Guide to Your Hive
10-FRAME COMPLETE BEEHIVEItem # HIVE10 KIT
Congratulations on your purchase of a new Little Giant® 10-Frame Complete Beehive!
If you are new to beekeeping, you are about to experience store their honey (also known as a Honey Super). This can a simple hobby with sweet rewards! If you are an expert-
be either Deep (9 5/8″ tall) or Medium-sized (6 5/8″ tall). Many ended beekeepers, you will find that Little Giant® Beehives beekeepers prefer the Medium Super for honey harvesting, are interchangeable with other traditional 10-frame Lang- as a Deep Super filled with honey can weigh over 80 pounds, Stroth hives. Either way, you just made an investment into a making it difficult to lift and handle. It is recommended lifestyle hobby that focuses on the growing homesteading that a Medium Super is purchased at the same time as the trend. This guide is not intended to instruct on the art and hive but is not required; it can be purchased at a later date. science of beekeeping, but rather it is designed to introduce The Little Giant® Medium Super (MEDBOX10 sold separately) you to the contents of a Little Giant® 10-frame Complete comes with 10 frames, each loaded with natural-colored Beehive. Always remember to educate your neighbors about the foundation. The foundation in our super is injection-molded beekeeping, check local ordinances and befriend your local plastic foundation, and the natural-colored honeycomb cells beekeepers through a beekeeping association to learn more are coated with beeswax to encourage the building of comb. about your new hobby!
HIVE10 Standard 10-Frame Langstroth Beehive: When you first unpack your HIVE10 Complete Hive, it is important to understand each component and its use. This Langstroth-design hive and all of its components are compatible with other 10-frame Langstroth hives currently available in the market. Reverend Lorenzo Lorraine Langstroth patented this style of hive in 1852, revolutionizing beekeeping by designing a hive with easily removable frames for honey harvesting. The space in between the frames–known as “bee space”–is a precise measurement that allows bees to build comb while still having 3/8″ of space to move around the hive. The Langstroth design and the “bee space” measurement is now the standard in modern beekeeping. Below is a summary of each section of the hive and its key features.
Hive Components (from top to bottom):Telescoping Cover This cover is made of solid pine and topped with aluminum for protection from the weather. The cover is oversized to provide a telescoping feature, providing the hive with extra protection from the elements. The cover can slide front to back (telescope) in order to provide more or less ventilation to the hive.
Inner Cover The wooden cover that goes on top of the brood box. As additional boxes are added to the hive, the inner cover should always be moved to the top box. This cover will likely be sealed by the bees to the uppermost box with beeswax and/or propolis, and a hive tool (HT10 sold separately) will be needed to pry it off. The purpose of this cover is to prevent the outer cover from being sealed to the hive. There is a small notch cut in the front of this cover for ventilation that can be opened or closed simply by sliding the telescoping cover to the front or back.Medium Super (MEDBOX10 sold separately) The Medium Super is the upper box (or boxes) in which the bees will store their honey (also known as a Honey Super). These can be either Deep (9 5 ⁄8” tall) or Medium-sized (6 5 ⁄8” tall). Many beekeepers prefer the Medium Super for honey harvesting, as a Deep Super filled with honey can weigh over 80 pounds, making it difficult to lift and handle. It is recommended that a Medium Super is purchased at the same time as the hive but is not required; it can be purchased at a later date. The Little Giant® Medium Super (MEDBOX10 sold separately) comes with 10 frames, each loaded with a natural-colored foundation. The foundation in our super is the injection-molded plastic foundation and the natural-colored honeycomb cells are coated with beeswax to encourage the building of a comb.
Queen Excluder (QEPL sold separately) A flat plastic sheet with holes large enough to allow the worker bees through but small enough to keep the queen from moving upward in the hive. It is to be placed between the highest brood box and the first honey super, preventing the queen from laying eggs in the place where the honey is to be harvested.
10-FRAME COMPLETE BEEHIVEItem # HIVE10 KIT
Deep Hive Body Also known as the brood box, the Deep Hive Body is where the queen will lay her eggs and the worker bees will raise the larvae (brood). It holds ten deep (9-1/8″ tall) frames. To start a hive, only one Deep Hive Body is needed. As your colony grows, more boxes (Deep Hive Bodies or Medium Supers) will need to be added. We recommend adding another Deep Hive Body first then one or more Medium Supers to collect honey for harvest after that. Check with your local beekeeping association for what works best in your region.
Frames with Foundation The frames are made of unfinished pine with the foundation already installed. The foundation is made of injection-molded plastic and the honeycomb cells are coated with beeswax to encourage the bees to build comb. Note that the frames in the Deep Hive Body (brood box) have a black foundation, making it easier to see the white eggs and larvae during a hive inspection ensuring the queen is laying eggs and increasing the size of the colony. The frames in the Medium Super (honey super) have a natural coloring, preferred for honey harvesting. There are ten frames with foundation included in one Little Giant® Deep Hive Body, as well as ten frames with foundation included in one Little Giant® Medium Super. Both types of replacements frames are sold separately in packs of five (Medium Frames MFRLITE and Deep Frames DFRBLACK).
Entrance Reducer A small, removable piece of wood that sits between the bottom board and the first brood box. The reducer has two openings to adjust the size as necessary throughout the season. The small opening is the optimal opening size for bees to come and go. The larger opening is for use with the entrance feeder (ENTFDR sold separately) while still allowing room for the bees.
Mite Board and Screened Bottom Board A mite board is a removable foam core grid for mite management. This white 1″x1″ mite grid is located at the bottom board under the screen. Mites fall through the screened bottom board onto the corrugated plastic board, which slides in and out easily for viewing. This allows the beekeeper to determine the count of mites that may be present in the hive and when (or if ) the hive should be treated. Smear a light layer of petroleum jelly on the board to make the mites stick, and then you simply count the mites on one 1″x1″ grid to calculate the intensity of the mite count in the hive. Contact your local beekeepers’ association to learn more about mite control and treatment.
SETTING UP YOUR HIVE:Hive CoatingThis Complete Hive is made of unfinished pine. Since the hive will be outdoors year-round, we recommend a coating of paint or stain and varnish. This coating is to go on the outside of the hive only. Internal walls and frames should be left unfinished. A good quality exterior latex paint is a popular choice with beekeepers. Some beekeepers prefer to stain and varnish their hives for a more natural look, and there are eco-friendly finishes available for this purpose. The hive should be finished several weeks before the bees will be installed.
Multiple hivesIt is highly recommended to have at least two hives on your property. As a beginning beekeeper, it is valuable to have two hives to learn by comparing and contrasting honey production, bee population, and overall hive health. Also, if one hive fails, swarms, or loses its queen, the second colony can help the weaker or abandoned one.
Installing BeesBees are available from many different sources. It is recommended that the beginning beekeeper join a local beekeepers’ association, which can provide a wealth of information regarding where, when, and how to install bees in your region.
Keep reading and learning!There are many books available to buy or borrow from the library on beekeeping. Both Beekeeping for Dummies and The Backyard Beekeeper by Kim Flottum are full of valuable information on tending to and troubleshooting your backyard hives! Many universities have entomology departments with experts at the ready to answer your questions, such as the University of Minnesota’s beelab.umn.edu or Oregon State University’s honeybeelab.oregonstate.edu.
Not Included, but recommended: Hive Stand Where and how you should place your hive is an important element of a successful hive. The hive should be raised off of the ground at least 2″ to ensure it is well-drained and less likely to be invaded by unwanted pests. Two concrete blocks and a piece of plywood make a simple and solid base on which to set your hive and prevent pest access from the hive bottom.
HIVE ACCESSORIES:Smoker The Little Giant® Smoker helps calm your bees when working on your hives. The surrounding wire grid protects you from the heat of the smoker, allowing you to safely smoke your hives throughout your inspection or harvest. A properly packed and lit smoker can last throughout the day for your work.
Smoker Fuel The Little Giant® Smoker Fuel is an efficient addition to your Little Giant Smoker. To light a smoker, stuff a handful of fuel loosely in the bottom of the smoker and light it. Puff the bellows to fuel the flames. When it is hot, pack in more fuel, gently puffing the bellow throughout. The objective is a cool, thick smoke. Keep the smoker filled with fuel as you work the bees. Low fuel will lead to the emission of sparks.
Frame Feeder Taking the place of one of the frames inside the brood box, the frame feeder (sometimes known as a board feeder) holds approximately 1 quart of syrup. An inner ladder and grooved side helps the bees access the syrup while preventing drowning.
Bee Brush The Little Giant® Beekeeping Brush gently removes bees from the frames both during inspections of the hives and during removal of frames for honey extraction. The soft bristles of the brush are specially designed to remove the bees without harm.
Hive Tool The Little Giant® Hive Tool is a must-have for working with your hives. 10 inches long, the Little Giant Hive Tool is a versatile multi-tasker complete with a scraping edge, nail-pulling hole, and angled end that is designed specifically to fit on a hive frame and help pry it loose.
Goatskin Gloves Little Giant® Goatskin Gloves provide dexterity and protection when working with bees. The gloves are complete with elastic cuffs to keep bees out. The soft and pliable goatskin offers superior mobility and flexibility.
Beekeeping Veil Little Giant® offers two styles of beekeeping veils: a one-piece veil with hat (HVEIL) and a square veil (SQVEIL) that requires the addition of a bee helmet (HELMET). Both styles of Little Giant® Beekeeping Veil will keep you protected while inspecting and working with your hive. The HVEIL’s one-piece construction makes this veil a quick grab-and-go option to get out to your hives without any fuss, while the SQVEIL is a premium alternative for durability and longevity. Both veils provide the proper distance away from your face to prevent bee stings.
Beekeeping for Dummies Book The 2nd Edition Beekeeping for Dummies by Howland Blackiston is a comprehensive training guide for all things beekeeping. The book will walk you through the tools of beekeeping, the steps necessary to build and maintain your own beehives, and the phases of honey production and extraction. It also provides new information on mites and the causes and effects of Colony Collapse Disorder.
Miller Manufacturing Company · Glencoe, MN 55336 USA · www.miller-mfg.com1001235_12.20
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