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Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology

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Subject:
From:
Bob Harrison <[log in to unmask]>
Reply To:
Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology <[log in to unmask]>
Date:
Sat, 9 Nov 2002 11:57:58 -0600
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> 4. Screened bottom board and mouse guard should come pre-installed.

On the style Dadant sells the hive has a screened bottom board. Also when
you use a three eighth entrance which comes on the hive you do not need a
mouse guard.

> 10. Make them packable tightly for the migratory bees.

It would be possible to make a pallet to fit the poly hive and also make the
clips. We make our own pallets and at times have made our own clips.
Migratory lids could be made for the poly hive. Perhaps the standard
migratory lid would work.
The real problem comes when the pallets are stacked four skids high. Would
the  sides of the poly hive be able to take the weight. Wood takes the
flexing but would the poly?
A load loaded in Nebraska last week had to be returned to the bee yard and
three skids removed as the tractor trailer was over gross. 80,000 pounds in
the max gross and   420 hives the normal amount shipped. The beekeeper would
have liked to look through the around 300 hives sitting in the holding area
and found a few light skids and sent a full load but because the trucker did
not regularly haul bees and was in a hurry (what trucker is not) all the
beekeeper could do is pull the skids and let the trucker be on his way.
Beehives are heavy.
I am sending my bees to a warmer climate this year. I weighed several hives
which weighed 140 pounds in two hive bodies. It is possible that the bottom
skid on a stack of four skids could have approx. 1680 pounds of weight on
top (560 per skid ). The weight would be split between the four bottom hives
and could be as high as 420 pounds per bottom hive.
The flexing of the top three skids going down the road might add to the
problem.
We also staple netting at times to the hives which we could not do with
poly.
I do not know if the poly could handle the weight. I do know the danger if
those bottom sides gave way  on a U.S. highway.

Bob

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