Starting with the top down, this posts discusses the new parts and the thinking behind them.
The telescoping roof was made with pine boards. I tested it and it appears water tight. The roof fits over top of the quilt.
The quilt is made from a medium narrow super. I stapled burlap to the bottom of the empty box. Then, I filled it up with some alfalfa hay and pine shavings to about 1/2. This is an insulation layer for the bees. Hopefully, it will keep the hive cooler. The idea is based on Warre' Hive design.
The last new piece was the medium super. Like the bottom two hive bodies, it is full of foundationaless frames. They do have starter strips of wax. I glued them into the grooves of the frame top bars and tacked them down with a couple finishing nails.
I have another medium super that I will add eventually. Don the Fat Bee Man does not recommend that you put too much empty space into a hive or it will demoralize the bees and set them back.
I also removed a plastic sheet that slid under the screened bottom board. With spring having sprung, I don't think we are going to have anymore freezing nights.
All the new hive parts, like the old, are treated with linseed oil. I used green spray paint on the roof for a little color and to match our house.
When I opened the hive, I discovered the bees had started building four combs in the second hive body. The comb was white and empty except for bees crawling on it. It is encouraging that the bees were already working hard on filling the second hive body box with drawn comb. The drawn comb was beautiful. I'm glad I didn't mar the bees work with foundation.
Note, some of the wax starter strips on the top bars in the second hive body were dangling down into the hive body. I figure the bees will work around those. Hopefully, the comb will keep going on straight. I glued the starter strips to the top bars of the medium super so maybe it will hold this time.
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