during the hottest days of summer, there is no entrance block so that the bees can enter and leave the hive as much as they what and that they can collect far more pollen with more bees being able to leave the hive.

This could be what the hive looks like when it is spring or autumn. This is done so that the entrance is restricted a little, so less bees are able to get out of the hive. This is because it is starting to become cold outside and the bees are starting to prepare for winter or it is becoming warmer and the bees are starting to venture outside more.

This is done when there is either chemicals being sprayed in a field nearby that could potentially kill off the bees, or when the hive is being treated for diseases and it is done to stop them from spreading it and to ensure they are all treated. Also it can be done when the bees are being transported from one place to another and this will stop the bees from escaping.

With this the floor is now complete.