Do-it-yourself Ukrainian beehive lounger drawings. Convenient and practical Ukrainian beehive

The question of how to move bees from Dadanov hives to Ukrainian ones arises among beekeepers who want to keep bees in Ukrainian hives, but have started keeping bees in Dadanov hives. Or from beekeepers who are trying to find better conditions for keeping bees.

The vast majority of apiaries contain bees in hives on a Dadan frame. Package beekeeping is also designed mainly for the Dadan frame.

The dimensions of the Dadanov frame are 435 - 300 mm. The Ukrainian frame is the same size, but only turned vertically.

Hives on the Dadanov and Ukrainian frames have their advantages and disadvantages. Both have their fans.

But, in this article we will not talk about the advantages and disadvantages of hives, but about how to relocate bees without a supply of dry land, that is, to “bare” foundation. And at the same time, it is not possible to significantly reduce the apiary’s indicators for commercial honey.

At one time I tried to switch to Ukrainian beehives. First, I bought two Ukrainians and populated them with bees.

But, after keeping the bees in them for several years, I was forced to abandon them.

20 frame Ukrainian sun loungers are not enough for the development of one family, and therefore families swarmed a lot.

I also didn’t start making a store for the Ukrainian hive, because this is another type of frame to those already existing in my apiary: Dadanov’s standard and half-frames, Ukrainian.

There was no Internet before, there was not enough information, and therefore the Ukrainians did not know how to solve the problem.

I tried using a separating grid, but this did not solve the problem.

I was quite good at beekeeping in Dadan's beds with a half-frame magazine.

And as you know, they don’t seek goodness from goodness. So I refused to use Ukrainian hives.

Now I found out that beekeepers successfully keep bees in Ukrainian hives, on which a magazine is placed on a Dadan half-frame.

The half-frames stand across the nesting frames.

So I remembered how I moved bees from Dadanov’s hives to Ukrainian ones. Maybe in the future I’ll make stores branded “Ukrainian”.

Preparing for relocation

Dadanovsky hive - a lounger with a frame.

Relocating bees from Dadan's hives to Ukrainian ones is not difficult if there is a supply of land within the Ukrainian framework.

In this case, you can immediately chicken out the bees into the hive on Ukrainian frames.

It is best to carry out such an operation in early spring, when the families have not yet gained much strength and there is not yet much seeding within the Dadan framework.

But how to resettle if there is no supply of land, and at the same time not lose the apiary’s indicators for commercial honey?

The best thing that can be done is to populate the Ukrainians by placing them in hives on frames with foundation. Early swarms are able to build a nest of 20 frames.

And next year, there will already be some supply of sushi in the Ukrainian frame.

But not everyone likes to work with swarms because of the difficulties of removing them, as well as their possible flight.

To carry out the resettlement operation without a supply of land, it is necessary to have a bribe in nature. Or you need to organize feeding the bees with syrup.

It is best to carry out such an operation when gardens are blooming, acacia is blooming, or before the main harvest.

The weather in my area is bad when gardens bloom. It can be cold, rain, sometimes even snow.

Before the main bribe, it is not profitable to relocate bees due to possible losses in commercial honey. And there is a risk that the bees will not completely rebuild the Ukrainian framework and will not store up their honey reserves in the winter.

The best time to move bees is before taking a bribe from the acacia tree.

If standard Dadan frames are used in the apiary, and the Ukrainian frames that will be used are also standard, then Ukrainian frames are prepared in advance.

To do this, they cut off the shoulders of the Dadan frame, turn it over vertically, and come up with some kind of device for placing such frames in Ukrainian hives.

You can hammer in nails and thus make hangers, or attach a thin bar to place the converted frame in the hive.

I prepared a small number of such converted frames, only 2-3 per family.

The bee family needs them so that the queen will sow eggs in them for some time, until the bees leave the Ukrainian frame.

The rest of the frames were placed with foundation, depending on the strength of the family.

Relocation

Having prepared the Ukrainian hives and frames in advance, they do everything as with the usual transfer of families.

The Dadanovsky hive is put back, and in its place is the Ukrainian one with prepared frames.

If you see a uterus on the frame, you need to transplant it manually, holding it by the wings with tweezers or your hands. Thus, protecting yourself from the possible death of the uterus during family relocation.

Having shaken out all the bees from Dadan's frames, the free hive is moved to the side.

Seeding in Dadan's framework can be given to other families. You can immediately cut off the hangers and, having converted the frame into a Ukrainian one, give it to the family.

Dadan's honey frames, along with the free hive, are carried away from the apiary. Then these frames with honey are printed out and placed one by one in the Ukrainian hive for the family at an angle behind the guard board.

In a week, a bee family in a Ukrainian hive will build a new nest. It is only necessary to periodically check and correct possible impulses.

It’s one thing when a family gets 1-2 frames with foundation. But if there are 5 - 10 of them, then the foundation often breaks due to the mass of bees.

In the future, care will be like a regular family.

And next year there will be a supply of Ukrainian frames with dry land and several more families can be resettled in early spring. Or, using previous experience, relocate all bee colonies.

I told you how to move bees from Dadanovsky hives to Ukrainian ones without a supply of sushi and without possible losses in the apiary in commercial honey.

I admit that bees can be relocated in the same way and vice versa: from Ukrainian hives to Dadanov hives, if the frames used in the hives are standard.

Important!!!

It is necessary to relocate bees from Dadanov hives to Ukrainian ones on frames with foundation if there is a good supply.

Bees only produce good wax during a honeybee, and they are able to build many frames. If there is no bribe, then organize feeding the people with syrup.

The best time to relocate bees is in the spring. Over the summer they will completely rebuild their nest and feed in the winter.

Video, transplanting a family from a sunbed to a multi-hull hive.

Video, Ukrainian frame in a Dadan lounger.

This hive, like the Dadan hive, is suitable for novice beekeepers, since the design of this hive is very simple. Making such a hive with your own hands is quite simple.

Design Features

This hive was created by the famous Polish beekeeper Kazimir Levitsky (1847-1902). Due to the simplicity of the design, as well as the narrow, high frame, this hive became widespread, and later it became known as “Ukrainian”. There are many variations of the hive, accommodating from 14 to 24 frames. The main dimensions of the hive were approved back in 1981. The basis of the hive (taking into account the bee space) is a narrow, high frame, the dimensions of which are 435x300 mm.

Advantages

• Ease of manufacture;
• There are no additional extensions (magazines or housings);
• One standard (size) frame;
• Possibility to place several layers or cores in the hive;
• 6-8 frames are enough for bees to winter, due to the fact that the main supply of food is located above the bee club;
• The high walls of the hive are better heated by the sun, which is very important during spring development.

Flaws

• Large weight and dimensions of the hive;
• Non-demountable design;
• There is no possibility to increase the volume of the nest;
• Poor air exchange during wintering.

Making a Ukrainian beehive

The hive has frame rectangular shape, roof and permanent bottom. The internal space of the hive is limited (if necessary) by diaphragms. The bottom and side walls are made of boards 28x140 mm, the end walls are made of boards measuring 33x140 mm.

The dimensions of the hive are 649x800x430 mm.

When spliced, boards can be joined in any convenient way (tongue and groove, quarter, etc.)

Roof shield made from boards 22 mm thick, the workpiece can be an “inch” 150 mm wide. The roof is covered with galvanized iron or roofing felt or similar materials.

The entrance has dimensions: height 12-15, width 120-180 mm. The number of entrances depends on the number of frames that fit into the hive. They also make both top and tapholes in the end walls.

Painting This can be done with any available wood paints, but the best paint for painting hives is acrylic. By using white acrylic paint, you get: the ability to obtain any colors and shades of the hive, the reliability of the protective coating, quick drying (within 30 minutes) and the absence of unpleasant odors.

When making a hive with your own hands, the main dimensions can be taken from the drawing below.

Since the middle of the 19th century, the efforts of beekeepers have been aimed at finding the optimal frame sizes and the corresponding types of hives. Opinions were divided: some preferred low-wide frames, others preferred narrow-high ones.

One of the supporters of the narrow-high frame was the Polish beekeeper Kazimir Levitsky. The hives he developed became widespread in Poland and Ukraine. The popularity of the Levitsky hive was facilitated by the ease of working with it. Neither second hulls nor extensions were needed. When assembling nests for the winter, it was enough to leave six or seven combs filled with food in the upper part, and success was guaranteed. The bees form a club, the diameter of which approximately corresponds to the width of the frame. A narrow and long nest warms the bees well, which contributes to the intensive development of the colony in early spring.

Established by the beginning of the 20th century. The huge variety of hives acutely raised the question of their standardization and unification. The congress of beekeepers held in January 1918 in Kyiv adopted uniform sizes and recommended the main types of hives for them. The dimensions of the hive frames established by the congress (435x300; 435x230; 435x145 mm) are strictly observed to this day.

Later, a somewhat modernized hive, proposed by K. Levitsky, began to be called Ukrainian. Its first description was made by V.Yu. Shimanovsky in 1923.

The Ukrainian hive (Fig. 1) consists of a body, a roof, two diaphragms, 16 nesting frames and a permanent bottom. Case length 686 mm, width 381 and height 507 mm. The thickness of the front and rear walls is 33 mm, the sides and bottom are 28 mm. The walls and bottom are assembled from separate plots, joined together into a strip with glue. At the corners the walls are connected into quarters.

In the right wall of the case at the bottom there is an vent 115 mm high, closed with a special lid (bushing). On top of the outer edge of the body there is a rebate 6 mm deep and 16 mm wide for installing the roof edging, and on the inner edge of the front and rear walls there is a rebate 8 mm wide and 22 mm deep for the hangers of the frames.

A taphole 15 mm high and 160-200 mm wide is cut into the front wall. It is shifted to the left of the center, covered with a mesh that folds down and also serves as an arrival board. Depending on the beekeeping method used, one or two more holes can be made in the hive.

The roof of the hive is single-pitched, attached with hinges at its high side to the front wall of the hive. The roof consists of a frame and a shield. The walls of the trim are connected to each other in a quarter. The thickness of the longitudinal walls is 33 mm, the side walls are 28 mm. The shield is assembled from boards 22 mm thick, joined together into a batten. Ventilation windows 15 mm high and 100 mm wide, barred from the inside with mesh, are cut into the side walls of the frame. The top of the shield is covered with roofing sheet with edges curved downwards.

The Ukrainian hive is equipped with 16 frames (300x435 mm) without permanent dividers. The upper bar has dimensions of 330x22x8 mm, the bottom - 312x12x8 mm and two side bars - 419x22x8 mm; The dimensions of the hangers of the knocked together frames are 15 mm. The bottom strip is nailed to the end of the side strips and protrudes from the sides by 6 mm, forming wall dividers.

Diaphragms serve to limit the nest, and, if necessary, to separate two families. Each is a shield made of individual planks 13-20 mm thick. It is suspended in the hive using the top bar on the quarters of the body. The diaphragm fits closely to the walls of the hive, and is 10 mm away from the bottom.

Ukrainian hives with a narrow, high frame are not very popular among beekeepers, however, they have a number of advantages compared to other hive designs. Especially in the northern regions. But of course, the Ukrainian hive is not for everyone; the beekeeper needs to get used to the narrow, high frame.

Nevertheless, Ukrainian hives exist in different designs, from 12 to 24 frames, for warm and cold drift with and without extensions.

In this case, there are drawings of a Ukrainian hive for a narrow high frame with two extensions. The body is designed for 12 narrow, high frames located for a warm skid.

The extensions are designed with a frame size of 230*435, i.e. Ruth frames. Each extension includes 8 frames located for cold skidding.

Such a hive ultimately provides a capacity of 12 Dadan frames (albeit inverted) and 16 Rutov frames, which is quite enough for the development of a family and good honey collection, especially if there is a supply of Rutov sushi. Such hives are especially good in areas with poor honey production.

The extensions, even with full-copper frames, are not as heavy as the second bodies of the Dadan hive.

The design of such a Ukrainian hive allows you to combine the advantages of a hive with a narrow-high frame and a multi-body hive.

see also

In order to better understand the features of keeping bees in such hives, let's delve a little deeper into history. The very first evidence of a similar type was invented by the Polish beekeeper Kazimir Levitsky back in the 1870s. His invention gained the greatest popularity at the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th centuries in Poland and Ukraine. Therefore, later such a design began to be called a Ukrainian beehive or a lounger with a narrow, high frame. Today they represent a slightly simplified Levitsky design.

Very often you can hear that Ukrainian is a peasant version. This is due primarily to the simplicity of its design. Peasants engaged in agriculture and hard work especially appreciated the easy maintenance of bees in these hives. There are no stores or additional buildings, I installed 20 frames and freely keep bees. However, with the emergence of the low Dadan frame, the Ukrainian lounger became a little forgotten.

As for the general features, it has the same design as the Dadan-Blat wide frame lounger hives. It can accommodate 16, 18 or 20 frames with a width of 30 and a height of 43.5 centimeters. On top of the nest itself, during a heavy bribe, it is possible to place a small magazine.

Advantages and disadvantages

The Ukrainian Ulik lounger with a high frame has a number of advantages and disadvantages. First of all, its shape is very close to a hollow or log, where there is room for the vertical natural development of bees. It also creates comfortable conditions for wintering bees. The high frame is ideal for keeping the family warm and foraging. In addition, the design of this hive allows it to safely contain two families or one with.

The Ukrainian lounger is well suited for, since it does not require a lot of work and dragging heavy bodies. Its design allows you to grow a large, strong family during the main honey harvest.

It’s easy to look for the queen in it, you don’t need to work with the bodies, and it’s easy to make layering in a bee family. As for the disadvantages, beekeepers note only a few: large size and bulkiness, as well as inconvenience to place in the winter hut.

How to make Ukrainian evidence yourself?

In order to make such a bed for your bees, you should know its design. You can see it in more detail in the photo and video. So, a finished hive for a high frame has 20 frames, a body, and a diaphragm. The front and rear walls of the lounger are insulated with foam plastic or several boards with internal insulation. In the rear part it is necessary to make a door for cleaning the hive and observing the bee family, and at the front there are two entrances.

Dimensions

• The thickness of the outer walls is 15 mm;
• The thickness of the internal walls is 25 mm;
• Case length – 83 cm;
• Case width – 44 cm;
• Height – 60 cm.

It is important to note that the detailed design and use of this hive was described in his book “Bees for Joy” by Fyodor Lazutin. He gives the following dimensions of the case: length - 94 cm, height 52 and width - 45 cm.

Tools

• The starting material is a dry board with a cross-section of 50x150 mm;
• Plywood for interior decoration;
• Lining for the outside;
• Hinges, nails, screws, rafters;
• File, knife, hammer, drill;
• Ruler, pencil for notes.

Step-by-step instruction

In order for you to better understand the process of assembling the hive, we offer you drawings and drawings with a sequence.

1. We prepare all materials, including boards for assembling the body and parts.
2. We start with the side walls of the frame. To do this, we assemble parts 1, 2 and 3. See the drawings.
3. We connect the side walls using horizontal bars, as in drawings 2 and 3.
4. In the locations of the tap holes, vertical bars should be inserted on the front wall, on the back wall and with a size of 20x50 mm in the corners to connect the plywood. See Figure 4.
5. We make the bottom frame from 40x40 mm bars, as in Figure 7.
6. We make the liner.
7. Then we move on to installing the rafters (Figure 9), making a stand for the hive and legs.
8. We finish by finishing the interior with plywood and exterior lining. This will create a more comfortable microclimate in the hives and protect them from rain, wind and cold.

Video “Ukrainian Hive | Review of a sun lounger with a narrow-high frame"

In this video you can see a homemade Ukrainian evidence on a narrow, high frame. You can do this option too; the Beekeeping and Nature channel tells and shows everything in detail.