The Beekeepers Workshop

[Gerry Bonn]

Hi Everybody,

Just wanted to throw this out there for anyone that might find it useful - especially the new beekeepers.  Maybe some folks are already aware of it, but I stumbled upon a series of videos on You Tube when I was trying desperately to ramp up my knowledge base on beekeeping.  One of the best resources I found was Steve Tillman's Beekeepers Workshop on Michiganbees.org.  His videos and plans are very well written and executed.  They gave me the courage to jump in with both feet - not only for beekeeping, but also for woodworking to make my own hives.  (I'm a newbie at both).  I downloaded his plans for everything from the hive stand to the telescoping top cover and everything in between.  Making hive parts has been my winter labor of love.  Now I'm in the process of getting the second coat of paint on all the parts.  Hope you might find it as useful as I have.

http://www.michiganbees.org/beekeeping/in-the-beekeepers-workshop/

Cheers!

Gerry

[Larry Studer]

Hello Gerry-

Nice detailed pictures.

The craftsmanship looks attractive.

I am curious, did Mr. Tillman instructions recommend painting the inside surfaces of of your hives? It has not been the traditional way of hive building, as I know it.

Larry Studer

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[Gerry Bonn]

Hi Larry,

Yes he did.  He said it is contrary to popular beekeeping practice, but he has not noticed any difference in the way bees react to it.  He said due to the high humidity inside the hives, it makes sense to also protect the wood on the inside surfaces for the sake of longevity.  The frames would not be painted.

Gerry

[Larry Studer]

Hi Gerry-

I believe painting the inside of a hive is unnecessary. It may place an unmeasured risk on its resident colony from the potential to release off-gassing poisons overtime in the enclosed space.

There is a developing school of thought that promotes bee boxes to be constructed with rough unfinished lumber surfaces in the inside. This stimulates the bees to line the inside of the box with propolis. This propolis envelope has been identified to be beneficial to the bees' immune systems.

You have been placed on a craftsman's priority path. This path could have your woodenware out surviving honey bees may times over.

I urge you to do additional research regarding the environment you are creating for your colony's brood nest before you install your bees.

Please keep us informed,

Larry Studer

[Peter P]

Gerry - in taking a look at the link you attached ,I must say that the website looks really nice with very detailed instructions - I really like the attached wood working videos.
Taking a closer look the series is listed on the website for the entire state of Michigan.  If the state of Michigan thinks enough of this gentleman's work and videos to post them on the Michigan Beekeepers Association website I believe it is safe to say that this concept has been well vetted in Michigan. I can say that some of the used equipment I purchased when I started beekeeping had fully painted components and the bees propolised those items just fine. I did not have any issues with the painted inner surfaces.
This is really a great example of how different beekeepers have different philosophies and many times reactions to approaches that are outside of what is considered normal are not readily accepted.  The different types of beekeeping I do outside of langstroth hives are subject to such questions all the time by traditional commercial style hive users and apparently now the rough interiors of the top bar hives that I have built for years are receiving some sort of recognition - at least when it comes to the inner surfaces. At the very same time smooth painted interior surfaces are working in Michigan according to the info on the website.
Looks like you have already done your research and built some wonderful looking equipment.  I for one am very interested in what you experience with all of your inner surfaces painted.

Lets keep in mind that it is important as a group of beekeepers we recognize new approaches to various aspects of beekeeping that are outside of what traditionally has been the norm and offer encouragement to those who wish to explore them. There is nothing stopping you from forging ahead with what you have found to be right for you.

Lets remember too that most of us are hobbyists in the beekeeping world and if something new is researched, tried, and it does not work out - ok - pick yourself up, review your notes, and try again no harm no foul. If we were paying our mortgages and feeding our families off of the outcomes of our hives then maybe we would have less room to try new ideas fortunately for almost all of our members we have this is not the case.

Gerry - let me close with this:

Excellent work - carry on.

Sincerely

Peter Poli
Racine Kenosha Beekeepers Association
President

[Larry Studer]

Hello Gerry-

Peter and I can agree to disagree about how one goes about housing their honey bees. 

My apiary focus is to manage my honey bee stock to live through all of our four northern seasons. I have had increased success in doing this over the past several years.

Peter's beekeeping focus is quite different and I do know how to measure the results or the benefits of the honey bee science projects he shares. But, I do find our approaches quite different and they often require very different equipment, and often apposing management techniques.

Every person introduced to keeping honeybees gets started on an their attempt to become a beekeeper a bit differently. There can be a lot of "Apples vs. Oranges" mis-advice that one needs to sort out. It is not an easy or an inexpensive path. Having bees and keeping bees requires different amounts of applied knowledge and skills.

By the way, I have met Mr. Steve Tillman when I attended one of his classes over ten years ago. At that time he was practicing "summer beekeeping". I found his beekeeping approach different and interesting. At the end of summer he would harvest all honey in the hive, then empty his hives, and kill all his bees. Each spring he would purchase new warm season produced replacement stock. 

Enjoy your bees,