Ant proof Platform and painted hives

The hives are now all painted and ready for occupancy.  I had to move the one that the bees were attracted to yesterday so I could paint it.  And the bees were looking for it several times today, circling that area and checking out the other hives sitting out.  They were also seen flying around the swarm lure/trap.

Lowes sells a rubber coupler 1 1/4 - 1/12 to 2" which worked nicely as a grease cup for the 3/4" galvanized pipe.  Plastic pipe insulation was used as a gasket to make up for the difference between 3/4 and 1 1/4".  The radiator clamp it came with cinched it up nicely so grease will soon be added to the outside of the pipe and into the cup to repel the ants.  The only thing still needed is a little umbrella type barrier positioned a few inches over the grease trap to keep debris and water out.  That will be fabricated from thin gauge aluminum I have in the garage.

 The two things about the platform I didn't expect.  The pipes move in the concrete which makes them less secure.  I found that out screwing in the tee's while tightening them onto the pipes that are embedded in concrete.  Not a real big deal. 

The platform is 14' long which may be a little bit too long.  I can always cut it back.  The 3/4" galvanized pipe seemed plenty strong when I started this project but with everything loaded up on the platform there is a very small amount of play.  1" or slightly larger would have been better but this will probably work fine.

Another lesson learned that I thought I learned long ago was to never buy cheap paint.  I bought a couple more colors for the hives and around the farm but they were a cheaper paint that the top quality paint I've been using.  Big difference.  Two coats were needed for everything where the other paint would do it perfect in one coat.  Do you really save money?  I don't think so.

Paint looks nice though.  Not traditional beekeeping white hives but we like a bit of color in our lives.  And the bees being mostly gals probably will appreciate the pastels.

Painted hives resting on their new ant proof platform

Frames to construct

Last night the UPS guy showed up with 100 unassembled frames and 100 sheets of plastic waxed foundation.  Once I get some of the frames assembled, the two swarm lures I built can be baited and set outside.

Foundation (in the box) and some of the frame parts

The only challenge with making 100 frames (or at least half of them) is all the time required to glue, nail and square them up.  To do them individually would be a daunting task.  So off to my beloved youtube to see what types of jigs people have made to assemble their frames.

I finally settled on several different designs and modified them to use some of the scrap lumber I had laying around.  The end result worked wonderful and I was able to crank out the frames in no time.  Some of the designs I saw were for adjustable frame jigs that could be used for deep, medium or shallow supers.  Instead of an adjustable jib, I just made a little platform for it when making the deeps.  Mediums and shallows will work by just removing the platform.

Frame jig loaded with side pieces

After placing a half dozen frames and foundations in the traps/lures, some old brood honeycomb was added as well as a cottonball with several drops of lemon grass oil AND some bee pheromone bait was added (found on EBAY).  One swarm lure was placed in front of our home where bees seem to love it and the other was placed on our bee farm up against some palms.  It will be fun to see if we can attract a swarm.  We attended the Pinellas Beekeepers group last night and the consensus was the swarming may be starting earlier this year as their bees have been quite active already.  Attending the Pinellas beekeeper group was a great experience.  Very laid back group with some cool personalities.  The wife and I both enjoyed talking with everyone there.