All our flat packed hives have been fully assembled and then broken down before shipping. This ensures the compatibility of all components and ease of assembly for the beekeeper.
The base comes assembled with the beetle trap fitted.
Sit the base on the work surface with the entrance to the side you wish to have it facing when working the bees. Check to see that the beetle trap can slide out towards you. If not you will need to swap the slides around so that the stopper on the slide is to the rear of the hive.
Assemble the four box sides using the screws provided, with the lower side to the front.
This is the best time to paint the box and the roof. It is also an ideal time to work out what height
you need to have your base and arrange that between coats.
IMPORTANT NOTE: when applying the primer/sealer/undercoat to the ROOF it is critical to paint both surfaces at the same time. Allowing the paint to dry on one surface before sealing the other WILL cause the roof to warp. The same applies if you decide to paint the lids. Be sure to paint the underside of the box sides and landing strip.
Once you have completed the painting, the more coats the better, but a minimum of one base coat and two top coats of exterior grade paint, allow all surfaces to dry thoroughly.
IMPORTANT NOTE: Do NOT use a mechanical screwdriver for the balance of the assembly. Only lightly hand tighten using a screwdriver to avoid stripping the thread.
Turn the roof upside down and attach the hinges and hasp.
Attach the staple to the front of the box.
Turn the roof over and place it on the box and attach the hinges to the outside of the back of the
box. Open the lid and attach the support.
Attach the vents to the 8 and 10 frame lids with the vents oriented as shown.
The tongue on the staple turns 90 degrees to lock the lid down and can be padlocked if thought to be necessary.
You are now ready to introduce your bees to their new home. Whether you decide to run an 8 or 10 frame brood box, be sure to place the queen excluder where the two lids meet to avoid the
possibility of the queen ending up in the honey super section. For the same reason, when working the hive, try to avoid having both the brood and super sections open at the same time.
Enjoy having your whole hive at a comfortable working height and not having to lift off heavy supers of honey to attend to the health of your colony.
Mark and Sue
Horizon Beehives 