Beekeeping Show 25th

[Ian123]

No, you buy it once and then it is reusable as many times as you want. You recharge the pads by placing in boiling in water for 20 minutes. It takes 2-3 hours so I could do 2 hives a day for as long as I wanted. I agree it's probably aimed at the hobbyist with a few hives rather than the bee farmer.

I have 12 hives - I could treat them all twice a year for several years. Seems like over 3 years it would work out at less than £3 a treatment - reasonable?

If it works, whats not to like? It's chemical free, can be used at any time with no (apparent ill effects) and extremely quick.

I'm a Yorkshireman and a beekeeper - you'll have to find someone else to sell your magic beans to

The quoted time frame on the website is 2-4 hours but like you say if you have bees in the garden.
The product info appears to indicate that it’s only used on a single brood with outside temps of 15c. I wonder how that affects 14x12 and certainly restricts those who operate dbl broods.
It be interesting to see how in real world or less than ideal circumstances it operates.

 

[JohnRB]

The quoted time frame on the website is 2-4 hours but like you say if you have bees in the garden.
The product info appears to indicate that it’s only used on a single brood with outside temps of 15c. I wonder how that affects 14x12 and certainly restricts those who operate dbl broods.
It be interesting to see how in real world or less than ideal circumstances it operates.

Without wanting to sound like a salesman (I have absolutely no involvement) as I understand it the 6 pads are for use with the larger boxes, rather than just 4 for a national. They don't recommend double brood as they haven't done the trials yet - this year I think. They also mentioned some sort of monitoring device to tell you what the internal temperature is, but I assume that would be extra. That is literally everything I know. I shall see what the launch material says, and the price, and decide then. I volunteered our association to join their trial, but they don't intend to go beyond the 7 they have this year (I think)

 

[JamezF]

The principal of heat treatment is not new and I think it’s proven to work. Some years ago there was some mobile oven thing that cooked the hive. Can’t remember what it was called but same principle.

Yes, I believe the principle has been shown to be fundamentally valid. The margin for error seems quite small though. As far as I recall, even a degree or two too cold and the kill rate is too low to be useful, but a couple of degrees too high and it impacts the bees. I imagine it will be very difficult to be sure their system will work in many real world cases.

James

 

[Ian123]

Or

Yes, I believe the principle has been shown to be fundamentally valid. The margin for error seems quite small though. As far as I recall, even a degree or two too cold and the kill rate is too low to be useful, but a couple of degrees too high and it impacts the bees. I imagine it will be very difficult to be sure their system will work in many real world cases.

James

Or real world beekeepers I wonder how it works in logs

 

[Erichalfbee]

Or
Or real world beekeepers I wonder how it works in logs

Or leaky boxes?

 

[madasafish]

I would assume it will not work in Jumbos or in cold weather.
(my experiences of steam wax melter powered by wallpaper stripper is it only works well when the weather is warm: heat loss through walls in cold weather makes it ineffective)

 

[Ian123]

I would assume it will not work in Jumbos or in cold weather.
(my experiences of steam wax melter powered by wallpaper stripper is it only works well when the weather is warm: heat loss through walls in cold weather makes it ineffective)

Probably more to do with the quality of the stripper, get yourself 1 of these.
https://www.screwfix.com/p/wagner-s...Vg-DtCh1VegLZEAQYASABEgIVLfD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

 

[Garry R]

Probably more to do with the quality of the stripper, get yourself 1 of these.
https://www.screwfix.com/p/wagner-s...Vg-DtCh1VegLZEAQYASABEgIVLfD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

Mmm? Wax at about £100/lb decreasing cost over the years BUT the added disadvantage that SWMBO would want every room in the house wallpapered every three years on a rolling Forth Road Bridge painting basis ...............

 

[Into the lions den]

Small alert to people who may have purchased foundation from our stand on Saturday!

All those I spoke to about it, and also mentioned in our literature available alongside it, we make it clear that the sheets are cut to the size required for the frames we supply...sizes not available at the mainstream dealers without you doing a lot of trimming. Our prewired frames have no side grooves and single solid bottom bars, so require a slightly smaller sheet than normal UK pattern frames.

If anyone bought this wax on the day and are now uttering 'bad words' that it does not fit their frames....and were unaware of the size difference as I cannot guarantee that they were all warned about this verbally by the stand staff due to the busyness of the stand....we WILL take it back for a refund.

 

[rolande]

Small alert to people who may have purchased foundation from our stand on Saturday!

All those I spoke to about it, and also mentioned in our literature available alongside it, we make it clear that the sheets are cut to the size required for the frames we supply...sizes not available at the mainstream dealers without you doing a lot of trimming. Our prewired frames have no side grooves and single solid bottom bars, so require a slightly smaller sheet than normal UK pattern frames.

If anyone bought this wax on the day and are now uttering 'bad words' that it does not fit their frames....and we unaware of the size difference as I cannot guarantee that they were all warned about this verbally by the stand staff due to the business of the stand....we WILL take it back for a refund.

Hopefully people who purchased planned to use it in wired frames so a simple explanation that they've got something better than they expected will be enough but I know, sometimes the obvious is the first thing we (all of us at some point) miss.

I started trimming down our foundation after reading a description of doing so by Alec Gale in the private print magazine he used to produce in the 30s. Apart from better/straighter combs it also eased the fitting no end.

 

[user 20833]

Archie M mentioned that some discussion was afoot on the BKF so I thought I'd take a peek. Sammy who spoke about Thermomite seemed well informed about the science and the research results to date. HOWEVER, my concern is how heat can damage the fertility of drones and damage the sperm inside a queen's spermatheca. I want as many healthy drones out there as possible, and I certainly don't want my queens failing early, so even if it cost a tenner I'd be sticking with Thymol/Formic/Oxalic.
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41893-020-0493-x
Of course, Formic kills queens (30% last year for me) so I only used that when I'd forgotten my winter OA on some hives.

 

[Ian123]

Small alert to people who may have purchased foundation from our stand on Saturday!

All those I spoke to about it, and also mentioned in our literature available alongside it, we make it clear that the sheets are cut to the size required for the frames we supply...sizes not available at the mainstream dealers without you doing a lot of trimming. Our prewired frames have no side grooves and single solid bottom bars, so require a slightly smaller sheet than normal UK pattern frames.

If anyone bought this wax on the day and are now uttering 'bad words' that it does not fit their frames....and we unaware of the size difference as I cannot guarantee that they were all warned about this verbally by the stand staff due to the business of the stand....we WILL take it back for a refund.

It was at this point Murray remembered for the 1000th time that dealing with millions of stinging insects you can’t actually communicate with, is easier than dealing with the public

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Archie M mentioned that some discussion was afoot on the BKF so I thought I'd take a peek. Sammy who spoke about Thermomite seemed well informed about the science and the research results to date. HOWEVER, my concern is how heat can damage the fertility of drones and damage the sperm inside a queen's spermatheca. I want as many healthy drones out there as possible, and I certainly don't want my queens failing early, so even if it cost a tenner I'd be sticking with Thymol/Formic/Oxalic.
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41893-020-0493-x
Of course, Formic kills queens (30% last year for me) so I only used that when I'd forgotten my winter OA on some hives.

Missed you on Saturday, saw you looking around a bit 'lost' outside the seminar area, by the time my brain had clicked in and recognised you, you'd vanished and I couldn't see you anywhere to say hello

 

[Ian123]

Did any get a look at the bee vac?

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

See they've already set the date for next year's show - 24th February

 

[Ian123]

See they've already set the date for next year's show - 24th February

Excellent…….Clearly it was a success.

 

[Just Steve]

Did any get a look at the bee vac?

I did. Having built 2 previously with some degree of success but with faults to iron out the bee vac at the show looks like it addresses them for the most part. I discussed it with SWMBO and she encouraged me to try one. Probably because 6 weeks ago I had a 'dispute' with the table saw and came off worst so she wants me to keep away from the tools for now hahaha. I'm looking forward to trying it.

 

[Ian123]

I did. Having built 2 previously with some degree of success but with faults to iron out the bee vac at the show looks like it addresses them for the most part. I discussed it with SWMBO and she encouraged me to try one. Probably because 6 weeks ago I had a 'dispute' with the table saw and came off worst so she wants me to keep away from the tools for now hahaha. I'm looking forward to trying it.

Thks for that whilst I was there when the doors opened I was pushed for time and forgot. I’ve used 1 many years ago that a friend had made and it was good for swarms/removals but was bulky and mains connection needed. I thought it could also double for easy bee collecting for mini nucs. I guess they’ll be at the other shows so maybe a chance to see then!

 

[Anduril]

Did any get a look at the bee vac?

I bought one, the unit uses a Makita 6ah 18v battery (2 supplied and charger). Although if you use another make it would be easy to replace the battery holder with another, but the holes may not match up and you would need to make new ones. A vented cap fits over the hose inlet once the bees have been collected. All the electric components are attached to clear perspex so that you can view the bees as they are being collected. The motor that provides the suction has a filter made from a green scourer pad, which can be easily replaced and it has a variable speed controller that is used instead of a reducing vent. The inventor said he had used it for three and a half hours in one collection without the battery failing. As the bees are collected they don’t slam into a flat hard surface due to the curve of the bucket. Everything dismantles easily and has plastic handles to hold onto for removal and replacing. I think for demonstration purposes the seller could have used pieces of paper as imitation bees. There is one electric component missing in my opinion, but I’m not going to divulge the information until I demonstrate it to my father-in-law and ask his advice. Knowing him he would probably draw an electronic wiring diagram. Overall the unit is well made and thought out and easy to operate, maintain and clean. I questioned him about the US version which isn’t as well made, he said that the innards had a tendency to collapse, in that version. Disclaimer I have no connection to the bee vac, just my viewpoint of the unit.

 

[Swarm]

Great summary, Graham. Of course, you know what I'm curious about now though.