Do hive boxes need to be connected?

Discussion and questions.
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moorsbees
Posts: 1
Joined: Sat Mar 29, 2014 11:47 am

Do hive boxes need to be connected?

Post by moorsbees » Sat Mar 29, 2014 11:57 am

Hi all --
I attended the BCBA class last year (fabulous, fantastic class!) and we are finally getting bees this spring. 8 frame langstroth hive.

In the interest of marital harmony, I'm wondering if someone can settle a disagreement my husband and I have over putting our hive together.

His sister has bees, and the wind blew one of her hives over. I have seen hives strapped down before, so that they don't blow over. But my husband would like to use some sort of latching system to connect one bee box to the next (like window latches).

I keep saying the bees will take care of that with propolis, and we don't need it.

He points to his sister's fallen hive.

Anyone care to step into the fray? :mrgreen:

donstu
Posts: 63
Joined: Sun Jul 01, 2012 9:29 am

Re: Do hive boxes need to be connected?

Post by donstu » Sun Mar 30, 2014 9:06 am

Considerations when choosing a hive location:
1. wind
2. sun
3. water
Choose a location that provides a natural wind break on North and West.
This greatly reduces the chances of getting blown over and eliminates the need for straps and window latches.
Less work is better.
Short of a natural wind break, consider a couple of hay bales.

relwood
Posts: 4
Joined: Sun Mar 16, 2014 9:38 am

Re: Do hive boxes need to be connected?

Post by relwood » Fri Apr 04, 2014 4:15 pm

He should know that the wife is never wrong, regardless of anything else.

Backyard Bees
Posts: 65
Joined: Wed Mar 21, 2012 10:52 am

Re: Do hive boxes need to be connected?

Post by Backyard Bees » Mon Apr 14, 2014 12:42 pm

LOL.

Strapping is unnecessary in in the spring and summer but can be helpful in especially gusty locations in the fall and winter. FWIW, Only one of the 10+ bee locations we've managed in Boulder County over many years has ever produced a blow-over.

I'd leave the strapping off for now while the weather is mild. It's just one more obstacle that will prevent you from doing quick and easy check-ins this spring/summer. But consider putting it on after you button your bees up in the fall depending on how protected your location is. If you're in an open, gusty area, give it a try. If not (if they're near a wind-break like a building or shrubbery or a fence) then you probably don't need it.

As far as the types of strapping go, we use nylon webbing but only in that one, tippy location and only if the hives are light or it's extraordinarily gusty. I'm not sure a hook would be adequate. You need a mechanism that attaches the entire colony to the pallet or whatever it's sitting on. Just attaching the hive bodes to each other isn't enough. It's the pallet that provides stability.
Backyard Bees
P.O. Box 7426
Boulder, Colorado 80306
http://www.BackyardBees.com

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