Every novice beekeeper wonders where to start. And one of the first points can be called the design choice of future bee houses. To date, Vladimir hives remain the simplest and most convenient in operation, it is them that are recommended to be used at the initial stages of building your own apiary.

Description of the design of Vladimir hives

Beehives of this type are very reminiscent of their appearance chest or refrigerator for ice cream. Thanks to this design, the expansion of space in such houses for bees occurs in the horizontal plane, and not in the vertical.The design of modern Vladimir hives is as simple as possible - it is a frame and a heater. Thanks to modern methods and materials, the hive-lounger has a low weight, while it is warm, which provides comfort to both the beekeeper and the bees.

Did you know? To collect one spoon of honey, you need 200 bees that will work all day.

Pros

Using a scientific approach to arranging apiaries and organizing work, as well as optimizing the space, beekeepers can get more honey. This type of hive does not require a lot of attention, so it is ideal for beginners or people who do not have enough time required to care for bees and apiary.

• Beehive lounger has many advantages in comparison with other types of bee houses:
• Thanks to the design, the use of the hive is as simple as possible.
• The resulting volume of production increases significantly (in comparison with other construction and hives).
• Good heating system.
• Harvesting honey is safer.
• Ability to use larger frames.
• There is no need to feed the bees, as well as build an omshanik (a special insulated structure for a comfortable wintering of bees).

Minuses

This construction has many advantages, but there are also disadvantages, due to which some beekeepers refuse to use it, preferring other methods of keeping bees. The main disadvantage is the poor ventilation of these houses. This inconvenience is due to the presence of a relatively small frame space. For this reason, the hives must be equipped with ventilation devices in the lid, so a good flow of air will be provided to the bee family.

• Also cons include:
• Dimensions of structures, because of which more space should be allocated for wintering in the room.
• Limited expansion of the hive. If the hive is a sunbed with 32 frames, then you can no longer put more frames into it.
• The need for more frequent pumping of honey. Again, we are talking about limited space, the design of Vladimir hives does not allow to supplement and finish building them beyond what was originally planned.

DIY manufacturing technology for Vladimir hives

In appearance and assembly technology, the Vladimir hive-lounger resembles a box with a lid, but there is a standard, carefully calculated dimensions, so it is best to adhere to existing parameters.

Important! The tree must be well dried. So you can protect the future house from deformations that necessarily happen during the drying of wood.

Materials and tools for manufacturing

Since the hive is made of wood, the appropriate tools are needed for its construction:

• hammer and screwdriver (screwdriver);
• saw, hacksaw;
• nails or self-tapping screws (preferred);
• roulette;
• corners or other devices for fixing parts.

In the form of material, you can use wood or plywood. The first option, of course, is preferable, because such a hive will last longer, but it will also have a little more weight, and at a price it will cost a little more.

Drawings and Dimensions

The dimensions of future housing for insects depend on the framework used. For example, below we take the size of the hive for the Dadanov frame, elongated due to the side planks to 46 cm, i.e. the hive will be designed for a high frame. The most important thing in making a beehive is accuracy.

Important! These dimensions are presented for a hive-lounger with 32 high frames. External dimensions may vary significantly, it all depends on the material used, its thickness.

Internal dimensions should correspond to such dimensions:

• height - 500 mm;
• width - 450 mm;
• length - 1,200 mm.

Assembly of the hive must begin with the construction of the frame, on which all walls and the bottom will already be attached. The diagram provides an example of the construction of the frame.Letkovye holes, their diameter 50 mm, must be drilled in the front wall before attaching it to the frame. It is necessary to place them at a distance of 45 mm from the bottom of the wall and 188 mm to the adjacent notch. All distances are counted in the center of the holes. In total, for these sizes of the hive, 6 groove holes are needed.

Hive equipment inside

Inside, the hive should have slats, stands for frames. Also, for greater convenience of the beekeeper during spring cleaning, the construction of a removable bottom will be the best solution. And it does not hurt to think about ways to fix insulation for the winter.

Bee Keeping Rules

Doing an apiary requires a lot of knowledge from a novice beekeeper, because there are many nuances. For example, there are different breeds of bees, care for them also needs to be a little different. There are various types of beehives, and the features of bees living in them are also different. The novice beekeeper can learn all these details in the special literature. But there are general rules, and on most apiaries they come down to the following:

• determination of the state of an overwintered bee family;
• hive cleaning;
• creation of conditions for the growth of young bees (for example, by the method of partitions);
• proper wintering;
• timely feeding of bees.

The partitioning method is perhaps the most ideal way to build a family. This method was formulated by Andrei Yakimov, and it boils down to the timely separation of the hive into several parts by installing partitions. So, to strengthen the bee family, a partition is installed in the hive, which forces the bees left without a uterus to grow it for themselves. Two queen bees quickly begin to build family strength.Before the main collection of honey, the septum is removed. But before that it is necessary to make sure that the old uterus is still young enough, and to catch a young uterus in order to find her a new family. If this is not done, one of the queens will be destroyed, or they may both die. Removing the partition, it is also worth completely filling the hive with wax, thus creating a large field for the activities of a strong family.

The most ideal way to preserve the family in the cold season is wintering in sunbeds. In these types of hives, the beekeeper can easily organize wintering by simply shifting the frame. To organize a wintering, you must:

1. Form a nest. It must be located in the center of the hive.
2. Remove unnecessary frames. The vacated place should be laid with insulation - polystyrene foam or pillows.
3. Provide fresh air.
4. Build a wind shield in front of the hive.
5. Set traps for rodents.
6. Insects should not be disturbed all winter, with the exception of the February feeding in severe frost, in order to protect the family from extinction, the house must be brought into the winter house (Omshanik).
7. After the onset of heat, the hive is cleaned from death.

Tips from experienced beekeepers

Anyone who is not allergic to bee stings can engage in beekeeping. But it is worthwhile to prepare in advance, study the literature and, of course, find out tips that might not be in the books, because this is the experience gained after making mistakes. There are several tips that you should adhere to a person who decides to create his own apiary:

1. First you need to decide where to get the bees. A good option is to order them in a package. You can also buy brood from the beekeeper, but most likely you will receive them in a wide framework, which are not very convenient in operation.
2. Further, if the purchase of insects is in the package (order by mail), then it is worth determining the breed. In fact, they are all good, but non-hybrid breeds should be preferred. They can be bred on their own in the future without problems.
3. You immediately need to purchase the minimum equipment - a protective net (preferably a full suit) and a smoker. You will also need a clip for catching the uterus and a brush for bees.

Then you can already begin to choose a hive, frames and directly to the purchase of insects. Also one of the important points is the purchase of a honey extract. If more large-scale production is planned, then you cannot do without it, but if there are only 1-3 hives, you can not buy it.

Beekeeping is not a difficult task, if you approach it with all seriousness and study in detail all the possible nuances. In addition to all the benefits, this activity can still be very profitable. It is perfect for people who want to spend more time outdoors.