# Sticky  Build It Yourself - Equipment Plans in PDF format



## Rader Sidetrack

*10-Frame Langstroth Beehive - Barry Birkey*







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## Rader Sidetrack

*Hogan's Beehive 'Handhold' Cutting Jig*
Cleo C. Hogan Jr. has been a beekeeper for over 30 years. He designed this jig for cutting commercial handholds into hive bodies and supers. He has a video demonstrating how the jig is used:













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## Rader Sidetrack

*Inner Cover for Langstroth Hive*


Ed Rice designed this inner cover. An easy to make design that gives one more functionality than the standard inner cover design. Four pages showing step-by-step photos and text.









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## Rader Sidetrack

*5-Frame Nucleus Beehives*

A nuc (nucleus) hive has all the features of a standard 10-frame hive except on a reduced scale. The nuc hive is used for making splits, swarm control, queen introduction, pollen/nectar monitoring, to name a few. This version is put out by the U.S.D.A.











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## Rader Sidetrack

*5 Frame Nuc – D. Coates Version*

This plan gives details for making (4) 5-frame nucs from one piece of 1/2″ plywood – 4′ x 8′.
A cutting layout diagram is included. Design by D. Coates.









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## Rader Sidetrack

*Double 3-Frame Brood Hive – USDA*









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## Rader Sidetrack

*11-Frame British National Hive*









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## Rader Sidetrack

*10-Frame WBC Hive – Steve Moye*

The photos below are of my WBC (W.B.C. = William Broughton Carr) double walled hive adapted to accept 12 medium Pierco frames. The hive was built using the Langstroth 10-frame plans posted on this Beesource.com website with modifications for dimensions and 3/4″ lumber.


Steve Moye
Mount Olive, NC
[email protected]
























































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## Rader Sidetrack

*Dadant Type Frames*
This drawing covers how to build Dadant style frames to fit a Langstroth Hive.








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## Rader Sidetrack

*10 Frame Assembly Jig*
These plans are based upon information provided by Dave Verville, using 3/4″ lumber.

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## Rader Sidetrack

*3-Frame Observation Hive*
This drawing information is provided by Dave Verville and is made using Oak lumber.








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## Rader Sidetrack

*4-Frame Honey Extractor -- USDA *








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## Rader Sidetrack

*Yankee Beekeeper 20 frame Extractor*

This extractor design is by Dave Verville and is called the Yankee Beekeeper's 20-Frame Extractor. It contains 9 pages of drawings and detailed instructions. 










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## Rader Sidetrack

*Modified Pillow Block Bar for Maxant Chain Uncapper*

The reason I made this bar was due to the lack of pillow block adjustment when using the Maxant Chain uncapper. The uncapper I bought from Maxant, although very good and well engineered, lacks the ability to adjust the distance between the flailing chains. The factory holes do not allow the chains to be moved in either direction, thereby causing all the frames to be uncapped to the same dimensions. This is a problem for those of us that run our honey supers with nine frames. Our frames are wider than those who run 10 frames per super. From the factory, my uncapper removed the cappings and about 1/2″ of the comb from both sides. Although this increased my wax yield, it cut the comb down to about 1/4 inch. I wanted the chains to remove the capping and then very little of the comb. This bar is made from Stainless steel and installs in less than 20 minutes.
– Dave Verville









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## Rader Sidetrack

*Foundation Form Board*
A form board is used to install foundation, nail frame wedges, and embed wires. It can be used for all three sizes (9-1/8″, 6-1/4″ and 5-3/8″) of Dadant style frames. Place the frame over the form board and the platform extends up to the middle of the frame, allowing the foundation to be easily nailed in place, frame wedge nailed, or the wire embedded.

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## Rader Sidetrack

*IPM Screen Bottom Board*
These Build It Yourself plans are sized for the Langstroth Beehive.










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## Rader Sidetrack

*Pollen Trap – Hosterman Style*








Pollen trap with drawer pulled out.









Front opening of pollen trap.









Bottom view of pollen trap.









Bottom view of pollen trap.

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## Rader Sidetrack

*Pollen Traps – **Trapping Pollen From Honey Bee Colonies*


Production Research Report No. 163


B. F. Detroy and E. R. Harp, agricultural engineer and agricultural research technician, Bee Management and Entomology Research, Agricultural Research Service, Madison, Wis. 53706

*Acknowledgment*

The authors thank Specialists Ronald Meyer and Andrew Hopfensperger, Jr., of the Department of Agricultural Engineering, College of Agricultural and Life Science, The University of Wisconsin, Madison, for illustrating the pollen trap.

*Summary*

Pollen trapping is dependent on the use of a screen or perforated metal grid of about 5-mesh per inch through which the pollen-collecting field bees are forced to enter the colony. This grid is used with a pellet collection container that is covered by 7- or 8-mesh screen to prevent bee entry. This basic principle is common to all pollen traps.


A double-layer grid with the layers separated by 3/16- to 1/4-inch and the openings offset is efficient. The size, shape, and arrangement of the parts; the location of the trap on the colony; the method of installation; and other factors can be varied to suit ii individual preferences and prevailing circumstances.


Pollen should be trapped only from strong, disease-free colonies in bee-tight hives. Trapping should be done only during pollen flows of one-quarter pound per day minimum, and traps or grids should be removed at other times. Pollen should be removed from the trap often (daily during heavy pollen flows) and cared for properly. During major nectar flows, pollen trapping is unprofitable, and the grid slows down active flight, which reduces honey production.

*Introduction*

Traps for collecting pollen pellets from legs of honey bees have been designed to trap pollen reserves. These traps vary greatly in size, appearance, and method of installation on the hive. Each has some feature that makes it particularly adaptable for a specific purpose. All traps, however, have two basic elements: (1) a grid through which pollen-carrying bees must crawl to separate the pollen pellets from the bees’ legs, and (2) a container to store these pellets.


Incoming pollen can be sampled for studies of foraging activities of bees and for identifying and classifying pollen sources at a given location. Stored pollen is a basic ingredient of a pollen supplement for feeding bees. It stimulates brood rearing in early spring when comb-stored pollen is unavailable or the supply inadequate.


Pollen traps, called “pollen guards,” were first used by Farrar (3) to prevent bees from bringing pollen into the hive. Todd and Bishop (18) improved these guards by changing the grid from perforated metal to 5-mesh hardware cloth. They used the resulting trap to measure the pollen income to hives and the seasonal distribution of pollen in four California locations. Schaefer and Farrar (14) described a trap placed at the base of the hive on a raised bottom board so that the normal hive entrance could be used. This trap was slightly modified by Langwell (8) and Killion (7), but the grids became plugged with dead bees and drones, which made cleaning difficult and restricted ventilation in the hive.


For pollen identification studies, Nye (11) constructed a trap that fit underneath the hive and had an opening on the side for removing the pollen tray. The inclined grid could also be removed from the side for cleaning. Smith (15) and Smith and Adie (16) describe the Ontario Agricultural College’s (OAC) trap that fits on a bottom board that has been reversed front to rear. The grid is large and horizontally positioned, and the pollen-collecting tray is removed from the back of the hive. The new hive entrance is in the same position as the bottom board entrance had been and is readily used by the bees. Jaycox (5) improved this design. Durante (1) produced a trap similar to the OAC’s trap. The serious objection to this type of trap is the amount of debris accumulated in the collected pollen.


Stewart and Shimanuki (17) used a trap that was inserted in the front entrance for obtaining small samples of pollen in a short time. Erickson, Whitefoot, and Kissinger (2) describe a small trap that was installed in an auger-hole entrance to obtain small samples of bees and pollen quickly at desired time intervals.


A pollen trap with eight trays and an electrical device to change the trays periodically is described by Rashad (12). Root (13) patented a device that could be used as a pollen trap or entrance restricting device or both, by using a manual selector on the outside of the hive.


Lavie and Fresnaye (9), Makar (10), and Harp (4) designed pollen traps that were installed against the front of the hive above the brood chambers. This reduced the amount of trash in the collected pollen but made colony manipulations more difficult. Removal of the pollen tray from the front of the trap also caused some temporary disorientation and irritation of the bees. Kauffeld (6) designed a trap that mounted against the front of the hive between two brood chambers and contained a trash grid and tray in addition to those used for collecting pollen. The trash and pollen trays were removed from the side of the trap to prevent disturbance to the bees, and colony manipulations could be carried on without removal of the trap.

*Basic Principles of Design*








Figure 1: Galvanized Steel Sheet Pollen Trap

Pollen traps vary greatly in design and positioning on the hive. All make use of one basic principle – a grid to remove the pollen pellets from the bees and a box or tray to collect them. Pollen-collecting field bees are forced to enter the hive through an opening screened with 5-mesh hardware cloth or 3/16-inch diameter perforated sheet material. When passing through this grid, most of the pollen pellets are dislodged from the hind-legs of the returning bees and fall into a tray covered by screen (7- or 8- mesh) that allows the pollen pellets to pass but not the bees. The size of the hole in the grid is the crucial factor. The number of holes in the grid must not restrict normal flight activity at the entrance.


Moisture in the collected pollen may be a serious problem during inclement weather and in areas where humidity is high. The trap should be weatherproof and carefully installed to keep out moisture. Making the tray or collection part of the trap of wood will eliminate condensation, and using copper screen on the bottom of the pollen-collecting container will help to prevent mold in the collected pollen.


The design and location of the pollen trap on the hive may be varied to meet individual needs and prevailing climatic conditions. Ease of installation, ease of colony manipulation, minimum colony disturbance, protection from moisture, cleanliness of collected pollen, and size of collecting tray should receive careful consideration in the design.










FIGURE 2: Special hive body used with galvanized steel sheet pollen trap.

A double screen grid is much more efficient than a single screen. When a double screen is used, separate the layers by 3/16- to 1/4-inch and offset the openings. Hardware cloth is generally used for the grid material because it is more economical and more readily available than perforated sheet material. To use the pollen trap effectively, the bees must be forced to enter the hive through the grid. Solid, bee-tight hive equipment is necessary because any secondary openings will be eagerly sought by bees to avoid passing through the pollen trap grid.


Two pollen trap designs are described. Both designs use the same principle of removing pollen from the bees but differ greatly in all other features and in method of mounting on the hive. Many other types and designs of traps are described in the referenced literature.

*Galvanized steel sheet pollen trap*

The trap shown in *Figure 1* is made of galvanized steel sheet. Assembly details are given on the line drawing, and width dimensions can be changed to fit the hive. The double screen grid is installed so that it can be removed from the trap. When the grid is fabricated, the ends and the top are left open to remove the dead bees easily. The pollen tray is wood with a screened bottom. The top of the tray slopes downward slightly from the front to rear to insure a tight fit of the hardware cloth cover against the grid.









FIGURE 3: Galvanized steel sheet pollen trap installed on a colony.

A special hive body is needed with this trap. Where the trap will attach, a saw kerf is cut horizontally across the front of the hive body 1-inch down from the top. A 1/2-inch entrance slot 14 inches long is centered in the body and lies immediately below the saw kerf (*Figure 2*). The top of the trap is inserted into the saw kerf during installation on the special rim to provide a weatherproof connection and align the entrance slots of the trap and hive body. Two screws are used on the sides of the body to hold the trap in position. The trap installed on a colony appears in *Figure 3*. For installation, the body with the trap is substituted for one of the brood chamber bodies on the colony. The colony with the trap in place can then be worked normally with no disturbance to the colony other than changing the location of the entrance when the bodies are rotated.


When the trap is installed on the colony, the screen grid should be removed for at least 2 days to permit the bees to become accustomed to entering the hive through the trap. After this orientation period, the grid may be inserted and removed as desired. The trap without the grid may be left on the hive for the entire season without adverse effect. The grid should be installed only when trapping pollen. Additional entrances may be desirable during heavy honey flows.









Figure 4: Auger-hole pollen trap
*Auger-hole pollen trap*

The trap shown in *Figure 4*, made of wood, is simple in design. The trap is made for hives with 1-1/8-inch auger-hole entrances. Pollen is collected in the body of the trap making a separate tray unnecessary. The size of the trap should hold at least 1 day’s collection when the pollen flow is at a peak. This amount will vary depending on locale and can be determined by experience. The dimensions given for the line drawing provide sufficient volume in most instances.


A trap with the front and cover removed is shown in *Figure 5*. Bees enter the hive from the trap through a piece of 1-1/8-inch diameter tubing that also serves as the mounting for the trap on the hive body. Mounting is accomplished by inserting the tubing into the entrance hole. The screen grid can be removed to clean or to allow the bees unrestricted flight. Providing an orientation period is not necessary for the use of this auger-hole trap.


Before the pollen-collection period, the auger-hole entrances are opened so that the bees become accustomed to using them. When the traps are installed, all entrances except those with traps are turned to the back of the colony or closed with corks or bottle caps. This includes the bottom entrance as well as any auger holes without traps. The traps are installed only during pollen flows of 1/4 pound per day or more and are removed when the pollen flow dwindles or when a nectar flow of 5 pounds per day or more is in progress.









FIGURE 5: Auger-hole trap with front and cover removed to show grid and screens.

This trap is removed from the colony to empty the collected pollen. Pollen is emptied from the trap by removing the bottom screen. More than one trap may be used on a colony; however, pollen traps should be removed for colony manipulations and then replaced. A hive with one trap installed is shown in *Figure 6*.


Freshly trapped pollen is perishable and must receive special attention to prevent loss. It may be dried, frozen, or mixed with other material and stored.


When the pollen is dried, spread it on a flat porous surface at a depth of about one-half inch in an enclosed, ventilated room and allow it to air dry. A greenhouse is an ideal place to air-dry pollen. More rapid drying can be accomplished in ovens where a low temperature, 100 degrees F maximum, is maintained and a vent provided for the moisture-laden air to escape. Dry pollen to the point that pellets will not adhere to each other when squeezed. Dried pollen can he placed in airtight glass or metal containers and stored in a cool, dry place.









Figure 6: Auger-hole trap installed on a colony.

Fresh pollen can be placed in paper bags and stored in a deep freeze below freezing temperatures. Pollen may be kept frozen until it can be dried or until used if freezer space is available.


Blending fresh pollen with expeller-type soybean flour is possible in equal parts by volume; store this mixture in sealed containers in a cool, dry location. When this practice is followed, care should be taken to pulverize the pollen pellets and soybean flour and blend the mixture thoroughly as described by Whitefoot and Detroy (19).

*Pollen supplement mixing and Feeding*

The formula for the pollen supplement cake consists of one part dry matter (1 part pollen and 3 parts expeller or screw press processed soybean flour) and two parts sugar sirup (2 parts sugar and 1 part water) by weight. Do not use soybean meal because it is too coarse for the bees to eat. When yeasts (such as brewers’ yeast) are used instead of soybean flour, use 6 or 7 parts sugar to 1 part water.



For pollen supplement using soybean flour:
1 pound pollen
3 pounds soybean flour
5-1/3 pounds sugar
2-2/3 pounds water
Yield: 12 pounds pollen supplement

For pollen supplement using yeasts:



1 pound pollen
3 pounds brewers’ yeast
7 pounds sugar
1 pound water
Yield: 12 pounds pollen supplement

Dry pollen softens readily in water but not in sugar sirup; therefore, the pollen should be added to the water before dissolving the sugar. The 60 pounds of pollen supplement to feed 40 colonies can be mixed in a medium-size tub by adding 5 pounds of pollen to 14 pounds of hot water. Then, stir in 26 pounds of sugar until dissolved. Finally, add 15 pounds of soybean flour and mix thoroughly. When yeasts are used, cut back the water in this mix by 9 pounds and increase the sugar by 9 pounds.


A feeding for one colony (approximately 1-1/2 pounds of supplement) is placed inside a folded sheet of wax paper. The wax paper prevents loss of moisture. When feeding pollen supplement, the hive cover and the inner cover are removed, the bees are smoked down from the top of the frames, and the cake is placed directly over the center of the cluster with the wax paper left on top. The inner cover is replaced in an inverted position to provide space for the cake. This feeding should last 10 to 14 days. Add a new feeding before the previous cake is entirely consumed.


When trapped pollen is not available, soybean flour or brewers’ yeast can be mixed with the syrup and fed in the same manner, provided the bees are able to collect some pollen from the field.

*Literature Cited*


_Durante, G. 1960. Trappe a pollen a grille horizontale (pollen trap with horizontal grill). Abeilles et Fleurs 81: 5-8, illus._
_Erickson, E. H., Whitefoot, L. O., and Kissinger, W. A. 1973. Honey bees: a method of delimiting the complete profile of foraging from colonies. Environ. Ent. 2 (4): 531-535, illus._
_Farrar, C. L. 1934. Bees must have pollen. Gleanings Bee Cult. 62 (5):276-278_
_Harp, E. R. 1966. A simplified pollen trap for use on colonies of honey bees. U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. ARS 33-111, 4 pp., illus._
_Jaycox, E. R. 1973. Making and using a pollen trap. Dept. Hort., Univ. Ill. H-679, 4 pp., illus._
_Kauffeld, N. M. 1973. Pollen trap with trash collector. Amer. Bee J. 113 (11): 410-411, illus._
_Killion, C. E. 1945. Construction and use of the pollen trap. Amer. Bee J. 85 (2): 50-51, 55, illus._
_Langwell, H. 1942. Pollen traps. Austral. Beekeeper 44 (3): 50-51. illus._
_Lavie, P., and Fresnaye, J. 1964. Etude experimentale de la trappe a pollen en position supericure (Experiments with a high placed pollen trap). L’Apiculteur 108: 52-65._
_Makar, S. 1964. New concept for pollen trapping. Univ. Wis. Expt. Sta. Bul. A-2083, 6 pp., illus._
_Nye, W. P. 1959. A modified pollen trap for honey bee hives. J. Econ. Ent 52 (5): 1024-1025, illus._
_Rashad, S. E. 1957. An electrical device for periodical recovery of pollen collected by the honey bee. J. Econ. Ent. 50 (5): 655-658, illus._
_Root, V. E. 1967. Combined pollen collector and entrance restriction for bee hives. (U.S. Patent No. 3,350,728.)_
_Schaefer, C. W., and Farrar, C. L. 1946. The use of pollen traps and pollen supplements in developing honeybee colonies. U.S. Dept. Agr., Bur. Ent. Pl. Quar. E-531, 13 pp., illus. Rev._
_Smith, M. V. 1965. The 0.A.C. pollen trap. Apic. Dept. Ontario Agr. Col., 2 pp., illus._
_ ____ and Adie, A. 1963. New design in pollen traps. Canad. Bee Jour. 74 (4): 4, 5, and 8, illus._
_Stewart, J. D., and Shimanuki, H. 1971. Rapid-sample pollen trap for honey bees. J. Econ. Ent. 63 (4): 1350, illus._
_Todd, F. E., and Bishop, R. K. 1940. Trapping honeybee-gathered pollen and factors affecting yields. J. Econ. Ent. 33 (6): 866-870._
_Whitefoot, L. 0., and Detroy, B. F. 1968. Pollen – milling and storing. Amer. Bee J. 108 (4): 138, 140, illus._



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## Rader Sidetrack

*Double Screen Board*
The Double Screen or Snellgrove Board is a management tool that allows the beekeeper to make two queen hives, make multiple nucleus hives on top of a main hive, or divide the hive for swarm control. It has 8 entrances, top and bottom entrances on each side which can be opened or kept closed. Sized for a Langstroth Beehive.

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## Rader Sidetrack

*Solar Wax Melter*

A relatively cheap way to render wax is to use a solar melter. The heat is free and a side benefit is the bleaching of the wax by the sun. The drawing assumes 3/4″ lumber.









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## Rader Sidetrack

*Removeable Swarm Catching Frames*

This hinged frame, that opens like a book, is designed to allow easy capture of feral comb that can then be placed into a conventional hive. Designed by Dee Lusby, it’s basically a split frame that is wired on both sides to hold comb in place. Once filled, the ends of the top bar are wired together and placed into a hive.









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## Rader Sidetrack

*Super Dumping Board*









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## Rader Sidetrack

*Honeycomb Uncapping Tank – USDA*









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## Rader Sidetrack

*Honey Heater*









This converted chest freezer is an ideal size for heating up five gallon buckets of honey. Ideal for honey that has crystalized and needs reliquefying, this type of heater will do the job. The freezer used measures 19″ deep by 30″ wide by 28″ high (these are all outside dimensions of the chest not including the lid or base) and is the type used in ice cream shops. Find a size that will work for your needs and that costs little to nothing.


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## Rader Sidetrack

*Miller Type Feeder*
The Miller type feeder has the same outside dimensions as the Langstroth hive. It contains two feeding “trays” that can be filled with syrup. The bees can enter up the center crawl space and access both sides. Large amounts of feed can be given this way with no disturbance to the bees or the beekeeper as the wire mesh above the crawl space keeps the bees from exiting the hive through the feeder. The drawings assume 3/4″ lumber.









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## Rader Sidetrack

*Slatted Bottom Rack*

A Slatted Bottom Rack is a ventilation board that fits between the bottom hive body and the bottom board (Langstroth Hive). It provides cluster space for bees, allows air circulation without allowing a direct draft on the brood, and helps prevent swarming.









*The Bovard Rack*

It converts a standard bottom board into a Killion slatted bottom board so the queen will lay in the lower brood chamber.


*CHARLES J. KOOVER
Altadena, Calif.*
GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE – June, 1968


To the late Dr. C. C. Miller belongs the credit of realizing that bees need more room under the bottom bars. Sound as it was, the idea was never accepted by the beekeeping industry. He made two-inch-deep bottom boards and used them as long as he kept bees. Soon he discovered that bees build comb underneath the bottom bars, so the idea of a slatted rack under the frames was conceived. This served the purpose very well.


Carl E. Killion, one of his successors in comb honey production, discovered the principle of the four-inch-wide solid board instead of slats near the entrance. This was a most important improvement and it did away with bees chewing the combs along the bottom bars.


Still the deep bottom board and rack did not become the accepted standard of the industry. The reasons are easy to see. It takes two special pieces of equipment. The rack is fragile and is time-consuming to make. Furthermore, spacers have to be attached to prevent the bees from propolizing it to the bottom board.


In a moment of ingenious thinking, Richard F. Bovard of Honolulu, Hawaii, has eliminated all these objections and has created the ideal entrance to the hive without changing in any way the equipment now in use. He has come up with the idea of a two-inch-deep frame of the same dimensions as the hive body, 16-1/4 x 20 inches. In this are fitted the four-inch-wide board and a number of 3/4-inch-wide slats. Proper space of 5/16th inch is maintained between bottom bars and slats and between the slats themselves. That’s all there is to it. It is simplicity itself. It fits under the brood chamber on top of the bottom board. It is strong and asks no favors. It can be easily attached to the brood chamber and bottom board for migratory purposes. The Western beekeeper with his standard 3/8th inch entrance can use it and so can the Eastern beekeeper with his choice of a 3/8th or 7/8th inch entrance. This rack provides a single wide entrance clear across the front of the hive instead of three separate entrances as with the Miller rack. It protects the combs four inches back from the front entrance against robbers, wax moths and winds. There is nothing to be propolized onto the bottom board. And it is free from any objections, even the most critical beekeeper might raise. It adds but little weight to the hive, three pounds to be exact.


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## Rader Sidetrack

*Bee Vac*

“This idea has saved me hundreds of stings and saved the lives of a lot of bees (I wouldn’t pull feral hives without one). If you’ve ever tried to remove an existing feral hive without a bee-vacuum, I’m sure you’ve sworn off ever doing it again. Try it by vacuuming off the majority of bees first – then remove the comb one by one & vacuum the bees off each comb as you go. With less bees in the air & on the ground you’ll have less of a chance at any unhappy bee-meeting. Plus the bees seem to know they’re in trouble when you vacuum off most of their population – the rest will likely remain extremely timid. At the end of the day you’ll have more salvageable comb (put back into empty frames and tie with cotton string or rubber-bands) cleaner honey (without 1000’s of bee-parts) and a bunch more live bees.”


“The idea behind the ‘bee-vacuum’ is exceptionally simple in design and you’ll have much more fun in retrieving swarms or hives.” – Matthew Westall






















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## Rader Sidetrack

*Apidictor*

The late E.F.Woods was the inventor of the Apidictor.


“Sound engineers are familiar with a phenomenon known as the ‘****tail party effect’. This is the ability of the human brain, in a room full of chattering people, to pick out and concentrate on one conversation, not necessarily the loudest. Eddie was blessed with this ability and it served him well when listening to the medley of sounds that his microphone picked up in the hive.


One sound that caught his attention was a sort of warbling noise that varied between the notes A and C sharp; that’s 225 – 285 Hz in terms of frequency. He noticed that this sound got steadily louder, then it stopped and a day or so later a swarm took off.


Eventually, he decided that it was made by the 4-1/2 to 6 day old nurse bees, his reasoning being as follows:


In a normal colony there are about 4,000 nurse bees, half of which feed the brood and the other half, the queen, who eats 20 times her own weight in a day.


When a colony decides to swarm, its first action is to reduce the supply of food to the queen in order to slim her down into a condition for flying. This puts some of the nurse bees out of work and reduces her egg laying. Hence, a few days later, there are fewer larvae to feed so more nurse bees become unemployed and the whole process is progressive.


The nurses have to get rid of the energy that would go into food production so they probably stand there exercising by flapping their wings, fanning in fact, but how do we account for the peculiar frequency?


In flight, an adult bee flaps its wings 250 times a second but when fanning, it grips the comb and this brings the frequency down to 190 Hz. (Hz is just an abbreviation for Hertz which is the engineer’s word for ‘times a second’.) However, a young bee’s wings do not harden completely until it is 9 days old and until then the resonant frequency is higher. It may be that 4-1/2 day wings resonate at 285Hz and the 6 day old ones at 225Hz and the sound is a mixture of single frequencies rather than a collection of warbles from individual bees.


Eddie built a simple audio frequency amplifier with microphone and headphones and incorporated what is known as a bandpass filter. This allowed the frequency band 225-285Hz through to the ear and blocked off the rest, making it easier to hear.


Note that the flight frequency of 250 Hz falls in this band which is why the tests should be made in the evening after flying has stopped.


Eddie stressed that the warble does not necessarily indicate a swarm; it indicates that the queen has gone off laying and there could be other reasons. In any case, it means a brood nest inspection is needed.


If you give a hive a knock with the flat of the hand, the bees hiss at you and this is something that Eddie listened to very carefully. Under normal conditions it is a short sharp noise, lasting about 1/2 a second, starting and finishing quite suddenly; the bees are alert and defensive. If a swarm is in the offing, the bees are in a happy-go-lucky mood, the sound is not so loud, rising and falling less sharply. Eddie described this as a loyalty sound and he fitted another filter to help pick it out.


With this instrument he found he could get up to three weeks warning of swarm preparations and was alerted 10 days before queen cells were started.


He fitted the instrument with a 3-position switch for listening to the normal hive noise, the warble and the hiss. With added refinements he called it the Apdictor, patented it and marketed it in 1964, selling about 300 worldwide.


The reason it never caught on, I suspect, is because most beekeepers were non-technical and very conservative. How often have you heard them say, “It was good enough for my father and it is good enough for me”? Nevertheless, those beekeepers who mastered it swore by it and some are still in use today, 36 years later. Last year I was instrumental in getting faults cured for two users who were anxious to get faulty ones working again.


Today we live in a more technical world with advances in miniaturisation, chips and so on and I think such an instrument would be more acceptable.


Indeed, my vision is of a detector in every hive with a little transmitter that sends a signal back to base whenever the warble exceeds the critical level.


Having ‘inherited’ many of Eddie’s papers, I have been able to study his work over the years, have written a small book about it and can supply technical data if anybody happens to have an Apidictor that needs repair.”


– T.R. Boys









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The thumbnail image above is _clickable_, so you can see a larger image, but to download the actual PDF file to your system, click on the PDF attachment below.


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## Rader Sidetrack

*Pollination Contract*










The thumbnail image above is _clickable_, so you can see a larger image, but to download the actual PDF file to your system, click on the PDF attachment below.


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## Rader Sidetrack

*How to make a Box Joint







*

The thumbnail image above is _clickable_, so you can see a larger image, but to download the actual PDF file to your system, click on the PDF attachment below.


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## Rader Sidetrack

*Cleo Hogan Trapout *

A Hogan Trapout can be used to remove a colony from a hollow tree or other cavity without destroying the object housing the cavity.

The attached 12 page PDF is liberally illustrated with photos. Here is one of those photos showing an adapter or tunnel used to close off a tree entrance so a hive body can be added to the opening of the adapter:









The thumbnail image above is _clickable_, so you can see a larger image, but to download the actual PDF file to your system, click on the PDF attachment below.


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## Rader Sidetrack

*Review of Wood Frames for the Langstroth Hive*
*Author: Barry Birkey, Editor: Sarah Bass, Date: April 13, 2015*

[Attached below is a PDF file of the page that was previously located on the Beesource 'Home page' (and not part of the _forum_ itself). That material was lost when the changeover to Xenforo forum software occurred. This PDF was created from the page copy at Archive.org]












The thumbnail image of the first page of the PDF file is _clickable_, so you can see a larger image, but to download the actual full PDF file to your system, click on the PDF attachment below.


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## Rader Sidetrack

*Electric Fencing Guide*
Author: NRCS / USDA

While the NRCS Guide is oriented towards cattle farmers, it is a reasonably useful guide for bee farmers as well.

To download the actual full PDF file to your system, click on the PDF attachment below.


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