I've been waiting a year for this! It's been sitting under the hangar as planks of wood since my birthday last March, but Eric recently got some spare time to get it cut and built. We just have to put down a concrete platform for it under the oak tree and place it. Then I'm hoping the scout bees will find it (after I've smeared the inside with honey) with a view to moving in when swarm time comes in early May. Otherwise, I'll just have to put my hand in my pocket and buy some bees or hope someone locally has a fairly accessible swarm.
I don't really want to spend a lot of money on bees at this point, because I've never kept them before and would hate to install them only to have them die on me.
This is a "top bar" hive (i.e. there are no frames to remove) which allows the bees to build their own comb in the way they like. It's a more natural process for them as the boxes imitate the hollow insides of trees. Also there is less intervention by the beekeeper so they are less stressed.
Here's to future honey . . .
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