Beekeeping Xmas Presents!!!

[Erichalfbee]

Can't wait to try recording my bees.

And you could take it riding

 

[BeeJayBee]

It has been a lovely Christmas this year

It has indeed, for us too.

 

[Tremyfro]

And you could take it riding

Yes I could...although a video of my horses ears would get a bit boring! Definitely, can use it when instructing riders...the feedback would be great. Mainly though, it will be great to use when looking through a colony...it's amazing what you see later at leisure and not under pressure to close up. Must remember to use moderate language!

 

[REDWOOD]

I got an uncapping knife so I could make my old bead knife redundant, however it is only for a right handed person, no biggy though I just need to de rivet the handle and turn it my way.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

I got an uncapping knife so I could make my old bead knife redundant, however it is only for a right handed person, no biggy though I just need to de rivet the handle and turn it my way.

strange, all the ones I've seen are ambidextrous (which is very handy in my case )

 

[REDWOOD]

This one has serrations on one side and knife blade on the other. I always decap down with left hand which means the serrations are on the top, perhaps me being a bit fussy but I like to cut with the serrations, I find it removes the cappings better than a flat blade.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

This one has serrations on one side and knife blade on the other. I always decap down with left hand which means the serrations are on the top, perhaps me being a bit fussy but I like to cut with the serrations, I find it removes the cappings better than a flat blade.

It does - the straight blade is usuallu used worm 'warm' uncapping - can't be a*sed to dip it in hot water all the time

 

[For want of a better word]

This one has serrations on one side and knife blade on the other. I always decap down with left hand which means the serrations are on the top, perhaps me being a bit fussy but I like to cut with the serrations, I find it removes the cappings better than a flat blade.

Use an electrik blowtorch or a hairdrier... much less mess.

Yeghes da

 

[Cussword]

ambidextrous )

We have a lot of folks like that in Blackpool.

 

[For want of a better word]

We have a lot of folks like that in Blackpool.

Pickpockets?
Yegheds da

 

[Cussword]

Pickpockets?
Yegheds da

Welll, OK

 

[REDWOOD]

Use an electrik blowtorch or a hairdrier... much less mess.

Yeghes da

I like the capping so I can make candles, turning out to be a nice little side line and will pay for my foundation this year.

 

[Chorlton Honey Bees]

portable observation hive from Mann lake made of pine but well worth it check them out it will be great to educate

 

[Tremyfro]

portable observation hive from Mann lake made of pine but well worth it check them out it will be great to educate

Oh My!!!!....how wonderful...are you going to have it so you can see it inside the house?...a pipe for the bees to get in and out?

 

[Erichalfbee]

If you wanted to do that I think you'd have to have something custom made.
MannLake's observation hives take a five frame nucleus I think and you just pull the one frame up to look at.
Our BKA has an observation hive that's made up for road shows and exhibitions only and returned to it's home at the end of the day.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

If you wanted to do that I think you'd have to have something custom made.
MannLake's observation hives take a five frame nucleus I think and you just pull the one frame up to look at.
Our BKA has an observation hive that's made up for road shows and exhibitions only and returned to it's home at the end of the day.

Yes, it's the 'Ulster' observation hive - we had one loaned to the WBKA for the Royal Welsh - did not like it at all - although the workers have access to the whole nuc the queen (for display purposes) is 'trapped' on the frame on display - they got distressed very quickly and we almost had to scrap the idea after the first day.

 

[Erichalfbee]

they got distressed very quickly and we almost had to scrap the idea after the first day.

To my mind bees get stressed in an observation hive. Better maybe is to fashion one whole side of a brood box in polycarbonate and have a cover over that

 

[For want of a better word]

they got distressed very quickly and we almost had to scrap the idea after the first day.

To my mind bees get stressed in an observation hive. Better maybe is to fashion one whole side of a brood box in polycarbonate and have a cover over that

Or have a virtual hive with HD quality screen running a one hour loop in an observation hive body... most of the great unwashed would not notice !

Yeghes da

 

[Erichalfbee]

Or have a virtual hive with HD quality screen running a one hour loop in an observation hive body... most of the great unwashed would not notice !

Yeghes da

It would take your mind off the horrors to come in a dentist's waiting room

 

[pargyle]

Yes, it's the 'Ulster' observation hive - we had one loaned to the WBKA for the Royal Welsh - did not like it at all - although the workers have access to the whole nuc the queen (for display purposes) is 'trapped' on the frame on display - they got distressed very quickly and we almost had to scrap the idea after the first day.

We have a couple in the association and we usually take one to most of the summer events we do. It's always the frames from a nuc that goes in and the queen, as you say, is kept on the frame above the queen excluder - having a marked one is good as the children are really quick to spot her. We haven't had a problem with distressed bees - there are a few things that help:

1. If it's sunny and warm they need to be kept well into the shade, not out in the open and if necessary a very light misting of water through the ventilation holes helps.

2. Keeping them covered over with a light proof cloth when they are not being viewed keeps them calm - might not be possible at the bigger events but at the smaller events we run at a local level we find that it's easy to keep them covered in between viewings - indeed, it adds something to it when you uncover them and people see real bees.

3. The frame in the observation section needs to be a really mixed frame with room for the queen to lay, some brood and an arc of stores - we even see the queen laying whilst we are watching - the children again love to see this when it happens.

4. When we do two day events we swap colonies over, as being contained for more than a day in the hive could be a bit too much.

5. For the two day events we also have a four frame observation hive available that has a tube that can be led to the outside of a tent or marquee so that the bees can actually fly - very much the same as our former friend Dishmop (there are many that will remember him) had on the wall of his lounge. Again, we tend to keep it covered with a dark cloth when they are not being viewed.

It's really fabulous to be able to allow people to see real bees working inside the hive - and coupled with a 'virtual hive' which has frames with photos of the various frames inside it it makes talking about what bees and beekeepers do very easy - with less imagination required - and you rarely find anyone who isn't fascinated.