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Author Topic: New Hive Design  (Read 11952 times)

Offline indypartridge

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Re: New Hive Design
« Reply #20 on: March 10, 2008, 08:37:33 am »
He said he is getting started to go into production and when the hives are available that he will contact me.
It doesn't sound like the inventor has actually tried his invention. No actual pictures of a proto-type hive with bees, no actual numbers, just vague sounding words about "new hive is supposed to produce more".  I also question the claim about "great stability."  With those two boxes attached to the sides, unless you can train your bees to keep the weight in them even, it will easily topple over.

Offline bassman1977

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Re: New Hive Design
« Reply #21 on: March 10, 2008, 10:24:03 am »
It looks expensive.
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Offline ooptec

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Re: New Hive Design
« Reply #22 on: March 10, 2008, 11:58:04 am »
Funny how responses have split into nay-ayers and open mindedness

curiouser and curiouser as alice would say

cheers

peter

Offline Scadsobees

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Re: New Hive Design
« Reply #23 on: March 10, 2008, 02:03:54 pm »
You make nay-aying sound like such a bad thing!! :roll:

Looks like proprietary hardware (I could be wrong).  I can make all part of a Langstroth with my table saw.
Too much open space, would encourage burr comb (as previously stated).
Probably going to be quite expensive compared to a Langstroth.
Hard to find parts (see proprietary hardware statement above).

There might be a small niche for it, but I don't think it will go too far.  The round moving hive was supposed to stop varroa, and I haven't seen that anywhere yet.

If it works and is cheap, then I'd consider it, but till then, I'm a skeptic.

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Offline Paraplegic Racehorse

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Re: New Hive Design
« Reply #24 on: March 10, 2008, 05:57:19 pm »
Wow. Very complex. So, here we go...

General shape looks pretty lousy for balance. Easily tipped in wind or by roving critters who may bump it a little as they walk by. Ingenuity points: -1

Four approx 2/3 length egress points in center plus fully open bottom makes for a huge amount of area to be defended against wasps, beetles, mice, ants, robber-bees and so on (I.P. -1).

More defenders needed to patrol openings means fewer foragers (I.P. -1).

Wind able to blow entirely through hive via central 360 degree egresses will keep hive way cold requiring more effort to maintain temperature for brood rearing and honey curing (I.P. -1).

Too much open space encourages lots of burr comb building (I.P. -1).

Proprietary shape incompatible with current gadget designs such as pollen traps, propolis traps, feeders, etc. (I.P. -1)

Lots of access for returning foragers and 360 degree access (I.P. +1).

Modular frames a really neat idea. Borrow this idea for creating modular section-honey frame inserts, drone-comb zones, queen rearing, queen introductions, etc. (I.P. +1)

Overall Ingenuity Points: -4

Hmm... I think I will stick to an industry standard hive type (US: Lang, UK: National, etc.). However, I might fool around with the idea of removable sections for standard sized frames... THAT's a neat idea.
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Offline Brian D. Bray

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Re: New Hive Design
« Reply #25 on: March 11, 2008, 02:06:30 am »
Funny how responses have split into nay-ayers and open mindedness

curiouser and curiouser as alice would say

cheers

peter

Looking at somethings weak points isn't being a nay-sayer, it's being objective,as Paraplegic Racehorse points out.  If I had wanted to be a nay-sayer I would have said that the design looks like it was created by somewone who wants to be a beekeeper before he had any bees.
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Offline bassman1977

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Re: New Hive Design
« Reply #26 on: March 11, 2008, 01:22:32 pm »
It would seem to me that the intentions are good and SOME thought went into it.  To me, it was done to make a quick buck.  Obviously field testing wasn't done otherwise the creator of this would see the faults in it...especially the fact that this thing could fall over if someone sneezed in the direction of this hive.
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Offline thomashton

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Re: New Hive Design
« Reply #27 on: March 11, 2008, 01:52:40 pm »
Overall looks like a management nightmare.

I love the fact that the only picture on the site with any bees at all are pollen laden bees walking into a hive on a standard wooden bottom board.

Has he even ever put bees in this design?
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Offline Drone

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Re: New Hive Design
« Reply #28 on: March 11, 2008, 01:56:14 pm »
It just looks like a very difficullt hive to work.

Could you imagine having to inspect a bunch of these things?

Maybe the design is better for the bees, but is it better for the beekeeper?

I think not.


-Drone (an open minded nay-sayer)

Offline Jerrymac

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Re: New Hive Design
« Reply #29 on: March 11, 2008, 02:32:20 pm »
Here is what you do. You put a hive body on a bottom board. You place frames in it with foundation. Then you place another hive body on top of that and put a lid on it. The bees will go up and start building in the very top where there isn't any frames or foundation. They will do the same thing in that "New Hive" thinggy.
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Offline Drone

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Re: New Hive Design
« Reply #30 on: March 11, 2008, 03:29:20 pm »

I think the inventor/marketer should claim that this new design uses "pyramid power".

That alone ought to sell two or three of these monstrosities, er, hives.

 :-D


Offline beesbeesbees

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Re: New Hive Design
« Reply #31 on: March 11, 2008, 04:37:28 pm »
We use what we use because it is cost-effective and the bees do well.  Also because the beekeepers who came before us worked to find ever-better ways to get the job done.  TBH or lang, both are great bee filing cabinets.  If this idea works better still, it will be adopted.  If not it will go the way of the Danzenbaker hive.

I'm not worried about it toppling over in the wind.  I can't figure out how I would make one that doesn't weigh a metric ton when empty.  Unless the top pyramid is sectional I don't know how I would lift it.  Maybe if I put a hoist in the tree over the hive...

One way to test the design would be to put a square pyramid top (complete with propeller beanie) on your hive.  If the bees fill it with comb you'll have a pretty good idea what they would do with a larger implementation. 

I'm afraid I just don't see how it allows 15% more bees.  There is no way it offers more surface area for in-frame brood than a lang.

Offline CTbeeman

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Re: New Hive Design
« Reply #32 on: March 11, 2008, 06:15:08 pm »
If you buy this bee pyramid, The bees will sing, pray and worship you as GOD. :-D :evil:
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Offline Kev

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Re: New Hive Design
« Reply #33 on: March 11, 2008, 09:00:14 pm »
The man who makes these hives finally got back with me. He said he is getting started to go into production and when the hives are available that he will contact me.

Maybe you could offer to do tests him to demonstrate the benefits of the hive if he will give you two to experiment with. Then run them side by side with your standard setup and see how they do. Then post the results of what you find on the forums. Wouldn't be scientific, but it might answer the burr comb and propolis questions.

We might all like to see how the spaceship flies.

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Offline Brian D. Bray

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Re: New Hive Design
« Reply #34 on: March 11, 2008, 11:13:36 pm »
Here is what you do. You put a hive body on a bottom board. You place frames in it with foundation. Then you place another hive body on top of that and put a lid on it. The bees will go up and start building in the very top where there isn't any frames or foundation. They will do the same thing in that "New Hive" thinggy.


EGG-actly.  Though the power of the pyramid might keep the honey from crystalizing at all.  LOL
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Offline Understudy

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Re: New Hive Design
« Reply #35 on: March 12, 2008, 11:50:46 pm »
This is what happens when engineers design and don't have any real field experience.

I think encouraging new ideas is good even if the ideas are far from perfect.

I understand the idea of trying to mimic a natural hive.

Some ideas for improvement.

Change the Egypt style of pyramid to a Mayan style to cut down on the burr comb.

Make each level a hive body.

Dump the two side pieces.

Slight issues with creating proper ventilation.

Okay brain still working on this.

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Offline bassman1977

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Re: New Hive Design
« Reply #36 on: March 13, 2008, 10:45:00 am »
Ok, I didn't notice this before, but why on EARTH is there a weather vain on this thing?  Is there an expectation that once the bees are hived in this thing, that bees will lose their weather forecasting ability?!?  Perhaps it is a wind powered creamed honey churn??  Does it generate it's own power for heat in the winter?  The possibilities are endless it seems!   :evil:
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Offline Kev

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Re: New Hive Design
« Reply #37 on: March 13, 2008, 08:36:11 pm »
Ok, I didn't notice this before, but why on EARTH is there a weather vain on this thing?  Is there an expectation that once the bees are hived in this thing, that bees will lose their weather forecasting ability?!?  Perhaps it is a wind powered creamed honey churn??  Does it generate it's own power for heat in the winter?  The possibilities are endless it seems!   :evil:

that's actually an anemometers, a device that measures wind speed. I noticed on a second look myself and wondered what it was there for.

I'm waiting version 2 that includes the solar cells to power the anti-varroa radio frequency deterrent system light-water reactor for cold climate operation.
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