Beemaster's International Beekeeping Forum

BEEKEEPING LEARNING CENTER => GENERAL BEEKEEPING - MAIN POSTING FORUM. => Topic started by: SeanChan on June 22, 2004, 09:23:02 pm

Title: Tropical Bee
Post by: SeanChan on June 22, 2004, 09:23:02 pm
Hi,

Here's the latest news on my primitive beekeeping from Malaysia. I lost 2 hives to wax moth lately, both are probably weak hives. I contributed to wax moth attack by having spacious top entrances also. I receive a new swarm and so now I have only 3 hives. 2 are in coconut log hives and the third in an old fuel tank. I have since connected the entrance of this third hive through a pipe to a Langstroth and the bees are now going and returning through this hive. I am waiting for them to set up house it the 10 frames I packed in the langstroth.

(http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid115/p02ca189153eb30ff662c9742030f19ac/f8c5acc5.jpg)

This hive absconded later.

(http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid115/pcb6699e078aa22ddecb450f039ccc553/f8c5ad04.jpg)

This one absconded first.

(http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid123/p65814a2b3e2750ceaa06decc27ae9e97/f82c3fca.jpg)

My good try to get these bees to take up smaller house so I can play with them. They have been forced to enter from the bottom and have to pass the frames to and from foraging.

Sean :D
Title: Tropical Bee
Post by: Beth Kirkley on June 22, 2004, 10:52:03 pm
Just wondering, but how come you went with the langstroth design rather than the top bar hive? It's much less expensive to do a top bar. And your swarms may adjust easier to one. I've read some about the problems beekeepers have in Africa at least, and the swarms they catch just don't seem to want to stay in the langstroth, but will stay in the top bar hive. Are you dealing with any of the famous African bees? I've heard that people have worked those bees in a top bar, and they're much more docile.

Beth
Title: Re: Tropical Bee
Post by: Finman on June 23, 2004, 12:23:57 am
Quote from: SeanChan
Hi,

Here's the latest news on my primitive beekeeping from Malaysia. .....


I interested Malaysian beekeeping when I was in Langawi 10 days. In that island there were no beekeepers. One man said that island is too small for that.  Aldso he said that there are native bees linving in trees. Those bees have comps under bare heaven.

When I watched in the morning blooming coconut trees and  blooming trees, there were plenty of pollen gathering little native bees and huge black bumble-bees. Also I saw longtailed bees which resembled Italian bees.

Well SeanChan, you seems to have lack of capital.  I started with that kind of hive in the year 1962. I stoled a swarm from the nabour's hedge with butterfly net. I was 15 years old.

I wonder how polystyrene could manage in Malaysia., but of course it is 5 times  more expensive for  Malaysian than for Finnish. That is because value of money.
Title: Tropical Bee
Post by: Beth Kirkley on June 23, 2004, 01:17:59 am
The money thing was what had me thinking of the top bar hive Finman. Many beekeepers in Africa are making them off all kinds of scrap stuff they find. Some of them even use long wash tubs. ?? That could be interesting. :) But it takes so little wood to build the frames, and the hive could be wood if you can get it, or some are even doing it out of pieces of cardboard.
Mostly what I'm seeing, is that people go with the langstroth because they think it's the best way. I think you can get more honey out of a langstroth, maybe. But if good management practices were put into play, you can do a great job with the top bar hive.
Just because the langstroth is the most common, does not mean it has to be the only way to do a great job at beekeeping. And a top bar hive really cuts down cost on hives.

Beth
Title: Tropical Bee
Post by: SeanChan on June 23, 2004, 09:24:41 pm
Hi Beth & Finman,

Thanks for your kind suggestions. I started with Top Bar Hives but the size I followed from African top bar keepers are too big for asian Apis Cerana which I am dealing with here. Also they just have a greater affinity to set up residence in a coconut trunk hollowed out log which their ancestors has been doing for countless years. I am just trying to get them into movable frame hives so I can make splits, raise queens, see the hive activity etc that I can only read about from your postings.

Money is not a problem with me since I am a doctor by profession & beekeeping is a new hobby which I already have excess equipment waiting to be put to good use. I have at least 10 brood size boxes with frames for 8. I can't get foundation like in US so I layer a 3 inch strip of wax below the top bar of the frame for the bees to start comb building. I also beed them regularly to stimulate hive brood raising. I even have a 15 frame observation hive waiting to be used. The drawback in Malaysia is I can't but selected commercial bred queens to have good bees so I barve whatever turns up in my bait hives. 6 always waiting to catch them in my Durian farm.

I still have 4 hives not three. I had 2 new swarms in bait hives and I lost 2.

Here are more pictures from past postings.

(http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid123/p29bfab170ac67233a8d649727aebb08c/f82460b3.jpg)

My observation hive capable of 15 frames.

(http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid115/p2624dda0e2ac739e98e628313bc33153/f8c5ad18.jpg)

My senion log hive. The other 2 swarms are in similar size enlarged bait hives.

(http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid115/paa05593b9488689affcbc47afe869a0b/f8c5acd5.jpg)

My normal bait hive. Smaller. I presume they prefer the larger ones because they were lived in by bees before I cut them and transfer them to langstroth.

Beth, you may just have hit the nail on the head. They may just be more at home in the more primitive top bar hives. I have one also with wax strips laid in 20 top bars and I shall install them in there when I cut the combs next time. It just seems more difficult to tie a comb to one top bar compared to a frame.

Sean :D
Title: Tropical Bee
Post by: mattoleriver on June 24, 2004, 01:43:03 am
Quote
The drawback in Malaysia is I can't but selected commercial bred queens to have good bees so I barve whatever turns up in my bait hives.

Sean,
why are you unable to buy queens, is there no market in A. cerana queens?  Would it be practical to keep A. mellifera, are they available?
Quote
I started with Top Bar Hives but the size I followed from African top bar keepers are too big for asian Apis Cerana which I am dealing with here.

Langstroth hives are built to fairly rigid dimensional specifications to be used with A. mellifera.  I have read that equipment similar in design to Langstroth, but sized for A. cerana, can be used.  Do you know of anybody who is successfully keeping A. cerana in Langstroth or any other movable frame equipment?
Quote
I am just trying to get them into movable frame hives so I can make splits, raise queens, see the hive activity etc that I can only read about from your postings.

A. cerana and A. mellifera are very different creatures.  Something that is easy to do with one may be nearly impossible with the other.  We have manipulated the bees to suit our needs but, in the end, the bees do whatever they want to do.
George
Title: Tropical Bee
Post by: SeanChan on June 30, 2004, 09:46:56 am
Sorry for the failure of the pictures to show. Here's trying again another route.

(http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid123/p29bfab170ac67233a8d649727aebb08c/f82460b3.jpg)

My observation hive capable of 15 frames

(http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid115/p2624dda0e2ac739e98e628313bc33153/f8c5ad18.jpg)

My senior log hive. The other 2 swarms are in similar size enlarged bait hives.

(http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid115/paa05593b9488689affcbc47afe869a0b/f8c5acd5.jpg)

My normal bait hive. Smaller. I presume they prefer the larger ones because they were lived in by bees before I cut them and transfer them to langstroth

The size of the local langstroth has been sucessfully used in Malaysia from what I read. It is smaller with 0.5 cm as bee space. Queen excluder 4mm. Hive and frames are as specified in the following site.
http://www.idrc.ca:8080/library/document/030819/chap1_e.html#sec_3.1.3

Sean.
Title: Tropical Bee
Post by: Beth Kirkley on June 30, 2004, 02:16:39 pm
Hey Sean-
I fixed the post so we could see your pictures. They're fantasic by the way! All it was for fixing, was when you did the (http:// you forgot to close the picture with ). Need that backslash in there to close it all off. Also, same thing with the link you wanted to share. You need http:// &  surrounding it.

Beth :)
Title: Tropical Bee
Post by: lobstafari on June 30, 2004, 05:01:01 pm
I love hearing about these things, although it makes me feel like a complete moron, for all the "good" gear, shipping, etc. ive paid for the last few years, and all I needed was to use some stuff laying around the yard!! :)   Very ingenious ideas Sean, and thanks for the time of sharing pictures!!
Title: Tropical Bee
Post by: SeanChan on July 01, 2004, 04:16:57 am
Thanks Beth,

I presume you must be the good samaritan who fixed my first post. I just entered to ask for help to find the picture posting tutorial to solve what went wrong. I will be posting pictures of my durian fruits next as they are now dropping. Lovely fruit, YUM YUM!

Sean :D  :D
Title: Tropical Bee
Post by: BigRog on July 01, 2004, 10:52:06 am
What is a durian?
     Well...simply put, Durian is a fruit: a big, green thorny fruit. But wait, it is not just another exotic and expensive fruit from South East Asia. In fact, it is considered "King of the Fruit" throughout the region. Personally, I think that is an understatement of the millenium since we Asian are humble people. In fact, the actual status of Durian is "THE GOD OF ALL FRUIT!". No kidding! Yeah, yeah, I know, some (unadventurous) people would rather die than to smell the STINK of a durian. Heck, a few countries even BAN the presence of durian in selected public spots due to its offensive smell (that, to me, is a hopeless rule just like outlawing fart, when we know that it is such a pleasure and EVERYBODY secretly doing it!). Look here, I can go on and on here but let hear it from non-biased sources okay. Click HERE to see what other people have to say about durian.


http://www.ecst.csuchico.edu/~durian/
Title: Tropical Bee
Post by: BigRog on July 01, 2004, 11:03:18 am
Hotels in asia ban this friut in their rooms. They have to go throuh quite a process to get the smell out of the room. It has been described as the diaper from child who has had a stomach flu and it hasn't been changed for a week.
Title: Tropical Bee
Post by: Finman on July 01, 2004, 01:19:12 pm
Quote from: SeanChan
Hi Beth & Finman,


Here are more pictures from past postings.

My senion log hive. The other 2 swarms are in similar size enlarged bait hives.




Good work Sean! I asked my 16 y boy to see your pictures and he said:"I want again to Malaysia". He was 11 we were in Langawi.


Very interesting back yard and back yard beekeeping. I wondered what is Apis cerana and I found this link
http://www.beekeeping.com/_menus_us/index.htm?menu.htm&0
Title: Tropical Bee
Post by: SeanChan on July 05, 2004, 11:19:56 pm
Hi Finman,

Here's another site on apis cerana from the Phillipines.

http://www.apicultura.com/articles/us/beekeeping_philippines.htm

The most comprehensive text on apis cerana came from Beesindia but their website is no longer available. I have copied appropriate info on apis cerana plus apis dorsata in my computer. If you are interested I can email direct to you.

Sean :D
Title: YUCK!
Post by: rhondabo on August 23, 2004, 01:27:19 am
Quote from: BigRog
What is a durian?
     Well...simply put, Durian is a fruit: a big, green thorny fruit. But wait, it is not just another exotic and expensive fruit from South East Asia. In fact, it is considered "King of the Fruit" throughout the region. Personally, I think that is an understatement of the millenium since we Asian are humble people. In fact, the actual status of Durian is "THE GOD OF ALL FRUIT!". No kidding! Yeah, yeah, I know, some (unadventurous) people would rather die than to smell the STINK of a durian. Heck, a few countries even BAN the presence of durian in selected public spots due to its offensive smell (that, to me, is a hopeless rule just like outlawing fart, when we know that it is such a pleasure and EVERYBODY secretly doing it!). Look here, I can go on and on here but let hear it from non-biased sources okay. Click HERE to see what other people have to say about durian.


http://www.ecst.csuchico.edu/~durian/


Just returning from the phillipines I saw this fruit for the first time (or shall I say SMELLED!)  They say if you can get past the smell, its the best fruit there is.....well sorry, but no way!  Every trip to the grocery store produce section was awful, I avoided the Durian at any cost!!!