Bee Tree Hive Preparation for a Hive Box

I can't get over how much beekeeping adds to my construction challenges! I went to Home Depot and bought a 24" X 24" piece of plywood to put on the top of the tree. I don't own and didn't want to purchase a sawsall ($199) and I don't have a mandrill (?) or whatever adaptor you have to have to attach a large hole saw to a drill and a 4" hole saw was about $15 without whatever adaptor I would need to attach it to the drill.

The guy in Home Depot suggested that instead of buying something I didn't really need, that I take my drill with a large bit and make a connect the dots circle since it doesn't have to be pretty for the bees. So that's what I did (see below)



Then I had to get the piece out and this required using this thin saw that I have (I had to change the saw blade - first time in the 15 years I've owned the saw) to put the small ended saw blade on - I'm sure it has its own special name. Anyway it worked perfectly to cut the little bits of wood between the dots.

Note: Research tonight yields that this is a "compass saw" and here's how it is described:
"A handsaw with a narrow triangular blade for cutting circles and curves in wood. Compass saws have longer, coarser blades than keyhole saws. They are designed for slightly heavier work such as cutting holes in subflooring for plumbing or electrical wiring."

So even though I didn't know what it was, I actually used it for the purpose for which it is designed: cutting circles!


Only one piece of wood still joined the circle to the larger block.



It's done. Tomorrow I'll nail this board to the tree section top. Iddee on Beemaster also suggested that I run a bead of caulk around the hole to keep the bees from making an entrance below the plywood and to keep out intruders like ants and such. I do have caulk and a way to do that (a caulking gun) so I'm all equipped for my morning event.

I have the car loaded with an extra super, a baggie of 2:1 sugar syrup, the board with the center cut out, my hammer and nails, my caulking gun, my bee jacket and veil, my gloves. A box with frames is already over there. Oh, and I loaded the ladder I'll need to have any height to work on this.



More to come on the bee tree adventure.
Preview of coming attractions:

• Pictures of the installed hive box from tomorrow's installation;
• Information about bee gums;
• An inspection at Blue Heron on Saturday morning.....
  

Boy, there's a lot to beekeeping.