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Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology

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Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology <[log in to unmask]>
Date:
Sun, 4 Oct 1998 12:50:36 GMT+0200
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Hi Bob
 
You mention your interest in top bar hives:
 
I can give you some positive and negative apsects of these:
 
+ve
 
Cheap
More natural for bees to live in - ie not trying to constrain bees
into a shape that is good for transport, but not for them.
 
One can make entrance holes right down the side consisting of cork
size holes near the top of the hive box - as the hive grows these can
be opened. Bees can guard a hole much better, and can ventilate such
a hive very effectively.
 
When working such a hive it is easy to smoke the bees away from the
are where you are working - if you have africanised bees this has
advantages in sting control.
 
Low cost.
 
-ve
 
In a bad year your honey production will be considerably down
compared to a commercial hive - the reson - in bad years bees will
struggle to draw combs all year, hence by harvesting after ones first
flow they don't have anymore space to fill. With a comercial hive one
is recylcing honey storage space - meaining that each time bees
invest in wax they don't have to do so again and can instead
concentrate on producing honey. It has been shown that large unfilled
areas of comb act as a nectar gathering stimulus.
 
Difficult to move the hive - it you load such a hive into your
vehicle and drive along with it, a sharp bumb or breaking action
causes the combs to swing and can cause them to snap/pressure bees.
This is due to the un-strenghtened nature of the combs.
 
Hope this helps
 
Keep well
 
Garth
Garth Cambray           Camdini Apiaries
15 Park Road
Grahamstown             Apis mellifera capensis
6139
South Africa
 
Time = Honey
 
If you are not living on the edge you are taking up too much space!!

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