Building Beehives For Dummies

Learn to: Choose the best beehive for your needs Gather the necessary tools and materials Sharpen your carpentry skills Plan and assemble your own beehives and beekeeping equipment Want to build your own beehives and beekeeping equipment? Easy. Whether you′re a new beekeeper or a seasoned ol′ timer, Building Beehives For Dummies provides you with the information you need to successfully plan and build beehives and other cool accessories. You′ll discover what type of hive to build, hints on how to maintain your equipment, what bees need to stay happy and healthy, whereto locate your hive, and much more. Hear the buzz — find the 4–1–1 on what honeybees need in a hive, break down the components of a typical hive, and choose a great hive location Bee in the know about hives — discover reasons why you should build a hive instead of buying one, and select the best hive for your needs Get sweet on building your beehive — get detailed materials and cut lists plus step–by–step illustrated instructions for assembling popular beehives and beekeeping accessories Open the book and find: The anatomy of a beehive Legal and locale considerations for your hive The tools and materials you need to build the projects in this book The scoop on basic carpentry skills Detailed plans for six of the world′s most popular hives plus seven terrific beekeeping accessories Tips for extending the life of your equipment

Introduction 1 Part I: The Buzz on Beehives 7 Chapter 1: Getting Sweet on Building Your Own Beehives 9 Chapter 2: Comb Sweet Comb: Beehive Basics 21 Chapter 3: Gathering Basic Tools and Materials 35 Chapter 4: Fine–Tuning Your Carpentry Skills 55 Part II: The World’s Most Popular Beehive Designs 67 Chapter 5: The Kenya Top Bar Hive 69 Chapter 6: The Five–Frame Nuc Hive 83 Chapter 7: The Four–Frame Observation Hive 97 Chapter 8: The Warré Hive 109 Chapter 9: The British National Hive 123 Chapter 10: The Langstroth Hive 145 Part III: Sweet Beehive Accessories 165 Chapter 11: The Frame Jig 167 Chapter 12: The Double Screened Inner Cover 173 Chapter 13: The Elevated Hive Stand 183 Chapter 14: The IPM Screened Bottom Board 189 Chapter 15: The Hive–Top Feeder 197 Chapter 16: The Solar Wax Melter 207 Chapter 17: Langstroth Frames 217 Part IV: The Part of Tens 229 Chapter 18: Ten (Or So) Tips for Extending the Life of Your Equipment 231 Chapter 19: Ten (Or So) Ways to Trick Out Your Hives 239 Chapter 20: Ten Fun Facts about Beehives 249 Index 255

Howland Blackiston has been a backyard beekeeper since 1984. He has appeared on dozens of television and radio programs, including the Discovery Channel, CNBC, CNN, and NPR. He is the author of Beekeeping For Dummies .