I do a lot of what you do, insulation, divider boards, top vent cover boards.... The one thing I found also helps is to router out the hive body end boards the same as the side boards to nest the cover boards. Then you don't need a tight fit on the cover boards, make their total width a 1/2" less than the routed hive body. This allows for expansion and contraction of the wood as well as some space to more easily remove cover boards. Not sure if I am being clear but once your wood swells it will become obvious.
Nice hive and video. I also use the rapid round on my horizontal and Layens hives for syrup feed only. As per Fred Dunn, I cut off the top 2-1/2" of some child cotton socks and place them on the outer center diameter (usually 3- layers each) until the clear plastic cover slides snug in place. The bees get the syrup siphoned by the socks and nobody can get into the liquid and drown. In winter I use Hive Alive fondant placed over the feeder hole.
@@pamrichardson8367 I use 2 different method depending on need. For winter feed - Prior to installing one of their Layens frames I have predrilled a 3/4" hole center top and placed a plug in it. I locate that frame toward where middle of hive will winter (generally about 4 to 5 frames over from entrance side). In winter I remove the plug. If they have sealed hole I would break it open but that has never happened yet. Cut a 1" hole in the center of one side of the Hive Alive fondant bag. Place it hole side downward over that frame and cover with insulation. Just need to open lid and lift insulation to check how they are feeding. For swarm feed (when hive has no resources) - I have a board with a 2-1/2" diameter hole placed on the non hive side of the divider board. This is the unused side of the hive. It is in the position the Layens frames would be normally located. It covers the entire top of the unused side (if needed use a couple of extra boards) but completely cover the unused side just like cover boards on a horizontal hive. The rapid round is on top. The divider board is cut short leaving a 1/2" space on bottom, it doesn't touch the bottom of the hive. The bees will come over and feed then return to hive side. Robbing bees cannot easily find an interior feeder. The bees won't build on the unused side as long as they have space in the hive.
Location, location, location. Feeding will be dictated by your location to how much, when, and whether or not it is necessary. Come February every year, I start to worry about whether or not my bees have the resources they need to survive the rest of winter. My thoughts are with the thicker sides and 2" foam insulation on top. The bees in LLHs don't use as much of their resources to keep warm as the vertical hives do. Most years, when I pop the tops for a preliminary look around the end of March, my LLHs are looking better than my vertical hives population wise.
I've been keeping bees for 4 years now. This is my 5th season. I built my first LLH year one. Year two, I moved the legs to the sides like you did. My thoughts were that it makes the LLH more stable as it is now 3" wider. In my location, Central New York, I need the insulation to be thicker and closer to the top cover boards. I.e. an ⅛ clearance. So I don't have space for feeders. I currently have 6 LLHs in my apiary with plans for 4 more. I.e. I have the rough cut 2×12s already. One thing I hate is the neigh sayers saying bees only move up in the winter. Then what do you say to those same neigh sayers that winter over in single deeps? Actually, after several years of keeping bees in LLHs, these same people have started to change their mind about LLHs. Last year, I had winter losses 2 of 6 LLHs, which I don't attribute to starvation. My Amish beekeeping (treatment free) neighbors winter over in single deeps had 75-80% losses. They are breeding for northern varroa survival traits. So my 3 of 13 (23%) losses I feel were acceptable. Here's a video of my apiary last March showing my 13 colonies: ua-cam.com/video/OOcx7W4uk-8/v-deo.htmlsi=dNV-06NwlfRmnNG_ I loved your LLH video! Thank you.
Thanks for sharing. My plan regarding insulation closer to the cover boards is to add packing/moving blankets over that area also so it's extra insulated. I do see why you would do what you did though.
Great build , I have one almost exactly the same , except I put windows in each side with a cover board over them , this way you can watch the bees at work without disturbing the girls.
Tip for improved design....2x4 legs cut height as braces for roof top instead of door stops! More secure and stable. Use and incorporate what you already have! Good Luck in your modifications! I'm tweaking my designs each time!
I plan to make the switch to long langs this winter/spring. I’ve had enough of lifting heavy boxes. Live tried topbar and I’m not sold on them. You mentioned you are selling hives of your design, how would I go about getting additional information? I’m in North Texas, but am always up for a road trip.
@@robertshorthill6836 after having it for a while I definitely think they are not too small. I have had them in there in the most intense heat and they have been just fine. I do removals also and in nature they prefer a small entrance even less then what I have for them here a lot of times. Also I have ventilation built-in to the inner covers. The only thing with having a larger entrance IMO is having less of a traffic jam during a flow.
Suggestion, how about getting rid of the metal roof and using wood? Seems like that metal roof will heat that hive up badly. A nice warm day with that metal and the liquid wax will run right out the bottom. Just a thought.
@@donstor1 I haven't had problems with it, probably because of the metal roofing being above the plywood roof, then insulation then a vented space before the inner cover. With 2 colonies in there I have seen them beard some, but with one it's been fine, and I do have it in the shade also. The main point of using metal is so it will last a long time. It is doing great so far. I do like wood and you make a good point but I think the metal is worth doing IMO. Thanks for the feedback.
@@deeprootstexas well, that’s good to hear and i am glad i was wrong about that. I thought that it would act like a metal shed on hot days. I do like those horizontal hive boxes though.
Thank you. I do not have plans sorry. Maybe I should design some. I don't have any referrals either but if you go on Dr. Leo's website he has plans which are a big part of the inspiration for mine, he ships them out also. The other one that inspired me is horizontal bees . com they also ship theirs out. I'm only sell locally in Central Texas right now. deeprootstexas@protonmail.com
That's pretty good. I plan on making a Layens extra deep and a Lazutin, as well as a modified Warré and a couple of langstoths. For the entrances, I was planning an 8.75mm or 9mm (11/32") slot drilled at an upward angle to help prevent rain or whatever from running in. And the reason for the size is that some people are paranoid about the asian giant "murder" hornets... they can't enter if it's 9mm or less. So... where I am in South East Tenessee, it's a perfect environment for them, and it's only a matter of time before they get here.
Thanks, cool. I just like them to be able to defend themselves in general. Fred Dunn says regardless of entrance size the bees produce the same amount of honey. Plus it's what the bees prefer as when you see them in nature, small entrance in general.
Layens will work best for your climate, lazutin in for harsher winters so our bees don't utilize the full frame ( I wonder if you keep them in a small nuc. Only?)
@@deeprootstexas If the entrance is at least 4 inches of the bottom it can help defend from fallen mites , it takes away the need for a landing board as well . The bees brood at entrance, consider adding all the way down so you can move them to the other end and rotate your dark comb out . Defend against shb and Diseases I'm a minion of doctor Leo give credit when credits do like you said
@@trevormcnutt9756 I also believe that some space under the frames and below the entrance is both natural and necessary. However, I do not belive the "bees won't build below the entrance. If they run out of space you build, brood and store, they will use what they can. After all, some people use top entrances. I'm sure there are many cavities that started as a woodpeckers nest and the cavity extends down from the entrance. There are also people who use an entrance in the middle at times. I think you are correct about Layens or Unkranian frames for my location. However, I plan to be rotating new frames into the brood nest once or twice a year for bees to draw new comb. So I'm no worried about any unused honey. The entire frames will eventually be filled.
My purpose is not to sell these hives, I just want to showcase some ideas that I hope are helpful. If anyone is interested however, email deeprootstexas@protonmail.com, available in Central Texas only, I don't ship them. However I'd like people to give their business to Dr. Leo and also horizontalbees.com instead which are the ones mentioned in the video. Thanks Masoud.
ill bee making one soon,i want a option for removable tray underneath,and honey supers during flow, i couldnt hear your audio volume needs turned up for us old farts,i really like it,ive got sone 2x12s from scraps i can use
Thanks for the video. I have built 6 using the basic design of yours but you have given me some tips on improving mine. One question I have is do you use a queen excluder? If so did you build one and how. This spring will be the first that the bees will produce Honey (they were a split from last year) and I can't find an excluder for sale nor can I find a design for them. The bees seem quieter and it's so much easier to manage in the horizontal hives. Again, thanks for the great video.
Hi Gail, that's great you built 6 of them, wow. Glad I could be of some help. I have not made a queen excluder. What I would suggest is to take a divider board. Cut out a large rectangle from the middle of it say 4" X 8" or something, maybe even a little bigger. Then take a purchased queen excluder and screw it to the divider board. I would probably put a screw at each corner of where it connects to the divider board and at least 1 screw between each corner. Probably good to use self tapping screws or pre-drill. Start by laying out the area you want to cut out, drill a hole inside the area to be cut out so you can fit a jigsaw blade to cut out the rectangle. Hope that helps. Take care.
Wow, what a great idea. Thank you, I will give that a try. Maybe I won't need one but am going to make up few just in case. Thank you for reply and guidance. There aren't any beekeepers I know that use the long hives
I built a similar horizontal hive, but with a slanted roof. Someday I want to build one that will support 2 standard honey supers, side by side (to minimize lifting), and keep the main hive body for brood only (sized as 2 deeps). Also, I'd make the roof detachable so it can just move up when the supers are on, and still fit.
Interesting, might be hard to do and take away some of the benefit of a long-lang but if you think you build one and like it I'd want to see how it turns out. Thanks for sharing.
This is my shout-out for today, great job all around :) Thanks for sharing.
Thank you sir, I'm glad you like it. I'm a Navy vet like you too. Take care Fred.
I do a lot of what you do, insulation, divider boards, top vent cover boards.... The one thing I found also helps is to router out the hive body end boards the same as the side boards to nest the cover boards. Then you don't need a tight fit on the cover boards, make their total width a 1/2" less than the routed hive body. This allows for expansion and contraction of the wood as well as some space to more easily remove cover boards. Not sure if I am being clear but once your wood swells it will become obvious.
Good tip, thanks.
Nice hive, popped over from Fred Dunn's channel.
Thank you.
Nice hive and video. I also use the rapid round on my horizontal and Layens hives for syrup feed only. As per Fred Dunn, I cut off the top 2-1/2" of some child cotton socks and place them on the outer center diameter (usually 3- layers each) until the clear plastic cover slides snug in place. The bees get the syrup siphoned by the socks and nobody can get into the liquid and drown. In winter I use Hive Alive fondant placed over the feeder hole.
@Michael-yl2q can you share how you configure Layens so bees can get up to feeder? My frames touch
@@pamrichardson8367 I use 2 different method depending on need.
For winter feed -
Prior to installing one of their Layens frames I have predrilled a 3/4" hole center top and placed a plug in it. I locate that frame toward where middle of hive will winter (generally about 4 to 5 frames over from entrance side). In winter I remove the plug. If they have sealed hole I would break it open but that has never happened yet. Cut a 1" hole in the center of one side of the Hive Alive fondant bag. Place it hole side downward over that frame and cover with insulation. Just need to open lid and lift insulation to check how they are feeding.
For swarm feed (when hive has no resources) -
I have a board with a 2-1/2" diameter hole placed on the non hive side of the divider board. This is the unused side of the hive. It is in the position the Layens frames would be normally located. It covers the entire top of the unused side (if needed use a couple of extra boards) but completely cover the unused side just like cover boards on a horizontal hive. The rapid round is on top. The divider board is cut short leaving a 1/2" space on bottom, it doesn't touch the bottom of the hive. The bees will come over and feed then return to hive side. Robbing bees cannot easily find an interior feeder. The bees won't build on the unused side as long as they have space in the hive.
@@Michael-yl2iq thanks for sharing.
Location, location, location. Feeding will be dictated by your location to how much, when, and whether or not it is necessary. Come February every year, I start to worry about whether or not my bees have the resources they need to survive the rest of winter. My thoughts are with the thicker sides and 2" foam insulation on top. The bees in LLHs don't use as much of their resources to keep warm as the vertical hives do. Most years, when I pop the tops for a preliminary look around the end of March, my LLHs are looking better than my vertical hives population wise.
I've been keeping bees for 4 years now. This is my 5th season. I built my first LLH year one. Year two, I moved the legs to the sides like you did. My thoughts were that it makes the LLH more stable as it is now 3" wider. In my location, Central New York, I need the insulation to be thicker and closer to the top cover boards. I.e. an ⅛ clearance. So I don't have space for feeders. I currently have 6 LLHs in my apiary with plans for 4 more. I.e. I have the rough cut 2×12s already. One thing I hate is the neigh sayers saying bees only move up in the winter. Then what do you say to those same neigh sayers that winter over in single deeps? Actually, after several years of keeping bees in LLHs, these same people have started to change their mind about LLHs.
Last year, I had winter losses 2 of 6 LLHs, which I don't attribute to starvation. My Amish beekeeping (treatment free) neighbors winter over in single deeps had 75-80% losses. They are breeding for northern varroa survival traits. So my 3 of 13 (23%) losses I feel were acceptable.
Here's a video of my apiary last March showing my 13 colonies: ua-cam.com/video/OOcx7W4uk-8/v-deo.htmlsi=dNV-06NwlfRmnNG_
I loved your LLH video! Thank you.
Thanks for sharing. My plan regarding insulation closer to the cover boards is to add packing/moving blankets over that area also so it's extra insulated. I do see why you would do what you did though.
Fascinating design. So good for those of us who don't like/possible cannot lift heavy boxes off the brood box. N-i-c-e.
Great build , I have one almost exactly the same , except I put windows in each side with a cover board over them , this way you can watch the bees at work without disturbing the girls.
Cool, sounds nice.
do you have a build video or a plan to share?
Not yet, planning to have plans available in the hopefully not too distant future. Also making improvements to the design.
Tip for improved design....2x4 legs cut height as braces for roof top instead of door stops! More secure and stable. Use and incorporate what you already have! Good Luck in your modifications! I'm tweaking my designs each time!
I plan to make the switch to long langs this winter/spring. I’ve had enough of lifting heavy boxes. Live tried topbar and I’m not sold on them. You mentioned you are selling hives of your design, how would I go about getting additional information? I’m in North Texas, but am always up for a road trip.
Cool, I hear ya. You can email deeprootstexas@protonmail.com.
I think those entrance holes are way too small. You will cook them in the summer. Make the hole 1 1/4"
@@robertshorthill6836 after having it for a while I definitely think they are not too small. I have had them in there in the most intense heat and they have been just fine. I do removals also and in nature they prefer a small entrance even less then what I have for them here a lot of times. Also I have ventilation built-in to the inner covers. The only thing with having a larger entrance IMO is having less of a traffic jam during a flow.
Suggestion, how about getting rid of the metal roof and using wood? Seems like that metal roof will heat that hive up badly. A nice warm day with that metal and the liquid wax will run right out the bottom. Just a thought.
@@donstor1 I haven't had problems with it, probably because of the metal roofing being above the plywood roof, then insulation then a vented space before the inner cover. With 2 colonies in there I have seen them beard some, but with one it's been fine, and I do have it in the shade also. The main point of using metal is so it will last a long time. It is doing great so far. I do like wood and you make a good point but I think the metal is worth doing IMO. Thanks for the feedback.
@@deeprootstexas well, that’s good to hear and i am glad i was wrong about that. I thought that it would act like a metal shed on hot days. I do like those horizontal hive boxes though.
Thank you!! Wanting to make my own soon and this helps with so many questions. Blessings!
@@Faithbasedhomesteading you're welcome. Be Blessed.
Great design. Do you offer diy plans or have referrals we are trying the long lang hive for this upcoming year.thank you.
Thank you. I do not have plans sorry. Maybe I should design some. I don't have any referrals either but if you go on Dr. Leo's website he has plans which are a big part of the inspiration for mine, he ships them out also. The other one that inspired me is horizontal bees . com they also ship theirs out. I'm only sell locally in Central Texas right now. deeprootstexas@protonmail.com
Nice work, Deep Roots…thanks for the referral, Fred…
Great design thanks for sharing Joe from Georgia
@@joeelam1 thanks Joe.
That's pretty good. I plan on making a Layens extra deep and a Lazutin, as well as a modified Warré and a couple of langstoths.
For the entrances, I was planning an 8.75mm or 9mm (11/32") slot drilled at an upward angle to help prevent rain or whatever from running in. And the reason for the size is that some people are paranoid about the asian giant "murder" hornets... they can't enter if it's 9mm or less. So... where I am in South East Tenessee, it's a perfect environment for them, and it's only a matter of time before they get here.
Thanks, cool. I just like them to be able to defend themselves in general. Fred Dunn says regardless of entrance size the bees produce the same amount of honey. Plus it's what the bees prefer as when you see them in nature, small entrance in general.
Layens will work best for your climate, lazutin in for harsher winters so our bees don't utilize the full frame ( I wonder if you keep them in a small nuc. Only?)
@@deeprootstexas
If the entrance is at least 4 inches of the bottom it can help defend from fallen mites , it takes away the need for a landing board as well .
The bees brood at entrance, consider adding all the way down so you can move them to the other end and rotate your dark comb out . Defend against shb and Diseases I'm a minion of doctor Leo give credit when credits do like you said
@@trevormcnutt9756 I also believe that some space under the frames and below the entrance is both natural and necessary. However, I do not belive the "bees won't build below the entrance. If they run out of space you build, brood and store, they will use what they can. After all, some people use top entrances. I'm sure there are many cavities that started as a woodpeckers nest and the cavity extends down from the entrance. There are also people who use an entrance in the middle at times.
I think you are correct about Layens or Unkranian frames for my location. However, I plan to be rotating new frames into the brood nest once or twice a year for bees to draw new comb. So I'm no worried about any unused honey. The entire frames will eventually be filled.
How much do you charge
My purpose is not to sell these hives, I just want to showcase some ideas that I hope are helpful. If anyone is interested however, email deeprootstexas@protonmail.com, available in Central Texas only, I don't ship them. However I'd like people to give their business to Dr. Leo and also horizontalbees.com instead which are the ones mentioned in the video. Thanks Masoud.
ill bee making one soon,i want a option for removable tray underneath,and honey supers during flow, i couldnt hear your audio volume needs turned up for us old farts,i really like it,ive got sone 2x12s from scraps i can use
Hello - also from Central Texas. I live near Dallas but also have bees near Corsicana/Mexia. Nice build.
Thanks. Fellow Texan. Looks like you have a cool channel.
Thanks for the video. I have built 6 using the basic design of yours but you have given me some tips on improving mine.
One question I have is do you use a queen excluder? If so did you build one and how. This spring will be the first that the bees will produce Honey (they were a split from last year) and I can't find an excluder for sale nor can I find a design for them.
The bees seem quieter and it's so much easier to manage in the horizontal hives. Again, thanks for the great video.
Hi Gail, that's great you built 6 of them, wow. Glad I could be of some help. I have not made a queen excluder. What I would suggest is to take a divider board. Cut out a large rectangle from the middle of it say 4" X 8" or something, maybe even a little bigger. Then take a purchased queen excluder and screw it to the divider board. I would probably put a screw at each corner of where it connects to the divider board and at least 1 screw between each corner. Probably good to use self tapping screws or pre-drill. Start by laying out the area you want to cut out, drill a hole inside the area to be cut out so you can fit a jigsaw blade to cut out the rectangle. Hope that helps. Take care.
Wow, what a great idea. Thank you, I will give that a try. Maybe I won't need one but am going to make up few just in case.
Thank you for reply and guidance. There aren't any beekeepers I know that use the long hives
Nice design
Thank you
I built a similar horizontal hive, but with a slanted roof. Someday I want to build one that will support 2 standard honey supers, side by side (to minimize lifting), and keep the main hive body for brood only (sized as 2 deeps). Also, I'd make the roof detachable so it can just move up when the supers are on, and still fit.
Interesting, might be hard to do and take away some of the benefit of a long-lang but if you think you build one and like it I'd want to see how it turns out. Thanks for sharing.