Bee Free anti-squash tape

[lebouche]

Hi,
Another one of my hobbies is inventing and I was working on my inventions today.
One thing which has been bothering me is how difficult it is to avoid squashing bees.
So I have invented this tape which I am getting made up in the far east.
The tape is a half tube made of weather proof rubber with a flat adhesive backing. The tube is fine and has holes running along its sides to blow air at the bees to move them away as the super is lowered. The tube is blocked either end to facilitate this.
This tubing attaches to the underside of boxes and the tubing is fine enough to squash quite flat but also if put down ontop of a bee it is fine enough for it to wriggle free.
To use it correctly you just carefully lower the super and gently raise and lower it by an inch a few times. This moves the bees aside and the air holes also blow at them to keep them away.
My question is before I confirm the order if people think this is completely mad or if it is something people would be interested in.
Many thanks, hope this doesn't break any forum rules.

 

[drstitson]

great for natural beekeepers BUT only if made from ethical, organic, sustainable material.


IMHO - waste of time and money.

sorry to be negative.

 

[REDWOOD]

I can see the theory behind it but a few puffs of smoke will get mine moving down and out of the way

 

[ratcatcher]

bit OTT in my opinion, squashing 1 or 2 bees out of a few thousand aint the end of the world, then again Ive only got 2 nationals, the rest are top bars so even less likely with them

 

[Nic Rhodes]

Engineers use KISS

 

[user 6228]

Hi,
Another one of my hobbies is inventing and I was working on my inventions today.
One thing which has been bothering me is how difficult it is to avoid squashing bees.
So I have invented this tape which I am getting made up in the far east.
The tape is a half tube made of weather proof rubber with a flat adhesive backing. The tube is fine and has holes running along its sides to blow air at the bees to move them away as the super is lowered. The tube is blocked either end to facilitate this.
This tubing attaches to the underside of boxes and the tubing is fine enough to squash quite flat but also if put down ontop of a bee it is fine enough for it to wriggle free.
To use it correctly you just carefully lower the super and gently raise and lower it by an inch a few times. This moves the bees aside and the air holes also blow at them to keep them away.
My question is before I confirm the order if people think this is completely mad or if it is something people would be interested in.
Many thanks, hope this doesn't break any forum rules.

have you tested it? and does it work?

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Hi,
To use it correctly you just carefully lower the super and gently raise and lower it by an inch a few times. This moves the bees aside and the air holes

I do that with the supers without any tubing and it does the same trick so i think your invention (although well thought out ) would be more of a faff than anything.
Sorry to be a bit negative but don't stop thinking up ideas - one day you will come up with a cracker!

 

[drstitson]

most people will place super skew then twist into place.

lifting up and down adds additional weightbearing action that isn't a good idea over a number of hives.

an automatic oxalic drizzler would be a much better invention.

 

[richardbees]

lebouche

whatever makes you happy...

but I agree with drstitson:

"most people will place super skew then twist into place."

 

[enrico]

Sorry lebouche....it will never sell......or at least I would never buy it! Too much effort to make it work for a couple of squashed bees, keep thinking tho and we will give honest opinions
E

 

[richardbees]

........can you make it in pink rubber ?

just a thought.......

 

[MuswellMetro]

Engineers use KISS

agree, what's wrong with a goose feather..tickle the bees out of the way

 

[Tom Bick]

Hi,
Another one of my hobbies is inventing and I was working on my inventions today.
One thing which has been bothering me is how difficult it is to avoid squashing bees.
So I have invented this tape which I am getting made up in the far east.
The tape is a half tube made of weather proof rubber with a flat adhesive backing. The tube is fine and has holes running along its sides to blow air at the bees to move them away as the super is lowered. The tube is blocked either end to facilitate this.
This tubing attaches to the underside of boxes and the tubing is fine enough to squash quite flat but also if put down ontop of a bee it is fine enough for it to wriggle free.
To use it correctly you just carefully lower the super and gently raise and lower it by an inch a few times. This moves the bees aside and the air holes also blow at them to keep them away.
My question is before I confirm the order if people think this is completely mad or if it is something people would be interested in.
Many thanks, hope this doesn't break any forum rules.

Better if you concentrate your efforts on other inventions.

 

[Floyd]

Quote from Peter Jones (Dragon's Den) -"Thats not a business opportunity, so for that reason I'm out"

 

[lebouche]

Thanks for all the replies

I will not be following this up!

Love that all the replies were against. Even if half were against I wouldn't have gone ahead.

I have many other inventions but most of them are fairly expensive to develop.

Yesterday saw the mark 3 prototype of my 3D sound and visuals glasses, and the development of a smoking pipe which takes swan vesta filters. I'm also into apps and business ideas etc. Good old honest opinions are always the most valuable so many thanks to all the posters.

I have thought twisting the supers would still rip their legs off etc. I still haven't found a way to avoid squashing them when it comes to lowering supers. Smoke moves them away for a second but they tend to run back.
The other thing that got me thinking about this was watching a beekeeping video series by The University Of Georgia. The guy is constantly crushing them in the vid series!

Maybe I could sell these to the Buddhist Beekeepers Association....

 

[The Riviera Kid]

I don't like squashing bees either but a cheaper, simpler solution I use is a feather and a puff or two of smoke to clear the bees.

I also avoid the problem all together by putting supers on at night when the bees are huddled on the frames and less likely to crawl out anyway.

 

[alldigging]

I still haven't found a way to avoid squashing them when it comes to lowering supers. Smoke moves them away for a second but they tend to run back.

So something more like a fatter hive tool that could be gently slid out? Although you still have to put one side down first.

Or a piece of tubing that you blasted smoke though just at the right level to clear all the bees off the edges so you could lower the super.

If you want crazy ideas then what about a device that colour sprayed all the bees in the spring and then the one that was still left that colour after so many weeks was the queen...?

 

[For want of a better word]

an automatic oxalic drizzler would be a much better invention.........


with a device to measure when there is no brood....... ?

 

[For want of a better word]

Buddhist Beekeepers Association....

do they keep Buddfast bees?

 

[alanf]

I have thought twisting the supers would still rip their legs off etc. I still haven't found a way to avoid squashing them when it comes to lowering supers. Smoke moves them away for a second but they tend to run back.

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.