The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Livestock => Bees & Beekeeping => Topic started by: michoglen63 on December 29, 2020, 10:11:57 am
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i used to keep my unused beekeeping equipment in our garage in our old house, but we recently moved and i don't want to keep the equipment in our new home since it could attract pests and other things of that nature.
i was thinking of stacking the equipment outside on top of some pressure-treated wood and stacked in such a way so there would be plenty of light and air flow. i also thought i would hammer in four poles and spread a tarp overtop to keep direct rain and snow off of the equipment.
does this seem reasonable? how do other folks store unused brood boxes and honey supers?
thanks for your help, appreciate it!
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I know nothing about storing beekeeping equipment, but I can see that your idea of four poles and a tarp to protect it all will not work. As soon as it rains, the water will collect in the tarp like a heavy lake - I know from trying to protect our boat with a tarp. The only way it would work would be to construct a lean-to, or free standing roofed structure. It need not be waterproof as you could then stretch your tarp over the top, as long as it is well held down against high winds. It can be open sided too for ventilation.
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Personally I store my unused equipment in a dry barn. I can't see that brood boxes and supers are going to attract pests or are you worried about the made up frames? If you haven't got anywhere inside and dry then why not stack up the boxes, supers on a floor and add a roof? If you have made up frames then I certainly think they need storing inside somewhere. You sound like you need a shed!
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All my hive stuff was stored in a big insulated steel purpose build water tight shed I had enough stuff for 120 hives and about 50 neuc's . So when I amalgamated hives before the middle of August all to be stored capped frames were uncapped & spun out
I split the brood boxes & supers . cleaned & repaired them as needed . Set them on flat boards on a smooth concrete floor sprinkled a dessert spoon of moth crystals over the whilst they were in the brood , super boxes , added a sheet of a big newspaper over the top put the next box on , more moth crystals , more paper till I got the stack almost as high as I could reach then put a crown board & hive lid on top . I built the stacks in groups of 8 as it made it easier to do
Don't put the boxes and supers in poly bags //they will sweat and rot the wood if you are using wooden hives .
The moth crystals are use copiously to try and deter the wax moth as the hives are in storage. it does not take the wax moths long to totally wreck a hive full of quality drawn comb & it takes ages to clean the frames and hive bodies of all the crud and burn their eggs with a blow lamp . Even then like as not you'll still get some moth damage . Air the equipment for several hours in the sun before bringing them back into use.
Good luck .