Was up ‘til 3 AM last night watching videos on beehives.
I must have reviewed at least 30 or 40 different plans, and all were pretty complicated (I’m certainly no pro when it comes to woodworking, and a missing some pretty critical tools). After seeing @nicksikorski’s active beehive at his farm in Nagano, though, I was inspired, and determined to push through and get one built.
I finally stumbled across the Homesteadonomics YouTube channel
and that was exactly what I needed. The dude had uploaded a video entitled “Junky Beehives,” or something like that, and was explaining how he had made four top-bar style hives using scrap wood and for a very low budget. As the landlord here at the KafkA shack has left tons of junk, wood, and scrap materials around, I thought I would build my own!
I WANT SOME HONEY!!
The hive pictured above is called a “top bar” hive because the bees will build their honeycombs on slats that will cross the box perpendicular to the walls (the slats are not yet inserted in this picture). This type of hive has been in use for thousands of years, and is said to have originated in Africa. What I liked about the design is that one can harvest honey without disturbing the bees too much. It’s more of the natural route when it comes to beekeeping.
What’s next?
Well, tomorrow I’ve got to finish the slats/bars, run some flames around the inside to kill any bacteria/pests/diseases, and then once the whole thing is dry and good to go, smear a bit of local honey around on the inside and cross my fingers.
Hopefully we’ll get a good swarm of Japanese honeybees and have a good, productive year!
~KafkA
Graham Smith is a Voluntaryist activist, creator, and peaceful parent residing in Niigata City, Japan. Graham runs the "Voluntary Japan" online initiative with a presence here on Steem, as well as DLive and Twitter. (Hit me up so I can stop talking about myself in the third person!)