Its easiest way to screw the legs in is while the hive is on its side. In traditional Langstroth hives, youll need to lift boxes that weigh 50 lbs or more to access the frames underneath. THEY ARE THE BEST. Heres my disclaimer: individual beekeeping practices can affect the overall performance of any hive. Thanks so much for your response on ventilation of the Valkrie hive here in port Angeles. The bees travel into the stores in the winter as far as they need to. Nancy, Includes a divider to split the colonies, hive legs, landing pads, cover handle and box grips. The entire hive (not including frames) will be shipped in two boxes. It can also hold the Interior Canvas Cover which is included in each hive purchase. This meant that frames could be transferred between the Valhalla and a Langstroth, and standard nucleus colonies would fit seamlessly into the Valhalla. We only use Amazon Associates and Google Adsense. The time to do it cut the entrances is before assembly, like HorizontalHive.com recommends. There was a similar one with carved images of honey bees on the exterior at EAS. Your support matters. Plans to build your own Layens hive can be found here. Of course, weve had a very warm winter, even for this area, which seldom has cold winters. There is 2 1/2 from the bottom bar to the slats. We can ship to the UK, just call for shipping prices and hive availability. Hi Rusty, How much do they cost? The long Langstroth hive uses the same frames as standard Langstroth hives, so its easy to switch over and finding replacement parts should not be a problem. We had the hive out in the parking lot, I bet there were looks from all over, wondering what we were up to! You do not need to unstack heavy boxes to gain access to the frames below. Great article. Way too heavy and removing frames to work the hive just ticks the bees off to no end. Are you in Oregon? Burlap is a good material for onto of the frames to keep the bees where they need to be. Check for square and use a bar clamp to pull it in square if its out of line. Is there a website to look this up? Among the many features I admire about the Valkyrie hive, I particularly like the insulation components designed into the hive & hive stand. Check out the website or give me a call: 541 771-7278. Once I had the two by materials cut, I set up an dado stack on my table saw to cut the frame rests in the long boards, and then dado on the ends to accept the sides. Within 24 hours the tight cluster had expanded to access their needs on several frames. What a lovely hive. The hive body holds 24 standard deep frames. I am using a quilt on both hives and am very happy with the results, some of my quilt research was done on your website. Any change from the original format will void the warranty. And thank you for your comment. As noted above, I now have a website with PayPal! Thank you, Why have I never seen a honey bee cocoon. Thank you for any information you can provide. Is it possible to have the roof split so as to host a Flow hive for a short time? My apiary has been long hives for many years. They are suitable for the beekeeper who doesnt often get a chance to open the hives. This dado was cut to approximately 5/8 by 1/2. And Naomi and Rusty will bust me for sure for anthropomorphizing if Im not careful. If the insulation is not wet, then it is doing its job in allowing the colony to maintain the temperature of their choosing, including high humidity that brings some moisture needed by the bees. Sometimes feral swarms move into rafters, for example, and build and move laterally or even down. With shipping across the U.S. and globally, weve incorporated our bee-friendly philosophy to also include shipping containers and materials that are 100% recyclable, with easy set-up at your location. I live in Wyoming; it can easily get to -25 in the winter. With my Langs, Ive developed an entire wintering protocol based on high winter moisture. To be fairly precise. Drape your choice of paper from the top bar of frame 16, down its face and continue across the slatted bottom toward the space of frame 24. Thank you so much, Adrienne, for your kind remarks! This is the utmost reasoning that care was incorporated into the Valkyrie design. The top bar, horizontal or long langstroth hive, and the Layens hive. My reason for doing so has to do with the very damp environment of coastal Washington. I think a Valkyrie may be your solution. The location is mountainous terrain at 4200-feet backed by ponderosa pine and Douglas-firs. The heat generated by a large colony is significant, and it will need a way to get out because it wont escape through the insulated walls. This website is made possible by people like you. Worth looking into. Beneath the frames is a built-in slatted rack with new, tighter spacing on the ends. Revival Woodworks is dedicated to reviving wood to its true beauty. The stand is made of wood and is designed to hold a large rectangle of 3-inch rigid foam which stops the heat loss in its tracks. There are also free plans online for those who want to build their own Layens hive. A single observation window is standard and placed on the left where viewing is best. My questions is, do the Langstroth frames fit this box? How much space is there between the slatted rack and the frame in a Valkyrie long hive? I am hearing-impaired and cannot call. This serves as a cold-air sump area, (leaving the warmer air at the top-bars), as well as a meeting place where the girls hang out in the warmer months of summer, (Id love to know what theyre gnoshing-on about). I had some scrap wood that I used for it. Just sent you an email, also. The Top Bar hive, Long Langstroth hive, and the Layens hive are all forms of horizontal hives. The back or beekeepers side has a viewing window and varroa drawers. The Valkyrie has one additional type of hinge called Easy Glide which is currently in testing and should be available next spring. With horizontal hives, the only thing you will be lifting are the frames. To attach, predrill holes and attached with glue and screws. Beekeepers are everywhere. Typically, no foundation is used for top bar hives, however some beekeepers do provide a small piece of starter wax for the bees to build upon. Regardless of dictionaries, we have in entomology a rule for insect common names that can be followed. She decided she needed a system to insulate the underside. I might get one for my partner in crime! Check out the Shetland Wool page on the website that I just added. One of Naomis hives showing the woolen insulating blanket. The teaching Ive been given points out the most important factor: what size are the cells, and, why are the bees building them? Some keepers have located their long hives on a bed of rock. While Odin ever-awaited new arrivals, it was the Valkyries who remained vigilant and watchful, presiding over earths battlefields to choose who would be taken aloft. I wonder if the Valkyrie, seated in the stand and full of bees would weigh enough to convince a honey badger to look somewhere else for a snack? It says: If the insect is what the name implies, write the two words separately; otherwise run them together. Both varroa drawers and screens remove for easy cleaning. There have been suggestions in the past of adding a super to the Valkyrie, or, renovating one side to accommodate the honey extracting parts. They do fine. Drape a sheet over the length of the ramp, over ithe ramps edges until is meets the groundminimum coverage. I recommend doing in two passes for a clean and straight cut. Minnesota now has a state bee as well as a state insect. Thank you. Your Complete Source for Bees, Beehives, and Beekeeping. From what I understand ventilation is more important than insulation. Gasp! Home Bee Blog The Valkyrie long hive: built with love for bees and their keepers. I used four 3 screws into each leg. They are more stable than the standard Langstroths, and so are not so easy for honey badgers to turn over. Because horizontal hives are self regulating, they dont require as many inspections as Langstroth hives. * Shake the bees from each frame onto the ramp, then promptly remove their hive components from the area. Stress on any of my colonies, especially that which I might unintentionally impose on them has always been my top priority to reduce or eliminate. If its laid out correctly, all the parts you need can be made from the plywood. I thought I would give the one deep experiment a try this summer only to discover bees that were honey bound and overcrowded beyond belief. Perhaps theyll contact you on this site, or I can gladly encourage them to do so! Thanks again for all your wonderful assistance and knowledge. The space above the rack allows a great view through the observation window. This article will talk about the different horizontal hives, compare them to the langstroth, and list some horizontal hives for sale. Its purpose it to discuss contemporary issues in beekeeping and bee science. Much to the chagrin of the developers of the Valkyrie, I did drill ventilation ports. Thanks in advance. Marge Pearson Then he takes the hive apart for shipping. The wool cover stays on the canvas cover 24/7/365 and helps to avoid the temperature spikes that can be so troublesome. Ideally they do not run out or have stores split on 2 sides of the brood nest, they cannot shift to the other end in the middle of the winter. This hive is extremely popular in Europe, where millions of Layens hives are used today. The Layens Hive is named after Georges De Layens, a French botanist and apiculturist. terry. The horizontal, or long Langstroth hive consists of a long wooden box that can fit at least double the amount of frames than a regular langstroth box. The brick insulation inside the stand helps prevent heat loss from the bottom as well as helping prevent the cold/heat from the ground from traveling upward into the colony BUT theres still plenty of air flow. : ) Isnt it true that burr-comb of some sort will happen in every hive body horizontal or vertical? That being said. The top was glued and screwed together and should be loose fitting enough to allow air to escape and to easily remove and put back on. Frames can use foundation or be foundationless. Although they are beneficial insects, they are not native to North America. Bruce, The Beekeepers Carpenter is a woodworking craftsman, attentive to every detail. Like a well-insulated home, the hive interior is protected from temperature extremes. The honey storage area is not clearly separated from the brood area, so you harvest the honey from wherever you find it. The closest relative of a North American native bee to make the list is the Tarantula Hawk Wasp, the state insect of New Mexico. Good work, Minnesota! Since the hive was assembled before packaging, you are assured the pieces will fit together with ease. All is good for colonies to prosper stress free when the Valkyrie is completely engaged as it was thoughtfully designed and maticuously built. But for clarification, I love top and bottom insulation, but in summer I would be wary of a so-called wrapped (or side insulated) hive. There are so many opinions and different configurations of equipment, it is fun to build the variations and try them out myself. We have sudden cold snaps here. Please note: some beeks have been very creative with modifications to the Valkyrie, after purchase and assembly. In order for the colony to achieve homeostasis without unnecessary energy output, these significant environmental conditions were consideration starting with the Valhalla and into its next generation, the Valkyrie. As the colony begins to prosper, so does their desire for drone brood. I can also padlock them easier than a vertical hive. Would like to purchase, can you send me a price? The Beekeepers Carpenter The Right Hand LLP. She drove up from Oregn to Renton Wa to deliver it to me in a hotel parking lotlong drive for herlots of slow congested traffic for me between Renton and Snohomish. Do you make a Valkyrie flow hive option? It is well thought-out and well-made. A green frame manufactured specifically with drone-size cells is another option to offer the colony. Since they start at the top, there is no room to move further up. Revival Development, LLC - (419) 561-0378, Long Langstroth Hive and plans by Dr. Leo Sharashkin on horizontal hive.com, https://horizontalhive.com/how-to-build/long-langstroth-plans.shtml, Pallet Wood Headboard - Plans and Builders Guide, Corrugated Metal and Barn Wood Shelf Plans, Pallet Wood Rolling Storage Stool - Plans And Builders Guide. Thanks, Question, does the wool blanket not irritate the girls? Each time someone visits Honey Bee Suite, his or her location will appear on the map. Currently my hive stands are standing in cans of oil. Thanks for the write up. This pad is 100% Shetland sheeps wool (locally grown, harvested and felted) and is placed on top of the Interior Canvas Cover. Continue the process with slits, a mist of moisture and add your bees. These are applicable to the Valkyrie Long Hive, and I cant speak for other horizontal hives. Now its time to cut the plywood. The standard hinges are durable and long-lasting steel, rust resistant and strong enough to stay open in inclement weather. A slatted rack getting ready for shipment. It is non-discriminatory, encompassing both honey bees and wild bees. Hence, burr comb. Combing colonies can be accomplished through several options. Very well made and thought out. Many beekeepers prefer to use foundation. Larry and Naomi Price (foreground) working their bees in July. Do honey bees leave the hive in the winter and return in the spring? While Langstroth hives are vertically stacked boxes, horizontal hives are single story hives that expand the width of the box in order to hold many more bars or frames. I dont foresee any problems with your two Swedish Blues, and Im sure youll do well. It is because of the appropriate hive insulation that the spike or drop in temperature has never been an issue. Naomi has found that the wool blanket not only keeps the bees warmer in winter, but temperature readings confirms it keeps the bees cooler in summer as well. Cant wait! The inside of the hive will have 2-3 inner covers, so you can expose part of the hive at a time. Is losing heat from the bottom of the hive such a bad thing? I sent your request directly to Vivien. I just set up a page for long hive discussions. Where can I buy one of these? Moving them late fall would perhaps not allow enough time to shift stores if needed. When I visited the shop, they were still finalizing the packaging method, but what I saw was impressive. Wow, that hive body looks fantastic! Surprise! While researching natural beekeeping, I came across the Long Langstroth Hive and plans by Dr. Leo Sharashkin on horizontal hive.com. Page upward on this blog where there is an excellent answer to your placement question. Horizontal hives are self regulating the colony will expand at its own pace throughout the season. Is there a queen excluder to one side? My thermal camera detected a winter colony pushed up against their inner cover, while heat was escaping from the hives bottom. This is so cool. Through our sustainable designs from re-purposed materials like pallets, barn wood, and reclaimed materials often thrown out, we are able to create beautiful home designs that can be enjoyed! Mitchell has a masters in engineering with a physics background. Colony mitigation to my choices can happen quickly and perhaps without immediate notice from me as their steward. This Long Langstroth Hive is basically a long deep box made from two by materials, and his claim is that it is low maintenance for the bees, and less lifting for the beekeeper. The first cut I made was to cut the plywood just over half way, which is the length of the top. Where is there room to rear drones if all frames provided are worker cells? The beekeeper can easily read the colonys need and provision them with a foundationless frame that allows the colony to build what they desire and within the frame. Remember, also, that the flow frames are wider, so 24 of them wouldnt quite fit into the Valkyrie as with the non-flow standard frames. Also, the ladies will winterize the hive themselves, and if you add the Shetland Wool cover to your hive purchaseso much the better as it really brings a higher level of protection in both summer and winter. Im using long Langstroths here in the Karoo, South Africa. Feeding can be done adding 3 or 4 frames of honey to the end farthest from the entrance. Top bar hives can be ordered online at Bee Built and Mann Lake. Next I ripped the bottom pieces from the shorter half. You know, just for show! Im sure she will be back to you shortly. Some of the improvements in the new hive include: Bruce builds every hive by hand and assembles it to assure that each piece fits perfectly. Think about plant roots in pots, they cop heat from all sides except the bottom. Hey Rusty, And then there are the Valkyries that dont have bottom-bar burr-comb at all go figure. heat was escaping from the bottom of the hive. To assemble, I used wood glue and 3 screws to hole the ends together. You hang them about a metre high between two poles. Another combining method is to have the incoming colony walk-in. When I first read Johns question, I thought he was speaking of insulating the entire hive, sides as well. If you have difficulties with the Langstroth configuration or are just looking for a better way to keep your bees, I urge you to have a look at the Valkyrie Long Hive. Please remember that any changes to the design or form of the Valkyrie will nullify our two-year warranty, notwithstanding that each beekeeper needs to keep their colonies however they wish, and I would never question Rustys expertise. Amazon has a gorgeous horizontal hive listed from Calico Creek Millworks. The ramp method also gives the beekeeper an opportunity to remove questionable bees from entering their new home. (These ants are really small and persistent, so a tight box would only make them work harder to find a way in, which theyll manage somehow.). And the propolis becomes gooey and strings without insulation. Under the lid is storage that can be used as a frame rest or to hold hive tools. Outer (stores) frames from bottom, brood frames from bottom, brood frames from top, stores frames from top? What she discovered was a surprise. as the bees are building out the hive, you will want a divider to separate the open area to where the bees are. There are many Valkyries in the Olympia Sound that havent reported any problems and the Valkyrie that resides on the Oregon coast in Waldport really just a few hundred feet from the shoreline are all of them doing just fine. The Layens hive needs minimal management. This helps the ladies to be their own oven control knob free to regulate the heat and humidity levels by themselves. One of the things it DEFINITELY depends on is your climate. They are screened on the inside to prevent robbing, etc. I have problems with Argentine ants. Vivian was such a delight to work with and the hive was packaged and protected incredibly well for the long trip across the country. Aside from all of that, Im felting up my thrice washed and cleaned but still a bit lanolin-y sheeps wool and making them a blanket out of that. Shipping costs are costing us sales ordersthink Ill just buy my own truck! Mitchell took 2.3 million temperature measurements from 12 hives 8 different styles. Please go to the Instagram Feed settings page to connect an account. The drape helps to keep the bees out of grasses and to facilitate an easier climb. The biggest benefit of horizontal hives is no heavy lifting. pilotchickm@comcast.net. The Valkyrie has an hinged gable-style lid that comes in two standard finishes: deluxe powder-coated and textured aluminum. Feel free to use a dry-erase marker for taking your inspection notes on the covers as they wipe clean easily. If youd prefer to build our own Layens hive, horizontalhive.com offers several free plans to build a Layens hive. Very well-thought-out. By clicking on these ads, making a purchase, or taking other action, we can earn a little extra money to fund future projects. You are so correct about securing a long hive to be easier than verticals. To what cost to the colony were my choices? Dave, My experience is with conventional Langstroth hives, but I would like to give this concept a try. For more on Top Bar hives, see my post here. Horizontal hives also work great for backyard and urban beekeepers. Once the box is made, its time to use a router and cut the dado in for the bottom. Your opinion would be appreciated as well as anyone else that has any experience with an insulated hive. The web stuff takes some time. I live in a relatively mild sub-alpine climate, where we have lows of 20 (F) or -6 deg C, and highs of 104 F (or 40 deg C). It is helpful to read the full text of his experimenting on various hive styles and their related heat loss. Note: I have no affiliation with HorizontalHives.com and give them the credit for providing free plans! Her email is vivienhight@ymail.com. Hi Carl: Ill be happy to answer any questions you may have, and, feel free to look up our website. The Valkyrie is designed to make the cross-over from a Langstroth quite seamlessly. When the weather cooperates, Ill be posting pics to our website of the local ladies which have been thriving more than one year here in our areastay tuned! Wild Honey Bees: The story of forest-dwelling honey bees, including stunning photographs. Im VERY HAPPY to point a link to your site. Jan H. lives on the bay in fact, just by the Capitol building so her moisture amounts will be interesting. This area receives an average of 15 inches of annual precipitation, and experiences temperatures ranging from 105 degrees Fahrenheit to a low of minus 20 degrees (without a wind-chill factor). The honey is stored in the end frames. This means that when you harvest honey you will not need to disturb the brood nest. This Makes it easy to cut 2 long ends from an 8 board and then all the short sides from another (4 short sides for the 2 hives). All packing materials are recyclable and designed to protect the hive. Judging by the photographs posted previously, it appears that winters in central Oregon are similar to what what we experience. And Rusty Im hoping I can ask long hive questions? Rusty; How do I find out the price of the valkyrie long box hive? Take that, you predators! It can be difficult to find horizontal hives for sale, but there are a few websites that have them. The hinges make the lid easy to open and have been tested against a stiff breeze. Theres nothing on it yet, so send me some photos! The purpose of insulate materials, like wool or rigid foam, is to create a cavity that the colony isnt always in emergency mode. In my Valkyries, after I had sliced the comb away a few times, and returned it to the colony in a comb-crib its almost as if they were miffed at my interference and just stopped. Every piece was protected from every other with a variety of corners and braces. I like, I like !! similar concept of the standard Langstroth, laid on its side. Ive never seen a problem with overwintering them, and in fact, my top-bar hive is much easier to overwinter than my Langstrothsbasically, it takes care of itself. Id like to get a group together to compare notes on using the Valkyrie and trade management ideas. You can see more details on their Facebook page, their website, or call Vivien directly at (541) 771-7278 for pricing and ordering. While the Horizontal hive uses much of the same parts as the Langstroth hive, it has some key benefits. I cant quite tell how it is that you harvest anything? Feel free to contact us for pricing, wed be glad to help! A really cool option to this hive is the insulated hive stand. Rustys reply to your concerns about colony movement and overwintering is the same from me. give the beekeeper an ease of operation which help those with arm, shoulder, or wrist problems. Hi Rodney, and thank you for your question. I currently use 1-inch foilbacked styrofoam on the hives I have and it seemed to work quit well. Thanks for contacting us, and for your question. : ). Looking forward to splitting into this hive and experiencing how it goes. In a way, you can say that the Long Langstroth hive has the benefits of a top bar hive, but also the advantage of using standard equipment. I am truly impressed by the craftsmanship poured into the Valkyrie hive. The idea has merit and should be pursued for seasonal testing. They were using foundation in their frames, so they put a drone foundation frame in position #2 and on the outside of the honey stores frames, and the burr-comb just stopped. As an additional (not standard) benefit, the hand-crafted Interior Pure-Shetland Wool Pad can be ordered which helps the colony maintain temperature and humidity levels year round. Instead, all of the frames are at waist level. I asked Vivien to give me a run-down of the Valkyrie features in her own words, and here is what she has to say: In the glorious halls of Valhalla, slain Norse warriors were transported by the Valkyries to enjoy the thrill of never-ending battle. One metre above the ground? Im a TBH hobbyist beekeeper and recently saw this blog post about the Valkyrie long hive. I like this one from LittleLarueApiary. And yes, the STANDARD DEEP frames fit beautifully, 24 to each Valkyrie. Rock absorbs heat and radiates it back up into the hive. The entire hive is disassembled and packed in two boxes for shipping. A few weeks ago I was racking my brain to figure out a way to donate a frame of eggs to a friend who was afraid her top-bar had become queenless. The ventilation ports fixed it in a heartbeat and the continued use of the canvas cover (after bleaching) keeps the hive from being drafty. On the bee side of the hive, the bees have a covered, closable entrance. Bearding to a tight cluster signals the colony is reacting to hive temperature extremes. This website contains affiliate links that are ads recommended to you, that we can earn a small payout on. Queen excluder included? But much to her surprise (and mine!) When on a hive stand, horizontal hives sit at waist level, making them easy to work on. My point is this: these Valkyries will be given their colonies this year, and I am beyond excited to think of the future good reports from so many states with a such a huge diversity of climates and beekeeping practices. Say hi to your grandson for me! In my oven at home, I turn the dial to change the temperature; I dont weld extra steel to the sides, top, or bottom. If the long Langstroth has honey supers on top, then youre still needing to lift a pretty hefty weight once the frames are full of honey, right? If you have any questions, please give us a call: 541 771-7278. The February, 2020 issue of American Bee Journal has an informative, research-quoted article, The Condensing Colony authored by Bill Hesbach.

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