Bee Free anti-squash tape

[lebouche]

Brush or a light skim with the hive tool or glove. Gently sliding into position gives most a chance to move aside.

One problem with adding anything to the bottom (or top) of a box is you're adding to the bee space, you might have to shave the box to compensate. Fine tubing would have to be soft and flexible enough not to squash a bee or ten, yet solid enough to support the box over the rest of the length; not an easy balance. If it's that soft what's to stop bees squeezing out or wasps in while it's in position? If it wasn't placed precisely every time what's to stop it distorting to leave gaps? Damage from hive tools? Would the holes be stuffed with propolis? Would the tube pump out enough air to clear the bees, or would the movement up and down attract them to defend the gap? Fixing would have to be solid enough to stay in place over the whole length in all weathers for many years. Sterilising by running a flame over would be prevented. The tube would provide enough friction to prevent easy sliding of the box into position that most use now.

Enough to think about? A lot of development needed locally before you are anywhere near volume production.

Actually I thought of most of these. My thinking was only the edge of the tubing will be accessible to propolise. The tubing will be very thin so will not raise the boxes much at all.
It would also be very cheap so could be removed for sterilisation and replaced.
It doesn't have to be the complete width of the wood when flat so should not get damaged by hive tools ifyou use them on the edge.
As far as other inventions... Not sure how much automation you could have in hives as they are likely to propolise so much.

 

[drstitson]

"Not sure how much automation you could have in hives"

not seen this then:

http://www.troyamed.org/img/rotating_broodframe_beehive.pdf

 

[preyingmantos]

another idea could be inventing some sort of force field to protect the bees against bird attacks