BEEHIVE FOR BEGINNERS COMB combines a hive paired with a website to educate and encourage millennials in urban and suburban environments. These consumers want to reconnect to food in a less industrialized and more personal way. They have a desire to make an impact against colony collapse.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

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4

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STORY

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39

RESEARCH

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59

CONCEPT DEVELOPMENT

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67

PROTOTYPING

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75

BRANDING

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85

RENDERS

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- 91

PHOTOS

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- 101

FEATURES

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123

WEBSITE

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CLOSING STATEMENT

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HOW DID WE GET HERE

During WWI and WWII , women went to work and processed food came out to replace home cooked meals, thus began the industrialization of the food system.

WHY IS THIS A PROBLEM

1 IN 4

PEOPLE EAT SOME TYPE

OF FAST FOOD EVERY DAY

We have inherited an industry that continues to produce processed, packaged, and fast food. 4

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Millenials are noticing the trend of the food system industrializing. They have inherited the ease that comes from an industrialized food system but also recognize their disconnect from the origin of food. As a counter movement they have turned to urban gardening, to reconnect and find a balance.

63% GROWTH IN MILLENIALS WHO URBAN GARDEN IN THE PAST 5 YEARS

There is an urbanization of the population of millenials, and the growth of gardening opens the opportunity for the most efficient form of pollination... ...BEEKEEPING 6

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COLONY COLLAPSE

BENEFITS TO NEW BEE KEEPER

in t h e p a s t 5 0 ye a rs t he d om e st ica t e d hone y b e e p o p ula tion ha s d rop p ed 50% h u m a n p o p u l a t io n ha s inc rea sed b y 26% in 25 ye a rs

PA RASIT E S

STR ES S

P ES T IC ID ES

N UTR ITIO N

HONEY

P O LLINATI ON

HEALTH

Varroa mites and other mites hurt bees. Bees at their healthiest can take care of the infestation.

Demanding honey adds stress, pesticides also adds stress, as well as poor environment.

Pesticides, especially in rural areas, are killing bees and destroying hives. Its the main contributor to colony collapse.

As crop variety is knocked out, bees are losing their sources of food and nutrition in their rural homes.

Honey has so many health benefits not to mention its a delicious treat, with your own hive you have your own honey and some to share.

Bees are nature’s most efficient pollinators. Having a hive will help your garden succeed to its best ability.

Eating native raw honey can reduce seasonal allergies, it delivers small amounts of allergens, creating immunity. Honey contains a variety of minerals,vitamins, antioxidants, and more. Lastly Beekeeping brings you outside and connected to the environment.

The food system industrializes to meet population growth with pesticides and GMOs, which in affect is large cause to colony collapse, the large drop in honey bee population. 8

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BENEFITS TO BEES IN URBAN ENVIRONMENTS

U R BA N GAR DE N S As urban gardening and farming grows, and food variety in rural areas becomes less, there is much more opportunity for bees to find healthy food sources.

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N O P ES T IC ID ES

L IT T L E STR E SS

The intense pesticides used in rural farm fields, isn’t used in urban areas, bees won’t be killed or become ill from it.

Hobby beekeeping allows the beekeeper to give more focus and care to each hive. There is also less demand on acquiring honey for sales, so enough honey is left for bees to feed on over winter.

WHAT KEEPS PEOPLE FROM BEEKEEPING

Current books and blogs are overwhelming, nothing is straight forward, and existing beehives are sold with no guiding resource. 11

OPPORTUNITY

HIVE DESIGNED FOR NON-PROFESSIONAL BEEKEEPERS

+ WEBSITE FOR GUIDANCE , EDUCATION , AND COMMUNITY BUILDING

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WHICH STYLE OF HIVE TO CHOOSE

UNDERSTANDING BEEHIVES The following research was conducted to gain a better understanding of the varieties of beehives and methods of beekeeping. This was done in order to find a direction that would meet design goals.

TO P B AR HI VE

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WA RRE H IVE

LANGS T ROT H H IVE

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POTENTIAL DIRECTION

PROS / Collects most honey because of foundation frames / Small footprint / Honey extractors designed doe langstroth frames CONS / Heavy lifting to remove boxes and frames / Bees build combs on pre-designed foundation, which is larger than typical bee comb, and can contribute to varroa mites and disease / Designed for honey production

L AN GSTROT H H IVE

“A Langstroth hive is a hive made up of stacked boxes of various depths, a floor, inner cover and roof. Within each box are wooden frames in which the bees build their comb. It is the most common hive in North America and Australia.” - beethinking.com 16

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POTENTIAL DIRECTION

PROS / Roof and quilting insulates hive and creates more constant temperature / Bees build natural comb / Uses foundationless bars and frames for a more natural and healthy comb CONS / Bees fill comb out in square shape and comb gets stuck to the sides / Difficult to add boxes because the top ones are heavy / A lot of layers and elements are required

WA RRE H IVE

“A Warre hive is a vertical top bar hive that uses bars instead of frames, usually with a wooden wedge or guide from which the bees build their own comb” - beethinking.com

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HIVE DIRECTION

PROS / Uses foundationless bars for a more natural and healthy comb /ergonomic and easy to lift just one bar at a time, instead of a entire box / sloped sides makes for easy comb gathering / Docile to the bees as you place down one bar at a time not a heavy box CONS

TO P BAR H IVE

/ Can’t expand / Needs more frequent inspection “A top-bar hive is a single-story frameless beehive in which the comb hangs from removable bars.” - wikipedia

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BENCHMARKING BEE SMART TECH

COMB HIVE MOTIVATONS

FLOW HIVE

OPEN SOURCE

H APPY BEES

BEE THINKING E DUCATI O N

H ONEY PRODUC T ION

HAPPY BEES

H APPY B E E S

E DUC AT I O N

E DUC AT IO N

HONE Y

E C O L O G IC AL COM M UN IT Y

- Uses a sensor to track hive temperature / humidity, honey production, and hive location. - focuses on sensor and less on improving the actual hive or innovative accesories.

HONEY

HONE Y

COMMUNIT Y

E C OL OG IC AL

E C OL OG IC AL C O MMU NITY

C OMMU NITY

COMMUNI TY

- Open source CNC design with no database to fins a place to actually mill design.

- Goes against natural bee “living”, bees fill in pre-designed comb, which is unhealthy.

- No education on starting up the actual hive.

- Comb is completely “broken up” for honey to flow out while - Doesn’t consider feeding the bees are still inside hive & doesn’t bees. recognize preserving honey for bees over winter. - No innovative accessories.

- Too small, will cause swarming from bees being too cramped.

E CO L O GI CAL

E DU C ATION

E DU C ATION

HONEY

E COLO GI CA L

HA PPY BEES

HAPPY B E E S

- Extremely expensive shipping.

HAPPY BEES :

Creating an environment most natural to the bees, such as enough room and natural comb.

EDUCATION :

Starting a new hive is overwhelming & discouraging, when buying a hive there should be new beekeeping guidance.

ECOLOGICAL :

Ecological for bees by creating most natural environment, also hive’s affect on environment (wood, shipping, etc.).

COMMUNITY :

Creating a community but also connecting new beekeepers to existing communities nearby.

HONEY PRODUCTION :

If you have a healthy and happy hive, honey will be the outcome.

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JORDAN WHITNEY

KYLE GATI

P a st C h i c ag o s u b u r b a n

2 hi ves

Chi cago u rban

b eekeepe r

2 years

beek eeper

“Bees are endearing & smart... more people should know that... bees don’t want to sting you, they just want to be happy.” “I only death with langstroth hives, but have always wanted to try a top bar hive, I’ve heard they make for happy bees.” “Bees need a water source to make honey and need weather protection in the winter season.” “You want to be careful of swarming bees, you can lose your hive, so they need enough space.”

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8 h iv es 4. 5 yea rs

“My hives are spread out... I found urban gardens and even a factory that wanted bees... I keep them all over.” “I switched to foundationless frames so the bees could build natural combs.” “When you begin there’s so many different philosophies and everyone has different answers... its confusing... I would have liked one set of rules to start with and then go from there.” 25

LIZ TILTON

Ci nci nnati u rban & su bu rban beek eeper

80 h iv es > yea rs

Owner of TwoHoneys

“Top bar hives are the best, honey will be an outcome if bees are happy and the hive is self-sustaining.” “Urban Bees need to be fed sugar water in the Fall. It’s much more difficult in the top bar hive, you have to remove bars and the bucket has to be small to fit on the small base, and then it only lasts for a short time. You also can’t let the bees drown, I use a bucket with floating wood chips.” “I find a lot of opportunities to place my hives around the city.” 26

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CODY HARRISON

Ci nci nnati u rban

1 h iv e

beek eeper

1 yea r

“Starting a hive was overwhelming and could have been discouraging if I hadn’t found a community of beekeepers to help. I need the right resources and guidance on how to begin a hive.” “I couldn’t find exterior grade formaldehyde - free plywood, only interior grade. this is the third hive for the same bees because of weather, I finally have painted this hive and its standing up well against the weather.” “I use a bag of wood chips up top to insulate and protect bees in the winter.” 28

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VIRGINIA RUSSEL

Ci nci nnati u rban /

3 h iv es

su bu rban beek eeper

> yea rs

“Starting your hive and purchasing tools from the sites is hard for a “hobby” beekeeper, the sites and hives are designed for professionals” “Wintering my hives gets messy, covering it in insulation covers my hives and it doesn’t look nice.” “I like using the special hive tools for tasks like welcoming a queen to the hive and using a queen excluder.” 30

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G ENE K R I T SK Y

Ci nci nnati u rban / su bu rban beek eeper

6 h iv es 20 > yea r

“I keep some of my hives in Indiana on a friend’s property.” “Ventilation is important, looking at different roofs and ways to integrate ventilation will help a hive.” “I bee keep because of the history and have written books on beekeeping after studying them all the way back to the Egyptians.” 32

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C U R R E N T METH O DS TO IMP R O VE R OOF / P RO T EC T I O N

WINT ERING

Roofs, n e ed to p r o t e c t f r o m

It ’s imp o r t a n t t o a d d

wea the r, w h i l e s t il l a l l o w in g

in s u la t io n a n d p ro t ect f ro m

for v en ti l ati on , a nd a w a y

co n d en s a t io n t o h elp b ees

t o sta y “ l oc k e d” d o w n in

s u r v iv e t h e w in t er, a s w ell

b a d weath er.

a s a go o d s t u ck o f h o n ey.

F E E D IN G

S T ORAGE

C urren t way s to fe e d ei ther a l l ow “ th i e vin g ”

C u rren t ly yo u n eed “s t o ra ge

(other be e c o l onie s s t e a l

f o r s t o ra ge” s o t h a t a ll t o o ls

food re s o ur c e s ) , a l l o w f o r

a re n o t f o rgo t t en . H o w ca n

b ees to dr ow n , o r t a ke u p

s t o ra ge b e mo re ef f icien t s o

p r ec i ou s s pac e f o r c o m b s .

t o o ls a re ea s ily a cces s ib le.

H IVE T OOLS 1 - H I VE S M O KER

-

relaxes bees for easier inspection

2 - H I VE TO O L -

cuts /scrapes propolis and lifts up bars to inspect hive

3 - B E E B R US H -

brushes bees of f of comb for easy inspection

4 - U N C A P P I N G F O RK

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-

pokes through capped comb to release honey

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DESIGN GOALS

AE STH E TIC S / E N V IRONM ENT - Inte re sting ae sthe tic t ha t s u i t s env i ro nm ent (garde n / yard)

IN TE GR ATE D FE E D ING S YS TEM - Solve the issue not b ei ng a b le t o ef f i c i ent ly

f eed be e s in a top-bar hive , whi c h i s c ru c i a l f o r u rb a n b ees (not e nough ne ctar in A utu m n)

E ASY ASSE MBLY / ACCES S - Cre ate an e asy sales t a c t i c t o m a k e t he hi v e ea s i ly available to othe rs, as well a s ea s i ly c o ns t ru c t i b le. (a v o i d

e xpe nsive and un-e nvironm ent a l s hi p p i ng )

WE ATH E R P R O TE C TION - Inte grate solutions t ha t wi ll

p ro t ec t b ees f ro m ra i n, conde nsation, cold we ather, a nd o v er-hea t i ng

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DESIGN GOALS

CNC MILLED DESIGN EAS Y AS S EMB LY / A CCE S S

CNC (Compu ter Nu meri cal Control l ed) M illin g is p er f o r med t h ro u gh a ma ch in in g process that u ses cyl i ndri cal tool that f o llo w s a p a t h d es ign ed o n t h e co mp u t er

- Create an easy sales tactic to make the hive easily a va il a b l e t o o t h e r s , a s we ll a s e a sily const ruct ib le . (a vo id e x p e n s ive and un-e nvironm e nt a l ship p ing )

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1. PURCHA SE D ESIGN

2. M I L L HI VE

P u rchase compu ter geometr y for j u st $ 1 5 . T hi s geometr y can be u sed agai n and agai n to mi l l as many hi ves you desi re.

Desi gn i s pro gra mmed p er CNC mach in e a n d milled ou t of 2 sh eet s o f 3/4” pl ywood. C N C ma ch in in g database he lp s f in d a C N C Mi l l n ea r yo u .

3. HI VE “ S N AP S ” T O G E T HE R P ieces t o get h er in u n d er a h o u r w it h t h ree p eo p le t o t a l. A ll yo u n eed is a ru b b er ma llet . 43

I N VI TI N G IN TE N TI O N AL M I N I M AL

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CONCEPT DEVELOPMENT

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FURTHER DEVELOPMENT

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DESIGN CRITIQUES

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DESIGN DIRECTION

VARIATIONS ON DIRECTION

PROS

- i n ter es ti n g a e s t h e t ic , u t il iz e s “ p la nk” wa lls for st ora g e a nd p la nts



- can ’t us e a c r y l ic “ w ind o w ” for he a t a nd he a lt h of b e e s, ne e d f eeder, angl ed r o of , an d t ho u g ht s fo r “w int e ring ” hive

A RE AS T O IM PR O VE

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CONCEPT 1

FURTHER DEVELOPMENT

small openings for bees to access sugar water without ‘cracking’ open hive too much floating mulch

A SYME TR I C R OOF -

floating cnc-cut wood pieces

Ang l ed for rain t o drip of f nat urally

lo c k s i n wi th wo o den

floating cnc-cut wood strips

TR O UG H FE E D ER -

I nt eg rat ed t roug h wit h smal l ent ran ce s alo n g th e bo tto m to al l ow l ess wind disrupt ion t o hive.

STO R A G E -

CO N S

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sliding roof locks it in place

“P ocket s” for ex t ra g arden space and 2 hive to o ls

- S o m u c h wat er can be t oo heavy - Water w oul d set t l es t he bot t om and creat e scum et c..

can also use ‘pocket’ for bee supplies storage

trough is integrated and slides out to fill up

CONCEPT 2

FURTHER DEVELOPMENT water seeps through holes to enter opening bees can access

A SYMME TR I CAL R OOF -

angles trough slides out to refill and back in

Asy mmet ric dual - ang l ed fo r

r ai n o dri p o f f th e du al ang l ed roof act s as a nat ural “l ock”

A N G L E D “ TR O U G H ” F EED ER -

I nt eg rat ed t roug h wi th sm all o pen i n g but hol ds a l ot of sug ar wat er, t hat fl ows int o

asymmetric roof naturally fits on without lock needed

sm all o pen i n g bec au se of ang l ed bot t om

STO R A G E -

“P ocket s” for ex t ra g arden space and 2 hive to o ls can also use ‘pocket’ for bee supplies storage

CO N S

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- Di f f i c u lt t o ang l e t he wood for t he feeder / t roug h - R o o f c o ul d bl ow of f / can’t hing e

CONCEPT 3 roof becomes sugar water basin

FURTHER DEVELOPMENT

A N G L E D R O OF f e eder

R O O F FE E DE R -

Ang l ed roof t rades out wit h sug ar wa te r

I nt eg rat ed feeder is t he roof wit h smal l

milled facde with “bee” themed texture

h o les f o r su gar to dri p out

FA CA DE -

In stead of st orag e t he sides are used as a facade wi th “m i lled” textu re sugar water drips from small holes

CO N S

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- Mi lli n g a facade can damper t he qual it y of t he woo d - S o m u c h wat er can be t oo heavy

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CONCEPT 4

FURTHER DEVELOPMENT insertable laser cut acrylic sugar water basin

A N G L E D & HI N G ED ROOF -

Ang l ed roof for rain to

dri p o f f

- H i n ged R o of

one inch spacing for bees to access sugar water drippings

E FFI CI E NT “ DR IP ” F EED ER -

I nser t abl e sug ar wat e r f e eder wi th sm all h o les for sug ar wat er t o drip and one inch en tran c e f o r bees to ent er

STO R A G E -

CO N S

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hinged roof

“P ocket s” for ex t ra g arden space and 2 hive to o ls

- Ac r yli c means acquiring ex t ra mat erial - N eed ext ra l ocking mechanism for roof

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CARDBOARD PROTOTYPING

Tested locking mechanisms for pockets and height for ergonomics.

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TEST RUN Testing the CNC Mill and initial design was crucial to find errors and successes in computer-programmed design such as: tolerances, locking mechanisms and stability.

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PROTOTYPE TESTING Tested different components of the hive, checking for errors and successes in design: which way (from previous concepts) to feed bees (integrated drip feeder chosen), aesthetic preference of pockets (3 and 1), roof (decided to add hinges and handle).

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CNC MILL LAYOUT

Just 2 sheets of 3/4” (.71inch) CARB 2 (emission/ formaldehyde free) plywood is needed to make the COMB HIVE. COMB HIVE was designed on two sheets of plywood to incorporate all of the features of COMB HIVe. The design prevents swarming (minimum of 40” interior length), incorporates aesthetic and functional “pockets”, includes all top bars, includes sugar water feeder, and is built at an ergonomic height that also prevents rodents from entering the hive.

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BRANDING INSPIRATION The branding and logo should encompass the ideology of embracing the bee’s natural honeycomb with the top bar bee hive.

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INITIAL CONCEPTING

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BRAND

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DEVELOPMENT

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BRAND STATEMENT

COMB HIVE ensures a confident beginning to becoming a beekeeper. We believe in ensuring a self sustaining hive by providing a natural “free” comb to prevent disease and encourage the natural habits of bees. Happy Bees for a Happy Beekeeper. COMB stands for the natural comb that the bees build but also stands for the growth in beekeeping in urban areas. Just as the bees slowly build their comb to create an ecosystem, COMB encourages the growth of beekeeping, one backyard or rooftop at a time. COMB stands for communities and connections it helps create.

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Bee-feeder, fits inside the hive to feed bees when there isn’t enough nectar. A mason jar fits inside the hole, poke it three times with a needle to allow sugar water to drip out slowly and feed bees. Fitting inside the hives prevents other bees and animals from stealing their sugar water.

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COMB HIVE comes with a removable floor for warm temperatures, to allow the hive to ventilate and cool down.

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FINAL PROTOTYPE COMB HIVE can be set up in a back yard and blends perfectly into the environment, but is also suited for rooftops and is easier to handle up highg with smaller parts (i.e. top bars) to move around.

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FEATURES - BEE SURVIVAL COMB HIVE is designed with features to increase the chances of bee survival, such as nutrition, disease prevention, and temperature control.

DISEASE PREVENTION TOP BARS FOR NATURAL HONEYCOMB

COMB HIVE comes with top bars designed with a wedge to ensure comb is secured & built straight. Top Bars allow bees to build their natural comb, which can prevent against mites and diseases. 92

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WEATHER PROTECTION

NUTRITION

ANGLED ROOF

INTEGRATED FEEDER

COMB HIVE features an angled roof, which allows rain to flow off of, as well as creates space between the top bars and the roof, to fill with insulation such as wood chips, which protects against freezing and keeps cndensation from dripping on bees.

COMB HIVE comes with an integrated feeder that slowly drips sugar water through poked holes in a mason jar lid inserted in the bottom. The feeder rests inside the hive to prevent other bees and animals from “thieving”, and feeds bees sugar water in seasons when nectar is low.

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TEMPERATURE CONTROL REMOVABLE FLOOR FOR VENTILATION

COMB HIVE comes with a removable floor to unveil a mesh screen, which allows for ventilation, keeping the hive comfortable for the bees in warm weather, and preventing bees from swarming and leaving the hive.

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FEATURES - BEEKEEPER BENEFITS COMB HIVE is designed for bees as well as the beginner beekeeper, to make their experience encouraging and exciting.

STORAGE POCKETS FOR PLANTS & TOOLS

Pockets in back act as planters for flowers & herbs for bees & beekeeper to enjoy. These also help hive blend into environment. Pocket at front of hive is ideal for storing bee tools most often forgotten, such as the bee brush and hive tool. 98

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EDUCATION WEBSITE

COMB is paired with a website with the hive, to educate and encourage beekeeping, and beginning the hive and caring for the bees.

EASY CONSTRUCTION CNC MILLED DESIGN

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COMB HIVE design is ready to be programmed, milled, and snapped together for easy assembly.

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WEBSITE GOALS The website sells COMB HIVE to the potential new beekeeper by introducing its benefits, creating connections to communities, and guiding and encouraging the visitor in beekeeping. The website should introduce beekeeping with excitement and foster confidence.

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WEBSITE

WIRE FRAME

HOME PA G E

EXTERNAL LI NK

COMB B R AND

MISSION STATEMENT WHY COMB - Easy to build

-

Beginner friendly Educational Sustainable Community

W H Y B E E KE E P I N G

URBAN GARDENING - Counter movement to food

industrialization

HONEY HEALTH BENEFITS

INTERVIEWS/VALIDATION

COLONY COLLAPSE

CNC MILLED DESIGN

URBAN BENEFITS TO BEES

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G E TTI N G STARTE D

CONSTRUCTION - Buy wood - Mill wood (link) - “IKEA” Instructions - Exploded view FEATURES - Beekeeping Success - Bonus BEEKEEPING SUPPLIES -Description and links for purchasing

CARE

KNOW YOUR HIVE - Simple breakdown to understanding bees and their hive WINTERING TIPS & TRICKS - Basics to taking care of your hive

CO N NEC T IONS

BEE COMMUNITIES - Links by city CNC

S T ORE

BEEHIVE GEOMETRY ($15) FELT POCKETS ($30)

- MILLING DATABASE - Connects you to FELT POCKETS PATTERN businesses and shops to mill out beehive design DONATIONS

CONTACT

FEEDING YOUR BEES

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C O M B

CO M B B R A N D

C OMB BRAND

COMB HIVE ensures a confident beginning to becoming a beekeeper. We believe in ensuring a self sustaining hive by providing a natural “free” comb to prevent disease and encourage the natural habits of bees. Happy Bees for a Happy Beekeeper. COMB stands for the natural comb that the bees build but also stands for the growth in beekeeping in urban areas. Just as the bees slowly build their comb to create an ecosystem, COMB encourages the growth of beekeeping, one backyard or rooftop at a time. COMB stands for communities and connections it helps create.

EASY TO BUILD

BEGINNER FRIENDLY

EDUCATIONAL

SUSTAINABLE DESIGN

Pieces together in under Designed for the new COMB creates a COMB is sustainable a hour with three people beekeeper, taking you complete experience, in construction, rather total. All you need is a step-by-step through the paired up with the than shipping a built rubber mallet. process, to start your website to educate and hive it can be shipped hive with confidence. guide you in caring for flat packed or milled in your bees. your city. COMB is also desiged to be selfsustaining, with natural comb and designed for bee survival.

C O M B

COMMUNITY COMB creates its own community but also introduces you to the beekeeping communities

DESIGNED AROUND REAL BEEKEEPERS’ EXPERIENCES

COMB stands for the natural comb that the bees build but also stands for the growth in beekeeping in urban areas. Just as the bees slowly build their comb to create an ecosystem, COMB encourages the growth of beekeeping, one backyard or rooftop at a time. COMB stands for communities and connections it helps create.

EASY TO BUILD

BEGINNER FRIENDLY

EDUCATIONAL

Pieces together in under Designed for the new COMB creates a a hour with three people beekeeper, taking you complete experience, total. All you need is a step-by-step through the paired up with the rubber mallet. process, to start your website to educate and

SUSTAINABLE DESIGN COMB is sustainable in construction, rather than shipping a built hive it can be shipped

COMMUNITY COMB creates its own community but also introduces you to the beekeeping

VIRGINIA RUSSEL

“I am passionate for Top Bar Hives, it allows the bees to build their most natural combs. But for urban beekeeping you need to efficiently feed your bees.”

“Everything is sold and designed for professional beekeepers. When I began, it was so confusing, I didn’t know what was right.”

“I started beekeeping because I wanted to learn CNC-milling. But I need I needed more guidance when starting beekeeping.”

CNC (Computer Numerical Controlled) Milling is performed through a machining process that uses a rotating cylindrical tool that follows a path designed on the computer.

Purchase computer geometry for just $15. This geometry can be used again and again to mill as many hives you desire.

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CODY HARRISON

CNC MILLED DESIGN

1. PURCHASE DESIGN

2. MILL HIVE Design must be programmed per CNC machine and then milled out of 2 sheets of 3/4” plywood. CNC machining database is available to find a CNC Mill near you.

WH Y C O M B “EASY TO BUILD”

“BEGINNER FREINDLY” “EDUCTIONAL” SUSTAINABLE DESIGN” “COMMUNITY”

COMB HIVE ensures a confident beginning to becoming a beekeeper. We believe in ensuring a self sustaining hive by providing a natural “free” comb to prevent disease and encourage the natural habits of bees. Happy Bees for a Happy Beekeeper.

LIZ TILTON

“H O M E PA GE ” w elco mes t h e u s er a n d ex p la in s w h a t C O M B s t a n d s f o r a s a b ra n d a n d p ro mis es it s clien t s .

D E S IGN E D A RO U N D RE A L BE E K E E P E RS ’ E X P E RIE N C E S C N C M IL L E D D E S IGN

“1. PURCHASE DESIGN” “2. MILL HIVE” “3. HIVE ‘SNAPS’ TOGETHER”

3. HIVE “SNAPS” TOGETHER Pieces together in under a hour with three people total. All you need is a rubber mallet.

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W H Y B E E KE E P I N G

WH Y BEEKEEPING C O M B

WHY SHOULD YOU BEE-COME A BEEKEEPER

There are so many benefits of beekeeping, when you find them out you’ll want a hive of your own.

There is an urbanization of the population, and the growth of gardening opens the opportunity for the most efficient form of pollination... ...BEEKEEPING

1 IN 3 U.S. HOUSEHOLDS IS NOW GROWING FOOD 17% INCREASE IN URBAN GARDENING BENEFITS TO NEW BEE KEEPER

BENEFITS TO NEW BEE KEEPER

H ON EY

PO L L I N ATI O N

HE ALTH

Honey has so many health benefits not to mention its a delicious treat, with your own hive you have your own honey and some to share.

Bees are nature’s most efficient pollinators. Having a hive will help your garden succeed to its best ability.

Eating native raw honey can reduce seasonal allergies, it delivers small amounts of allergens, creating immunity. Honey contains a variety of minerals,vitamins, antioxidants, and more. Lastly Beekeeping brings you outside and connected to the environment.

COLONY COLLAPSE in t h e past 50 ye ar s t he dom e st i c at e d hone y be e po pulati o n has dr o pped 50% h u m an p opulat i on has i ncr eased by 26% i n 25 ye ar s

H ON EY

P OL L IN AT ION

H EA LT H

Honey has so many health benefits not to mention its a delicious treat, with your own hive you have your own honey and some to share.

Bees are nature’s most efficient pollinators. Having a hive will help your garden succeed to its best ability.

Eating native raw honey can reduce seasonal allergies, it delivers small amounts of allergens, creating immunity. Honey contains a variety of minerals,vitamins, antioxidants, and more. Lastly Beekeeping brings you outside and connected to the environment.

“WH Y BE E K E E P IN G” ex p res s es t h e imp o r t a n ce a s w ell a s t h e b en ef it s o f u rb a n b eekeep in g. C o lo n y C o lla p s e -

bee population has dropped 50% in 50 years as human population grows

COLONY COLLAPSE i n t h e pas t 5 0 y ears t h e dom es t i c at ed h on ey bee popul at ion has dropped 5 0 % h u m an popu l at i on h as inc reas ed by 2 6 % i n 2 5 y ears

BE N E F IT S T O BE E K E E P E R Health Benefits

PA R A S I T E S

STRESS

PESTICIDES

NUTRITION

Varroa mites and other mites hurt bees. Bees at their healthiest can take care of the infestation.

Demanding honey adds stress, pesticides also adds stress, as well as poor environment.

Pesticides, especially in rural areas, are killing bees and destroying hives. Its the main contributor to colony collapse.

As crop variety is knocked out, bees are losing their sources of food and nutrition in their rural homes.

BE N E F IT S T O BE E S -

Honey, Pollination,

Urban Gardens, No

Pesticides, No Stress

The food system industrializes to meet population growth with pesticides and GMOs, which in affect is large cause to colony collapse, the large drop in honey bee population.

BENEFITS TO BEES IN URBAN ENVIRONMENTS

URBAN GARDENS As urban gardening and farming grows, and food variety in rural areas becomes less, there is much more opportunity for bees to find healthy food sources.

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NO PESTICIDES

LITTLE STRESS

The intense pesticides used in rural farm fields, isn’t used in urban areas, bees won’t be killed or become ill from it.

Hobby beekeeping allows the beekeeper to give more focus and care to each hive. There is also less demand on acquiring honey for sales, so enough honey is left for bees to feed on over winter.

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G E TTI N G S TA RTE D

C O M B

CONSTRUCTION Follow these step-bystep instruction to fit together

GET T ING S TART ED

your beehive.

CONS TRUCTION

C O N S T RU C T IO N Your COMB HIVE will snao together in in just one hour your will have your sturdy beehive. All you need is yourself and two others, and a rubber mallet to get the job done.

C O M B

“C O N S T RU C T IO N ” h elp s t h e C O M B H IV E p u rch a s er a s s emb le t h eir h iv e.

POCKETS Insert pocket halves into designated holes.

CONSTRUCTION

Follow these step-by-step instruction to fit together your beehive.

Slide pocket locks into holes to secure pockets.

Angle pockets and use rubber mallet to fit the pocket halves together, they will lock securely.

POCKETS -

Pockets inser t into side walls first.

M A IN F RA M E -

Slide angled side walls and suppor t bars into the main walls and push down to lock MAIN FRAME Hold up the two walls and support walls, third person hold the two angled walls and inserts them into designated holes, slide angled walls down to lock in place.

Your COMB HIVE will snao together in in just one hour your will have your sturdy beehive. All you need is yourself and two others, and a rubber mallet to get the job done.

BE E F E E D E R - I nser t

a mason jar lid with three holes poked into it, to drip the sugar water

MAIN FRAME Push down angled walls and support bar to lock them in place

HIVE FLOOR Slide floor into place. Insert mesh wire floor into designated divots

ROOF You can hinge roof but not necessary, and locks into place either way.

FEEDER AND TOP BARS Lay out top bars and insert Bee-Feeder. Look at instructions below to assemble.

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BEE FEEDER Poke 3 holes in a mason jar with a needle, then follow instructions, and use a rubber mallet to hammer together. Then coat in fiber glass resin.

G E TTI N G S TA RTE D

C O M B

CONSTRUCTION Follow these step-bystep instruction to fit together

GET T ING S TART ED

your beehive.

FEATURES

F E AT U RE S HERB GARDEN POCKETS Pockets at act as planters for flowers & herbs for the bees to enjoy this also helps hive blend into environment.

STORAGE POCKET

“F E AT U RE S ” s h o w s o f f t h e b en ef it s a n d u n iq u e q u a lit ies o f t h e C O M B H IV E

Pocket at front of hive is ideal for storing tools most often forgotten, like your bee brush and hive tool.

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ANGLED ROOF Angled roof protects hive from rain, and allows condensation that forms on the inside, to fall to the edge. This also gives room inside to fill with insulation.

FEATURES

Follow these step-by-step instruction to fit together your beehive.

RO O F -

HERB GARDEN POCKETS

honey comb

Pockets at act as planters for flowers & herbs for the bees to enjoy this also helps hive blend into environment. SUGAR WATER FEEDER An integrated sugar-water feeder fits into the hive to prevent thieving from other bees and pests, and ensures bees will have enough honey to survive the winter.

Pocket at front of hive is ideal for storing tools most often forgotten, like your bee brush and hive tool.

Pockets store tools and plant

Roof is angled for weather protection

T O P BA RS -

TOP BARS

STORAGE POCKET

POCKETS -

Top Bars encourage natural and healthy

BE E F E E D E R -

Feeder is integrated to fit in the hive and help bees sur vive the winter

RE M O VA BL E F L O O R ventilation in hot weather

REMOVABLE FLOOR COMB HIVE comes with top bars designed to be milled with a wedge to ensure comb is built straight and is more secured onto the bar. Top

Floor slides out to allow for

C N C M IL L E D D E S IGN -

Designed to be milled out of wood for easy assembly and fabrication

CNC MILLED DESIGN

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GET T ING S TART ED

BEEKEEPING S UPPL IES

BE E K E E P IN G S U P P L IE S C O M B

THE TOOLS YOU NEED

Working with bees requires some basic tools, learn about what you need and where you can buy them.

BEEKEEPER’S JACKET / VEIL You may want a full beekeeper’s suit, as seen on tv, but all you need is a way to protect your face and body, preventing the bees from flying into your clothes. As long as you wear long pants that aren’t too baggy, you really only need a jacket. Prices vary greatly, but there is ultimately no big difference, although a lighter weight is recommended since most of ”active” beekeeping is during the warm weather. This might make you think the bees are aggressive, but with up to 60,000 bees, you have to be smart, and the bees are a curious creatures, they like dark crevices like shirt sleeves and even ear canals.

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BEEKEEPER’S GLOVES

THE TOOLS YOU NEED

Working with bees requires some basic tools, learn about what you need and where you can buy them.

Gloves help protect your arms and hands from being stung, in case a bee is defending its hive. Some people feel they have less control when using gloves, and that it cause overheating , ultimately gloves are not necessary and more about preference.

BEE BRUSH

BEEKEEPER’S JACKET / VEIL You may want a full beekeeper’s suit, as seen on tv, but all you need is a way to protect your face and body, preventing the bees from flying into your clothes. As long as you wear long pants that aren’t too baggy, you really only need a jacket. Prices vary greatly, but there is ultimately no big difference, although a lighter weight is recommended since most of ”active” beekeeping is during the warm weather. This might make you think the bees are aggressive, but with up to 60,000 bees, you have to be smart, and the bees are a curious creatures, they like dark crevices like shirt sleeves and even ear canals.

BEEKEEPER’S GLOVES Gloves help protect your arms and hands from being stung, in case a bee is defending its hive. Some people feel they have less control when using gloves, and that it cause overheating , ultimately gloves are not necessary and more about preference.

BEE BRUSH

You will use your bee brush when inspecting you comb or removing full honey comb to extract your honey. Just brush your bees off the comb and back into the hive and you will be able to remove the comb from the hive. With the COMB HIVE, you can store your brush in the front pocket so it is not forgotten whenever you visit your hive.

HIVE TOOL A hive tool is necessary when working with your beehive. use it to scrape away propo lis and wax and to loosen and lift you top bars. Told come in a few varieties, and is all dependent on your preference. Don’t ever forget your hive tool by storing it in th COMB HIVE front pocket.

BE E K E E P E R’ S J A C K E T / V E IL -

You need to protect yourself, even though bees don’t want to sting you, there’s a chance they could fly into your shir t and accidentally sting you.

BE E K E E P E R’ S GL O V E S

- Some people like to where gloves to protect there hands when dealing with the hive.

BE E BRU S H -

A brush is used to brush bees of f the honeycomb when inspecting or collecting honeycomb.

H IV E T O O L -

Helps lift top bars and scrape propolis.

BEE HIVE SMOKER You will want to use your smoker every time you visit your hive. Smoke calms down bees, and bee smokers are designed to produce cool smoke. Just remember, a little  smoke goes a long way, don’t over smoke your bees.

STARTER KITS

BE E H IV E S M O K E R bees before inspection.

Smoke the hive to relax the

You can get a lot of these tools together in a starter kit to make life just that much easier.

S TA RT E R K IT S -

You will use your bee brush when inspecting you comb or removing full honey comb to extract your honey. Just brush your bees off the comb and back into the hive and you will be able to remove the comb from the hive. With the COMB HIVE, you can store your brush in the front pocket so it is not forgotten whenever you visit your hive. POLLEN PATTIES When starting your hive, its good to have a pollen patty, which is a supplement for pollen and high in protein. While the new colony is getting settled in its home, its helpful to give a boost to help them out. Pollen Patties can be placed on top of the Top Bars or at the bottom/floor of your COMB HIVE. You can purchase pre-made patties or powder to make your own.

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“BE E K E E P IN G S U P P L IE S ” ed u ca t es t h e n ew b eekeep er o n w h a t t o o ls t h ey w ill n eed w it h lin ks o n w ere t o b u y t h em.

You can buy some tools together.

P O L L E N PAT T IE S -

Bees need extra nourishment when first introduced to the hive, pollen patties have protein and are good to have when star ting a hive.

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CA R E

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GET KNOW YOU R TO H IKNOW V E YOUR HIVE With so much buzzing and no name tags, it’s hard to know who is in your

hive, here is a broken down understanding of what’s going on inside your hive

KNOW YOUR HIV E

K N O W Y O U R H IV E

BEES QUEEN The Queen is the ruler of the hive, as the name would suggest. She is the only member of the colony to lay fertilized eggs and is responsible for the growth and success/strength of the hive. The queen is capable of producing up to 1,500 eggs a day and in fact mates early in life and ends up storing millions of sperm within her body. Queens will cease laying eggs in early October and will not produce again until early next Spring. Queen bees are able to live up to 5 years, but normally only live 2-3 years. Remember to purchase a Queen Bee that is marked, when ordering your bees so you know who she is, but you can also recognize her by her extra large body, especially during egg-laying season.

DRONES Drones are the male bees of the hive, ad are have the largest heads within the entire colony. Their function in life is to fertilize the Queen to keep the colony growing. Drones become sexually mature, a week after emerging from their cells, and die immediately after mating, thought it might take time until they actually mate wit the queen.

WORKERS Worker bees are female bees and the smallest of all the bees and make up the majority of the hive. Workers forage for pollen, nectar, and water, build comb and honey, clean the hive and comb, rake care of the queen, and protect the hive from “enemies” and threats. Workers can live up to 6 months, but n the summer time live only about 6 weeks.

BROOD Brood refers to the stages of development of a bee from egg to “new born”. Brood begin as eggs laid by the queen in the bottom of a cell in the comb and after 4 days hatched into larvae. the larvae should be pearly white and curled in a “C” shape. The drone cells are capped after 5.5 - 6.5 days old. The period just after the cell is capped is called the prepupal stage. The larvae starts to turn into adult bees while the hive is capped and is referred to as pupae. Eyes are formed, asw ell as color and “hair”. New workers emerge 12 days after their cells have been capped , drones emerge 14.5 days after their cells have been capped, and queens emerge 7.5 days after their cells have been capped.

WORKERS Worker bees are female bees and the smallest of all the bees and make up the majority of the hive. Workers forage for pollen, nectar, and water, build comb and honey, clean the hive and comb, rake care of the queen, and protect the hive from “enemies” and threats. Workers can live up to 6 months, but n the summer time live only about 6 weeks.

“K N O W Y O U R H IV E ” ed u ca t es t h e n ew b eekeep er o n w h a t go es o n in s id e t h e h iv e a n d mo re a b o u t b ees a n d h o w t h ey w o rk a s a co lo n y BE E S -

BROOD

HONEY

Brood refers to the stages of development of a bee from egg to “new born”. Brood begin as eggs laid by the queen in the bottom of a cell in the comb and after 4 days hatched into larvae. the larvae should be pearly white and curled in a “C” shape. The drone cells are capped after 5.5 - 6.5 days old. The period just after the cell is capped is called the prepupal stage. The larvae starts to turn into adult bees while the hive is capped and is referred to as pupae. Eyes are formed, as well as color and “hair”. New workers emerge 12 days after their cells have been capped , drones emerge 14.5 days after their cells have been capped, and queens emerge 7.5 days after their cells have been capped.

BROOD

HIVE ORDER The front of the hive is where the entrances are place, easily identified on the COMB HIVE by the 3 holes at one end of the hive. At the front of the hive, the colony builds its brood comb, typically for 20 bars, and at the back is where the hive stores its honey comb. You can tell the difference between honey comb and brood comb by the color of how it is capped, brood comb is capped with a dark amber color, while honey is capped with a pale yellow color.

PROPOLIS You will start seeing a red or brown resin around the hive, between the bars and sealing any cracks in your hive, that is propolis. It’s extremely strong and sticky and is often referred to as “bee glue”, which is why you will need a tool to lift your top bars... they will get stuck down and attached to other bars with propolis. There are many benefits and uses of propolis if you decide to harvest it.

.

There are three dif fer nt types of bees in a colony, the Queen, the Drones, and the Worker bees. There is also the brood, the lar vae before they become bees.

H IV E O RD E R -

At the front of the hive lives the Queen, where she plants the eggs in comb (brood), and in the back the bees make and store the honey.

BE E D A N C E S HONEY

BROOD

S WA RM IN G -

HIVE ORDER The front of the hive is where the entrances are place, easily identified on the COMB HIVE by the 3 holes at one end of the hive. At the front of the hive, the colony builds its brood comb, typically for 20 bars, and at the back is where the hive stores its honey comb. You can tell the difference between honey comb and brood comb by the color of how it is capped, brood comb is capped with a dark amber color, while honey is capped with a pale yellow color.

Bees communicate through “dancing”.

ROUND DANCE

WAGGLE DANCE

BEE DANCES

Bees will swar m and fly away from the hive if the hive is too small, if it is too hot, or if the queen is too old.

Worker bees “dance” to communicate to each other, which is just one of the amazing social behaviors f bees. There is the Round dance for if there is food source 25-100 meters away from the hive or closer. The round dance doesn’t point the bees in any direction of the food source, but bees watching the round dance can small the flower left over on the bee. There is the Waggle Dance for food sources over 100 meters away. The waggle dance includes information of the dirction of the food source as well as the energy it will take to get there. For example a bee may dance 8-9 “rounds” in 15 seconds to indicate a food source 200 meters away, where as 4-5 “rounds” is for a food source 1000 meters away, The bee indicates the direction of the food by the way she faces during the portion of the dance when she waggles. Bees can fly up to seven miles for their food sources, but after fours miles of travel distance, often bees get lost or too weak to return to the hive and die.

SWARMING

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Swarming takes place when the queen bee leaves the colony with a large group of worker bees, about 60%. There are three main reasons for swarming: congestion - there are too many bees in the hive and no cells for the queen to lay eggs in. heat - when the hive is overheating, bees will not want to stay inside the hive and may swarm away. old queen - an older queen’s pheromone production reduces with age, the bees sense a lack of queen pheromone in their food exchange and the swarming impulse is triggered. You will notice brood cells that look like peanuts where new queen bees eggs have been laid and all other brood cells have been capped, at this point you should contact your beekeeping community for a new queen bee and guidance in preventing the swarm from leaving the hive.

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WINTERING

WIN T E RIN G

C O M B

WINTERING

The largest risk to losing a colony of bees is over winter. Bees need to have a sufficient amount of honey to feed off of over the winter, and a queen that will lead the colony to keep shaking their bee bodies to stay warm as a colony. There are some other factors that contribute to success, learn how to protect your hive.

C O M B

WINTERING

The largest risk to losing a colony of bees is over winter. Bees need to have a sufficient amount of honey to feed off of over the winter, and a queen that will lead the colony to keep shaking their bee bodies to stay warm as a colony. There are some other factors that contribute to success, learn how to protect your hive.

HONEY Bees only source of food during the winter is there own honey, as they can’t travel away from the colony, or else they will die. It is important to leave about 70lbs of honey, about 7-8 boards full of honey comb, to feed the bees. In warmer states you may not need as much honey but in colder more northern states you may need a bit more, consult your beekeeping community for best personal guidance. A good way to ensue your bees with have honey is to use the COMB HIVE Sugar Water Feeder, especially in the fall season when there may not be enough nectar. The bees can build up a honey supply with the sugar water you provide.

CONDENSATION

HONEY Bees only source of food during the winter is there own honey, as they can’t travel away from the colony, or else they will die. It is important to leave about 70 lbs of honey, about 7-8 boards full of honey comb, to feed the bees. In warmer states you may not need as much honey but in colder more northern states you may need a bit more, consult your beekeeping community for best personal guidance. A good way to ensue your bees with have honey is to use the COMB HIVE Sugar Water Feeder, especially in the fall season when there may not be enough nectar. The bees can build up a honey supply with the sugar water you provide.

CONDENSATION Condensation is a big killer to bees in the winter time. It’s freezing cold outside and the bees are making a really warm environment inside the hive, so condensation starts to build up on the roof. If h cold condensation falls on the bees it could instantaneously kill them. COMB HIVE is designed with an angled roof to guide condensation down to the edge and away from falling directly on the bees. An extra step you can take to preventing against condensation is to fill the space between the top bars and the roof with wood chips or old jeans etc.

INSULATION

“WIN T E RIN G” ed u ca t es t h e n ew b eekeep er o n h o w t o t a ke ca re o f yo u r b ees o v er w in t er, a s t h a t u s t h e t ime mo s t likely f o r co lo n ies t o d ie. . HONEY -

Bees need to eat over winter, and that is what honey is for, don’t har vest all of the honey so they have enough stock to sur vive winter.

C O N D E N S AT IO N -

Condensation builds when the bees produce heat inside and it is freezing outside, if it falls and falls on the bees, it will kill them.

IN S U L AT IO N -

COMB HIVE comes with oppor tunity to add insulation for over winter.

When it is really cold, it helps to add extra insulation to your hive to help keep it warm. Just as filling the space between the top bars and the roof with wood chips or old jeans protects against condensation, this will also create insulation to keep your bees warm. You can also straps insulation around your hive, either sheets of foam or even hay/straw.

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TIPS & TRICKS TO BEE-ING A BEEKEEPER

There’s no right way to bee keep, with 2 beekeepers, there will be three opinions, but its good to start with one guiding set of rules and to grow and evolve as you become a confident beekeeper. These tips and tricks will help get you started into the world of beekeeping with confidence.

TIPS & TRICKS

T IP S & T RIC K S

WATER SOURCE Bees need water to make their wax and comb, and just to drink in general, like any living creature, especially in the heat of the summer. When bees find a water source they stick with it so it is important to designate a water source for them early so they do not disturb your neighbors by using their pools or bee baths. Bees look for a water source about 20 - 30 ft away, too close to their hive and they will feel it will have been contaminated from their own waste excrements. A big concern is that bees can’t swim and can easily drown! Whatever you use (a bucket, bird bath, or small pond), make sure it is filled with either rocks for a lot of landing space or filled with mulch which will float on the top and act as a landing pad.

ROOFTOP

BACKYARD

GARDEN

LOCATION - ROOF, BACKYARD, OR GARDEN

WAT E R S O U RC E -

When starting a beehive, a big decision is where you will put it...

As the hive grows, you will want to start introducing more top bars for the give to grow and build, this is when you will want to use “domino-ing”. When moving the false back further and further back, introduce new top bars in between top bars that already have comb started, this well keep the hive tidy and orderly.

STRAIGHT BEE COMB To have a successful top bar hive, it is crucial the combs are built straight, if one comb gets crooked, all the combs following that one will be crooked, you won’t be able to remove the combs without damaging them. COMB HIVE comes with top bars designed to be milled with a wedge to ensure comb is built straight and is more secured onto the bar. A good tip when starting your hive is to line the edge of the wedges with bee’s wax to help the bees keep their combs straight. If you start to see a crooked comb forming, it is easy to fix this when the hive is first beginning. Take your hive tool and straighten the comb by pressing on it lightly in the direction that it needs to go, but not too hard as the new comb is very delicate.

“T IP S & T RIC K S ” ed u ca t es t h e n ew b eekeep er b y s h a rin g t h e b a s ics t o ca rin g f o r yo u r b ees .

ROOF - If you have access to a rooftop, that is a great place to keep your beehive, especially if there is a garden up there as well, your garden will be extra successful and you can reap the benefits of a healthy garden and a healthy hive with lots of honey. Just remember wind is extra intense so high up so place your hive near an existing wall boundary to protect against and break the wind. BACKYARD - If you have a backyard, you are ready for a hive, keep growing your garden with flowers and fruits and vegetables. Just consider your neighbors and talk to them before starting a hive. A helpful way to keep your hive in a back yard is placing it near a fence or tall wall, this will cause the bees flight path to be higher up and less likely to bother your neighbors, they might not even realize you have a hive, other than their flowers and gardens having great success. GARDEN - If you don’t have access to a roof or backyard, don’t give up on having a beehive, there are so many urban garden’s popping up all over your city, they would love to reap the benefits of your bees, while you reap the benefits of your honey. Contact your local beekeeping community (possibly listed on this site), to find out about potential locations to start your hive.

Most people don’t know that bees need water like any animal, lear n how and where you should place a water source for your hive.

L O C AT IO N -

You can place your hive on a rooftop, or in a backyard or garden.

VENTILATION Bees create a lot of heat flying around inside their hive, especially in summer time when it is already so hot. When the hive is overheating, bees will not want to stay inside the hive and may swarm away. COMB HIVE has a removable floor board to increase ventilation and cool down a hive in the summer time, and a crack at the back of the roof for more air flow. Just install some #8 mesh wire in the designated slots in the bottom of the hive (listed in HIVE ADD-ONS), and during the warm seasons, remove your floor and ventilate your hive.

V E N T IL AT IO N -

Bees need ventilation, and COMB HIVE has a removable floor board for that reason.

D IV ID E R BO A RD S -

HANDLING TOP BARS As top bars fill with comb and that comb fills with brood or honey, they get heavy and delicate. The wedge shape f the top bars ensures a secure connection to the comb. But you still nee to be carefully when handling your top bars. Follow the diagram below.

DIVIDER BOARDD

OMINOING

DIVIDER BOARDS & DOMINOING

ROTATE AROUND TOP BAR HOLD EDGES OF TOP BAR

COMB HIVE comes with a divider board (sometimes referred to as false backs or follower boards), which looks like a top bard but then continues down to create a false-back to your top bar hive. When starting a hive you will want to place the divide board where the tenth bar would be. This focuses the bees in a smaller ares so they can focus on building up there hive from one end to the other, and building the hive in a tidy and orderly fashion.

DO NOT FLIP WHERE COMB WILL BREAK ITSELF

As the hive grows, you will want to start introducing more top bars for the give to grow and build, this is when you will want to use “domino-ing”. When moving the false back further and further back, introduce new top bars in between top bars that already have comb started, this well keep the hive tidy and orderly.

STRAIGHT BEE COMB To have a successful top bar hive, it is crucial the combs are built straight, if one comb gets crooked, all the combs following that one will be crooked, you won’t be able to remove the combs without damaging them. COMB HIVE comes with top bars designed to be milled with a wedge to ensure comb is built straight and is more secured onto the bar. A good tip when starting your hive is to line the edge of the wedges with bee’s wax to help the bees keep their combs straight. If you start to see a crooked comb forming, it is easy to fix this when the hive is first beginning. Take your hive tool and straighten the comb by pressing on it lightly in the direction that it needs to go, but not too hard as the new comb is very delicate.

When star ting a hive you need a smaller space, COMB comes with a divider board to make the hive smaller initially

S T RA IGH T BE E C O M B -

Honeycomb needs to be built striaght or the whole hive will be damaged.

H A N D L IN G T O P BA RS -

Top Bars are delicate when filled with heavy honeycomb, and must be handled with care.

HANDLING TOP BARS As top bars fill with comb and that comb fills with brood or honey, they get heavy and delicate. The wedge shape f the top bars ensures a secure connection to the comb. But you still nee to be carefull when handling your top bars. Follow the diagram below.

ROTATE AROUND TOP BAR

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HOLD EDGES OF TOP BAR

DO NOT FLIP WHERE COMB WILL BREAK ITSELF

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C O N N E CTI O N S

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CONNECTICUT:

SOUTHWESTERN CONNECTICUT - Backyard Beekeepers

CO N NEC T IONS

“CONNE CT IONS” i s abou t f o rgin g b o n d s b et w een t h e new cu stomer, commu ni ti es , ma n u f a ct u rers , a s w ell a s COMB i tsel f... COMMUNIT IE S -

Database connects you to beekeeping communities near

CNC MILLING -

Database connects the new beekeeper to shops and facilities that can mill out the purchased COMB HIVE design.

ILLINOIS:

CHICAGO - Windy City Beekeepers Chicago , Garfield Conservatory ,



MeetUps

CONTACT -

Questions and comments are welcome by all, and additions to the “communities” and “cnc milling” databases are appreciated as well.

NEW YORK:

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NEW YORK CITY - NYC Bees , Honeybee Lives , MeetUps ,



NYC Beekeeping

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I WOULD LIKE TO THANK... All the beekeepers who shared their knowledge and feedback and lit my passion for bees. My past employers who have greatly influenced me in design and in life. UCID16, these past 5 years would not have been the same, and I wont forget the happy and painful memories. My sisters and brother-in-laws, who always support me and think of me when they see something related to the design world. Last but not least my parents who have helped me more than anyone else, supported me and have been my biggest fans, I love you.

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