About the Thriving Hive and the Renaissance Beekeeper
The Thriving Hive was a concept of learning more about bees and their forage, and incorporating what was learned into a system of beekeeping that was more aligned with how the bees live. Through observation, it was realized that the bees of each area have a "trajectory" that leads to surviving winter, and those that are on the wrong trajectory almost always failed. Most of beekeeping doesn't consider this "trajectory" for the bees, but instead follows a plan that was established by commercial beekeeping, from days before Varroa, and with the sole purpose of honey production, and selling bees.
The idea of a Renaissance Beekeeper, is one that looks at the past and many modalities to find better working solutions that follow a "less is more" philosophy, and through this relationship the bees do better because of the beekeeper, than they would be able to do without them!
The idea of a Renaissance Beekeeper, is one that looks at the past and many modalities to find better working solutions that follow a "less is more" philosophy, and through this relationship the bees do better because of the beekeeper, than they would be able to do without them!
The Renaissance Hive, a Bee First Approach to Beekeeping
After 10 years of doing bee removals, I started to see how counter intuitive most bee boxes were to how the bees actually live--especially when looking at how the bees built their hives in man-made spaces in houses and sheds. There started to be a correlation to hive location and the use of the sun--and thermal mass--when choosing where the hive would be located. Brick and stone walls that got evening sun were often used as a passive heat source for cold nights and better brood rearing. The openings of the hives also had comb built in ways that offeree protection from the elements and invaders...while at the same time giving the bees the space to move the air to better manage the inner temperature and humidity of the hive itself. The Renaissance Hive is was built with the idea of "how would the bees build a hive, if they had to do so using Langstroth Frames? Langstroth frames are perhaps the best part of the Langstroth system, but because they are the most common for the US, it only makes sense to use what is readily available, and has foundation and extractors that are both affordable and in many places can be bought locally. People that choose more obscure boxes/frames, find out too late how difficult this makes beekeeping once the bees start to really do well, and extra equipment costs more and takes too long to acquire.
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The Renaissance hive has a completely different design than any other boxes out there. We paint our Renaissance Hives a Charcoal Black color, which most people find hard to believe, but there are several reasons for this color choice and design elements in the box that make it a winning combination. As you can see in the picture to the left, the swarm box has bees bearding on the outside, while the Renaissance Hive that has many more more bees in it--no bees bearding! You'll also notice the shadow on the front of the Renaissance Box reaches down to the bottom of the box. By facing the box to the South, the lid is just long enough to shade the front of the box in the summer, but looking at the picture on the far right--allows the sun to hit the front of the box in the winter! There is also a passive "solar heating" system incorporated in the box that when the sun hits the front of the box, the heat circulates through the box during the day, but also gives added heat to the brood area--allowing for earlier build up in the Spring, and later brood rearing in the Fall. This added heat is just enough that it works for the bees and not against them, but when you consider a 5 to 10 degree difference over the course of the winter...this really adds up and can be the difference of survival or failure! We've overwintered colonies both small and large in the Renaissance Hive, and it's amazing how much better the bees do!
The Openings of the hive are placed on each side of the box, and the openings are much more than you can see from the outside, but since we don't want people copying the hive--which happened when we first launched the Thriving Hive box--all we can really say is that the opening allow the bees the ability to manage the inner temperatures better than other other box out there that we have seen! Not once have we ever seen bearding on this box, and that's in 90+ degrees Fahrenheit temperatures in full sun!
The Openings of the hive are placed on each side of the box, and the openings are much more than you can see from the outside, but since we don't want people copying the hive--which happened when we first launched the Thriving Hive box--all we can really say is that the opening allow the bees the ability to manage the inner temperatures better than other other box out there that we have seen! Not once have we ever seen bearding on this box, and that's in 90+ degrees Fahrenheit temperatures in full sun!
The Renaissance Hive is fully insulated, with more insulation where needed, and less where the passive solar heating can help the bees in brood rearing. the boxes can be shipped, with some assembly of the lid being required, but pick-up might be the better option for those within driving distance of Indiana PA (15701). The current price of the Renaissance Hive is $650, but as 2020 taught us a lesson...that price can change if another event like that ever happens again, or something happens that drastically changes the price and availability of materials!
We are also currently offering the box with a Nucleus Colony of bees as an $800 "package deal". The bees are from our overwintered stock, that we've been spending the last decade building up from local feral bees! We only have 10 hives with bees for the Spring, and will offer 10 more for July. July is actually a great time to start your beekeeping venture, because the bees we offer then will have had their after Summer Solstice brood break, and will be on the right trajectory for winter survival.
The box comes un-painted, but where we use Charcoal Black for our boxes, you can choose any dark color for your box, but do use a GOOD outdoor paint. We also recommend adding more roofing than just the painted plywood--as plywood eventually will start to develop splits that allow water to get into the wood if you don't paint it regularly. The box also includes 2 double-deep opening frames for the brood area, built and designed by William L Erple. If you would like to order a box or to ask more questions, you can email us at the link at the bottom of the page, or call us at 724-471-2281
We are also currently offering the box with a Nucleus Colony of bees as an $800 "package deal". The bees are from our overwintered stock, that we've been spending the last decade building up from local feral bees! We only have 10 hives with bees for the Spring, and will offer 10 more for July. July is actually a great time to start your beekeeping venture, because the bees we offer then will have had their after Summer Solstice brood break, and will be on the right trajectory for winter survival.
The box comes un-painted, but where we use Charcoal Black for our boxes, you can choose any dark color for your box, but do use a GOOD outdoor paint. We also recommend adding more roofing than just the painted plywood--as plywood eventually will start to develop splits that allow water to get into the wood if you don't paint it regularly. The box also includes 2 double-deep opening frames for the brood area, built and designed by William L Erple. If you would like to order a box or to ask more questions, you can email us at the link at the bottom of the page, or call us at 724-471-2281
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About The Frames for the Renaissance HiveThe Renaissance Hive is unique in many ways, but one in particular is the use of 3 different types of Frames being used--all based off the Langstroth Frame. Some of the frames are single deep--which allows you to start your hive with a nucleus colony. Other frames are 2 deep frames connected together that work for the honey area of the box and for easy extraction you simply disconnect the frames. Then there are 2 frames provided with the box that are a double-deep size, but in a single frame. This is for the brood area, and allows the bees to build their brood area the way they choose. These frames are from William L Erpel, who also makes frames for this and other odd sized boxes. If you would like to contact him for more frames, you can email him at bill@erpel.com
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Imagine if we lost power for 5 years...how you would be keeping bees at that point would only be in a sustainable way. You wouldn't have the internet to order things to "treat" you hive with, nor would you be able to have bees shipped to you from far away places. Everything you did with your bees would be done in a way that would be balanced much more in alignment with nature, and in a way that would not be detrimental to the ecology of the hive. The Thriving Hive Box System was built with this principle in mind.
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First-Year/Swarm Box
Bees don't just randomly choose where they are going to move into, that's done as a colony! If you want to catch more swarms, you need to offer the bees a better option than anything else out there, and if you want them to have a fighting chance their first year, you need to offer them a box that they can live in for a year; after all, that was their intention all along when they moved in! The First-Year/Swarm Box was designed to be the right size for most swarms, and to allow your bees to build how they need to to get ready for winter--and to stay in that box until the next Spring when they are ready for real growth and a bigger box to grow in.
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The First-Year Swarm Box is something that has evolved over the past decade, and is one of the best teachers are beekeeper can learn from! In most box systems, the boxes are built for expansion--either by additional space or adding additional boxes. This is not how bees live in feral colonies, and the constant changes made by the beekeeper, keeps them from learning what the bees have to teach them!
The first year for a swarm is all about survival, but most beekeeper catch swarms and push the bees right in to building up bigger and more honey production--which is then removed before winter--this is why many caught swarms don't make it through their first winter. By allowing the bees to stay in the same box they start with--and in a fixed space that cannot be changed--the bees are able to show you how they operate, and teach you what you need to learn about their trajectory and how that works for your area.
The first year for a swarm is all about survival, but most beekeeper catch swarms and push the bees right in to building up bigger and more honey production--which is then removed before winter--this is why many caught swarms don't make it through their first winter. By allowing the bees to stay in the same box they start with--and in a fixed space that cannot be changed--the bees are able to show you how they operate, and teach you what you need to learn about their trajectory and how that works for your area.
Where the Renaissance Hive is insulated, the First-Year Swarm box is only insulated on the lid (boxes in the above picture are many of the variations before the current insulated lid system). Where standard beekeeping "wisdom" suggests the boxes be close together and have wind protection--actual experience teaches that exposure to the sun and thermal mass are much more important to the bees survival over winter. Orienting the boxes so the opening faces South, gives the West side of the box direct exposure to the evening sun. We found that the deep (double-deep frames) narrow box to be more like the hollow tree, and that the bees would avoid using the frame of honey on the West side of the box as a way of collecting and storing the heat from the evening sun! When you think about how a warm, clear sunny day in winter will lead to even colder night...the bees seem to understand how thermal mass works, and how to aid the hives in staying warm on those frigid evenings!
The First-Year Swarm box can be used to catch swarms in your own bee yard--before they locate too high or go to far to retrieve.
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Many of the design elements in the First-Year Swarm box are based off of this tree hive--that just so happened to be 12 years old at the time of this picture.
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Swarm boxes placed in remote areas will get you bees from feral colonies. Most of our boxes are placed in areas that have active bee trees that we've watched for years.
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Getting called for swarms is another way to collect wild bees, and the First-Year Swarm box makes for easy collection of swarms.
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The First-Year Swarm Box comes almost fully assembled, with only the overhang piece that will need to be attached (for shipping purposes. There are no frames in the hive, and you the box will need painted--except for the front opening area that we do paint a dark brown--as this helps with heating the box in winter when the box is appropriately facing South. We recommend a medium dark paint color for the boxes in a high grade outdoor paint. We are now coating the top of the lid with a Truck Bedding coating, but have not had enough time with this coating to know how well or how long it will hold up to the elements. When you purchase the First-Year Swarm Box, you will also receive our E-Book on Catching Swarms. The price of a single box is $189, but we are currently offering a buy one, get the second at 25% off! We also offer a Swarm Catching Class, that if you attend you get 10% off on a single First-Year Swarm Box.
We are located on SubscribeStar as The Renaissance Beekeeper for people that would like more in depth writings and videos on Sustainable Beekeeping practices, along with new ideas that we are working on that we don't share on social media.
The Thriving Hive Bee Box System
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Because we feel the best bees for your area are bees from your area, we like to use the First-Year Swarm Box to catch the bees in, and the Renaissance Hive Box to move them into. The best case scenario is to have the Renaissance Box for your honey production, and the First-Year Swarm Box as a back up hive incase anything goes wrong in your main box.
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FAQ's About The Renaissance Hive and First-Year Swarm Boxes
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How do you extract the honey? The frames for the boxes are standard deep frames, where the bottom frame has the "ears" cut off, and the two are zip-tied together. To extract honey you simply snip the zip-ties and the frames easily separate.
How do you keep the queen out of the honey? This is a question asked only by people that have used Langstroth boxes. In a natural hive the bees keep the brood in one area--it would be impractical to spread it out--so the brood stays in one place, and all surplus honey goes to the sides of the brood area. You really won't be taking honey from your First-Year Swarm Box, but in the Renaissance Hive the brood tends to stay in the front of the box, and honey stored more towards the back. This makes it easy to remove the honey for extracting.
How do you ventilate the box? The First-Year Swarm Box has a vent in the back of the box for summer, but the bees will plug the holes in that come winter. The Renaissance Box there is no need for ventilation, as the entrances of the box, the box design itself, all lend for the bees to be able to control the climate with greater ease.
How do you treat your bees? Most people here are referring to varroa mites, and "treating" with chemicals--such as vaporizing. When you look at nature, you learn that bees survive by having brood breaks. No one really knows what happens at this time that leads to survival, but a brood break after the summer solstice seems to do the trick 90% of the time!
How do you prep for winter? The First-Year Swarm Box, you need to make sure the bees have enough for winter. Box weight with honey, I find 60 pounds total is a great number, 40 pounds will generally get your bees through winter, but you do need to check in Feb. to make sure the honey is where the bees are! The Renaissance Box, you really just need to pull all the frames that the bees aren't touching when in their cluster. Extra honey is just extra thermal mass that will work against them.
How much honey can you expect from the Renaissance Hive? Much of your honey harvest will depend on the type of bees you have, the health of the bees, location and forage, the type of management you use, and when you start your colony. A colony started in spring should yield extra honey, but it's recommended not to extract that honey until the bees have made it through the first winter. The real honey comes from the second year colony, and should range between 40-80 pounds.