Beekeeping from a wheelchair

[jenkinsbrynmair]

just finding something to dislike in an off the wall way of keeping bees.

or maybe it's you feeing compelled to support any off the wall way of keeping bees - especially if 'insulation is mentioned

 

[Ron Birrell]

Beekeeping from a wheelchair. Absolutely. I belong to Manchester and District Beekeepers' Association which is a teaching apiary.
A few years ago we made a purpose built area for two national hives. This was done specifically to enable the training of novice beekeepers who
are wheelchair users.

 

[Ian123]

I think you are wrong but even if the exteral surface absorbs some moisture it's not going to penetrate all the way through and would they use them for foundations and external skinnig of thermally efficient homes if they did not perform.

https://tarmac.com/products/blocks/durox-supabloc/

Hi I can’t see those specific ones mentioned and his material list does not mention that brand. What he does say is a light weight insulating block. I guarantee if you walk into a builders merchants and ask for that you’ll be presented with a standard thermalite/celcon type block that is strictly not for wet/damp external conditions and very much resembles a sponge. I spent many holidays moving thousands of them if he does indeed mean those or recommend them to you then he needs to be more specific in his cutting list, I’d certainly not describe them as standard and fitting that description.

 

[pargyle]

or maybe it's you feeing compelled to support any off the wall way of keeping bees - especially if 'insulation is mentioned

Exscuse me ... are you feeling a little liverish today ?

 

[pargyle]

Hi I can’t see those specific ones mentioned and his material list does not mention that brand. What he does say is a light weight insulating block. I guarantee if you walk into a builders merchants and ask for that you’ll be presented with a standard thermalite/celcon type block that is strictly not for wet/damp external conditions and very much resembles a sponge. I spent many holidays moving thousands of them if he does indeed mean those or recommend them to you then he needs to be more specific in his cutting list, I’d certainly not describe them as standard and fitting that description.

Point 6 in the pdf for construction ... in fairness he does say that other lightweight blocks can be used.

https://www.thezesthive.com/_files/ugd/a717a6_4b0ae54e4bf944e6b38032d83c4eedf2.pdf

 

[Murox]

or maybe it's you feeing compelled to support any off the wall way of keeping bees - especially if 'insulation is mentioned

Exscuse me ... are you feeling a little liverish today ?

Well it is nearly that ancient Celtic festival All Hallows' Eve, summers end. The first symptoms of restlessness, irritability.....................

 

[blackcloud]

Sadly, the real morons are those beekeepers who just buy an off the shelf starter kit, chuck some bees in it and then think about what they are doing ... the ability to construct something does actually elevate a prospective beekeeper to slightly above the moronic level ..

With mechanical/electrical things, at the very least ,a little knowledge is a dangerous thing.
With livestock its irresponsible.
Back in June we had that 'elevated' guy who had built a Layens hive.Even the forums Layen experts were trying to convince him he had got it wrong.
to no avail
Then he started asking questions around bees that primary shcool children ask.
Lets just hope no bees were involved.

 

[The Poot]

This looks really interesting (as someone with a crap back . But more so the following statement on the website:

The ZEST hive by its design has proven to be functionally free of varroa, nosema and acarine.

Any thoughts or comments because frankly being varroa etc free is very inviting?

There’s a few of these hives around me and I discussed them with an SBI, who’s opinion was that they had some merit, but he couldn’t verify the claims about varroa/ health after inspecting some!
I posted photos of one such hive with frames left on the roof for (seemingly) open feeding - they were there from Autumn and all through the Winter, but that might reflect the beekeeper, not the hive - but open feeding is encouraged it seems.
I think the design - metal roof sheets roped down with roof blocks and insulation, would lead to less inspections and bees that are less well cared for. The belief that the hives keep them varroa free and healthy would also encourage a “leave alone” mentality.

 

[blackcloud]

" Varroa free" is the shangrilah of unicorn herdsmen and the geographically deluded.
The rest of us will at some point have colonies that fall to the diseases that mites bring with them.
Feral colonies living in trees have varroa-its nothing to do with hive design.

 

[pargyle]

There’s a few of these hives around me and I discussed them with an SBI, who’s opinion was that they had some merit, but he couldn’t verify the claims about varroa/ health after inspecting some!
I posted photos of one such hive with frames left on the roof for (seemingly) open feeding - they were there from Autumn and all through the Winter, but that might reflect the beekeeper, not the hive - but open feeding is encouraged it seems.
I think the design - metal roof sheets roped down with roof blocks and insulation, would lead to less inspections and bees that are less well cared for. The belief that the hives keep them varroa free and healthy would also encourage a “leave alone” mentality.

I've heard Bill Summers talk a few times. I've chatted to him as well. I don't like the idea of the lightweight blocks used as a crownboard as I too felt that it would inhibit inspections but ,,, he quite rightly pointed out that they weigh very litttle and you can just remove the blocks where the brood nest is likely to be and place them on the rest of the blocks so that's not a big deal.

The tin sheet is just intended to keep the rain off the top of the hive .. it's not actually a roof as such because the blocks create both a well insulated crown board and a roof per se.

I'm not happy about open feeding anyw here by anyone ... it's not a good practice. I haven't tackled him about that but if I come across Bill again I most certainly weill.

I think if/when I built one I would put a proper roof on it that overlapped the sides and replace the blocks that form the crownboard with a slab of kingspan and a sheet of clear polythene underneath, on top of the frames to stop the inevitable propolisation.

I'm dubious about the hves being 'varroa free' . My experience with my well insulated LDH is that varroa levels are always low ... my treatment free status on here is well documented and my regime of testing for varroa - Bill claims that he is unable to find any signs of varroa in his hives but I find that unlikely - however, there are indications that some areas, some hives, some bees do manage varroa levels without interference so ... who knows, I'd like to do a few sugar rolls on his colonies myself to see what the results are.

 

[pargyle]

There’s a few of these hives around me and I discussed them with an SBI, who’s opinion was that they had some merit, but he couldn’t verify the claims about varroa/ health after inspecting some!
I posted photos of one such hive with frames left on the roof for (seemingly) open feeding - they were there from Autumn and all through the Winter, but that might reflect the beekeeper, not the hive - but open feeding is encouraged it seems.
I think the design - metal roof sheets roped down with roof blocks and insulation, would lead to less inspections and bees that are less well cared for. The belief that the hives keep them varroa free and healthy would also encourage a “leave alone” mentality.

Leave alone beekeepers have become more prevalent in recent years - where 'saving the bees' and the likes of the flow hive encouraging people to think that keeping bees is akin to keeping a goldfish in a bowl has brought a lot of people into the craft with very little forethought and a total lack of knowledge. Regardless of the style of hive there are these Let Alone beehavers around. One of two things will happen.. they will find that it's not as easy as it looks and give up - or realise that, if they are going to continue then they will have to learn ...the tragedy is that there are going to be a few who stick a hive in the garden and just let the bees get on with it. Sadly, these people are not beekeepers but they may be providing a home for a feral colony ...and, yes, they could become a nuisance, they could be diseased, they could be riddled with mites .... but that would be the case whereever they are living.

I can't say that I would be happy if there was someone in my vicinity that was doing this but ... unless you are prepared to have the downsides of beekeeping being strictly controlled and licensed ... not sure there is much that can be done about it.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

I think his methods and hives were discussed in some detail on a thread on here some time ago

 

[Erichalfbee]

I can't say that I would be happy if there was someone in my vicinity that was doing this but ... unless you are prepared to have the downsides of beekeeping being strictly controlled and licensed ... not sure there is much that can be done about it.

From personal experience there are beekeepers near me who simply repopulate their untreated hives with swarms and are happy to get 20lbs of honey from each.
Till recently beginners were being told that was an acceptable way to “keep” bees

 

[pargyle]

From personal experience there are beekeepers near me who simply repopulate their untreated hives with swarms and are happy to get 20lbs of honey from each.
Till recently beginners were being told that was an acceptable way to “keep” bees

it's scary isn't it ? But not a lot you can do about it apart from educate whenever you get the opportunity. If their bees survive it's difficult to see how you can turn them into beekeepers ... the ones that may change are those who find their colony dead from starvation ... I rather doubt that some of these leave alone beehavers would have any idea about bee disease and those are the ones to worry about.

 

[Erichalfbee]

I rather doubt that some of these leave alone beehavers would have any idea about bee disease and those are the ones to worry about.

Spot on. One of these was in charge of a training apiary.
SBI found AFB on a routine visit.

 

[wightbees]

I have not read through all the post so sorry if this has been posted before. But I had come across this a long while ago and with a little effort it might help.
https://scientificbeekeeping.com/wheelchair-beekeeping/

 

[JamezF]

I have not read through all the post so sorry if this has been posted before. But I had come across this a long while ago and with a little effort it might help.
https://scientificbeekeeping.com/wheelchair-beekeeping/

Thanks. I shall have a read.

James

 

[Erichalfbee]

Thanks. I shall have a read.

James

It’s here already in this thread
https://beekeepingforum.co.uk/threads/beekeeping-from-a-wheelchair.54034/page-2#post-847328

 

[Garry R]

I've been talking this afternoon to someone who is offering me space for some hives on her parents' farm (though these days it would almost certainly be described as a smallholding). Her mum is really keen on the idea and would like to get involved, but uses a wheelchair. I'm thinking that perhaps as well as my "normal" hives, it might be possible to set up a long hive that she could manage.

Is that a sane idea? Are there other options? Are there any useful guides as to designs and management techniques where I could learn more? I'm thinking that it might be useful to have frames rather than a top bar setup so there's the opportunity to take some from one of my hives should something go wrong, but is that genuinely practical?

James

I made a long hive (two in fact) using poly hive National brood boxes from Swienty. PM me if you would like details.

 

[JamezF]

I made a long hive (two in fact) using poly hive National brood boxes from Swienty. PM me if you would like details.

Now you remind me I think I've seen some photos of your design here. I'll have a look later. Trying to get stuff done between the rain bucketing down at the moment

James