OJ Blount's Modified & Customized Beehive Assembly - Video #3.wmv

[brugdealer]

Newbie here! I just love Mr Blount- he's my mentor! I want to raise my bees the natural way like he does! Hope to get my nucs this coming spring! Thank you Mr Blount! :)

[kastnmagic]

Wow..NICE!!

[FermeUrbaine]

Greetings from France. What a lovely guy and some great innovations. Thanks for sharing these ideas with us.

[GUE5TPA55]

his hat says USS FORRESTAL......(we use to call that ship the USS ZIPPO) Thank you for your service to our counrty sir.... now my son and are are starting a hive the design seems to be simple the best we start construction tomorrow

[ArtfullyYours]

Mr. Blount just won a blue ribbon for his hive modification design. He was asked to submit photos of other people standing by hives done his way. Any of you who have done this, please send them along with your permission for publication. Thanks!

[trussbab]

hi oj i live in souther spain and would liketo make a bee hive were do i get the bees from and would 1 hive keep me in honey for the year i use about 15 pound a year thanks darren

[Marat9043]

Good video!

[MrLarryhoward1]

Words of wisdom. I appreciate what Mr. Blount said at the end. He uses no chemicals. Is there a video that shows how to make the stand?

[hasdrubal121]

Respect to the man and his craft. Thanks for sharing.

[ArtfullyYours]

@hasdrubal121 - Thank you! My Dad is really making a difference in this world.

[Duboisi]

Seems like I a great design. Think I would have made the landing board slightly sloped to drain away rainwater though.

Keep posting them videos.:-)

[ArtfullyYours]

@Duboisi - I think he slopes the entire hive forward just a tad for that reason. Thanks for watching.

[Duboisi]

Seems like I great design. Think I would have made the landing board slightly sloped to drain away rainwater though.

Keep posting them videos.:-)

[jellofast]

can you guys make more videos? these vids are great and I'm hoping to start beekeeping in the future

[53weber]

where does mr. blount get the 5/32 screen? I cant find it at Lowes. Thanks

[ArtfullyYours]

He orders it from McNichols 1-800-237-3820 and you can ask for what they sell him to get the right size and gauge. They won't sell just one so you'd have to get a full sheet which gives you 18. Mr. Blount could sell you just one or a few if you want.

[ArtfullyYours]

#5&6 - I didn't see these comments til now so I'll have to ask Mr. Blount about them and will get back later. I will guess that he will say that he only stacks 2 to 3 boxes which is not that far and his bees carry out all the dead bees. If it's cold enough to snow they don't want to come out. I don't know what they do about bathroom issues in winter. (Hmm, I'll ask.) He has ventilation screened at top. Thanks for your comments.

[ArtfullyYours]

Ok, I asked and it's mostly right. He's in the far South so does not have lots of snow but this past winter it was below freezing for 10 days in a row. The bees had to relieve themselves indoors and he said when he cleaned out the trays, there was much more to clean. With his floor having the holes so big (5/32") more can fall thru onto the cleaning tray.

[ArtfullyYours]

#4 - (Answered with #1&2)

#7 - The post is two feet in the ground and if properly secured is very sturdy. He often has heavy rains and high winds but only once did a tornado pick up a few (along with a few of the neighbors houses!) Keeping it high off the ground with diesel fuel or petrol oil around the bottom on the ground keeps the ants out.

[bdrowe]

My point was that it may work in some locations, but not all. I'd hate to see someone's stack of 5 or 6 broods come crashing down. Some locations fill with water once you get 2 ' down. Some locations you'd need an industrial drill to get a 2' hole. Brother Adam said each location is unique and one method does not always apply to the next. Though I would add there are some consistant guiding principals to consider.

[ArtfullyYours]

Thank you for your comments.

Mr. Blount replied as follows:

#3 - Thank you for pointing this out as he did not address the angle. It looks flat but actually it is slightly tipped forward so that rain water will drain out.

[bdrowe]

Constructive Critique:

1. Seems like a lot of parts and more cost than needed for a bottom board

2. Bees don't need guide rails or color patters to know where their front door is.

3. The optimal landing angle is not 180 deg. flat.

4. Landing area does not need to be as long, it just adds more steps they need to take to store the resource.

7. a post in the ground like many mail boxes may tip / lean in wet or loose ground or in high wind areas.

[ArtfullyYours]

#1&2- All the parts keep the hive tight to keep out other bugs yet allow for cleaning out the subfloor tray. (See videos 1 & 2). The guide rails funnel them in without bumping into each other as much like I noticed your bees were doing as they walked back and forth on the narrow strait across entrance on your hives. It takes more steps to come up off the ground when they can't get in right away due to other bees already filling a narrow landing area. All of his hives are same color.

[bdrowe]

There seems to bee a strong urge here for tightness. To that I say, a strong hive should be able to fend off ants, if its a split / nuc you reduce the enterance as in my video. The reason why they were walking was there was only a 1/2" hole for the bees to go in and out, it was a traffic jam. Once the reducer was moved that didn't happen anymore. That is also a 3 yr old video. I've changed some things since. I'll post a new video soon.

[ArtfullyYours]

The narrow entrance leaves less room for predators to get in and fewer guard bees are needed. Not having to fight off ants lets them do other tasks. There are lots of ways to help the bees. Depending on where you live, if you are having success with no bee losses then that is great. We thank you for your comments and willingness to be a beekeeper! Thanks again!

[magprob]

Thank You. That's the most practical way to do it. The top entrance doesn't seem like such a good idea now!

[bdrowe]

5. Upper enterances allow honey harvestors to go directly to the honey storage area vs the long walk up to the top of the hive to store

6. Upper enterances allow ventilation and bathroom flights when the lower hive is covered with snow or clogged with dead bees.

[ArtfullyYours]

Thanks! Winter is the time to get your hive(s) ready because Spring is when you get your bees. Even if you can't be a Bee Keeper you can at least be a Bee Haver. When swarms happen they look for places to go. Put a hive out there with the frames and everything and they might just come there. Face it South.

[Shareallicu]

Thanks for this video!! I would like to have a beehive one day :)