Final Year Student Redesigning the Beehive

[SarahHep13]

Thank you!

First of all, thank you everybody for taking the time to do this, you are helping me out massively!

Let me tell you a bit about myself and some ideas I have been playing around with/what I feel the problems are.

I do have a limited experience of beekeeping as my stepfather has 2 hives in our back garden. I have always been really interested in it as it is such an unusual hobby, and then I have told my friends about it, and they have thought it's fantastic but have asked questions I didn't know the answer to, which meant I would ask my step dad and this is how I have learnt. So I am by no means an expert!
When our final year project titles were published, this one caught my eye immediately as obviously I have an interest in it. However, the brief stated redesigning the beehive to help combat CCD, something I perceived as impossible as the cause is not known! (Although many possibilities exist.)
So I decided to tweak it a little, to focus the design on trying to promote the healthiest colony possible, giving the bees the best chance at surviving the harsh weather and other colony weakening factors.

I appreciate there are LOTS of hive designs already out there, so I am fully aware that the best way to go about this is to try to combine the most successful features from a number of different hive types. I also would like to consider taking it back to basics, as bees are capable of looking after themselves (as is evident in the wild). The top bar hive design is of interest to me, and even Skep beekeeping if there was a way to extract the honey and maintain the hive without having to kill off the bees! As a materials engineering student I think my supervisor wants to see some consideration of the materials used, and I am aware of some of the pros and cons of the polystyrene hives, however I will be evaluating other polymer materials, alternative natural materials, insulating materials or a combination of different materials!

All of your comments are being taken on board as there are so many factors to this project that I sometimes miss things! It is difficult to please everyone (bees included!) but you are the people who hold the knowledge, so your opinions really matter to me making this project a successful one!

 

[mbc]

I was going to fill it out but that question #7 appeared to be out of context - completely. Anyone give a good reason to justify that question in a supposed questionnaire on hive design?

I dont seem to be able to see the questionnaire since completing it, what was question 7 ?

 

[SarahHep13]

I was going to fill it out but that question #7 appeared to be out of context - completely. Anyone give a good reason to justify that question in a supposed questionnaire on hive design?

I'm sorry this question prevented you from completing the questionnaire.
But it is an important question for me to discover the answer to, as the design process involves targeting a problem to solve.

Currently for example, the results are suggesting that people don't feel that temperature (or more importantly - climate) is a major factor of how strong the colony is, so it would be pointless me trying to design a hive that helped to regulate temperature if it wasn't an issue in the first place. If that makes sense?

I hope I have justified myself.

 

[victor meldrew]

Don't be dissuaded from your project by any negative input/ comment!
Mankind existed long before the invention of the wheel as do isolated tribes still!
No body can deny the invention advanced mankind by leaps and bounds .
Breakthroughs happen and have done through out history in spite of objections ,
VM

 

[oliver90owner]

Nope. Explain food source availability?

OK,OK, I could stretch that to should hive be easily transportable, but as one answer overrides all the rest, how can that help design a hive unless you know far more about any particular answer?

 

[mbc]

Nope. Explain food source availability?

OK,OK, I could stretch that to should hive be easily transportable, but as one answer overrides all the rest, how can that help design a hive unless you know far more about any particular answer?

Ah yes. I answered food source as all the rest matters naught if the bees are starving.

 

[victor meldrew]

I'm sorry this question prevented you from completing the questionnaire.
But it is an important question for me to discover the answer to, as the design process involves targeting a problem to solve.

Currently for example, the results are suggesting that people don't feel that temperature (or more importantly - climate) is a major factor of how strong the colony is, so it would be pointless me trying to design a hive that helped to regulate temperature if it wasn't an issue in the first place. If that makes sense?

I hope I have justified myself.

It's your project Sarah ,listen observe but don't.become side tracked for the sake of argument
This happens on fora if one isn't careful!
VM

 

[SarahHep13]

Thanks, VM.

It was just another option. If food availability came out as the top answer, well there is nothing you can design to help that. But for this project I have to provide ALOT of research, and part of that includes ruling things out and justifying EVERY decision.

Not sure why this is such a big deal and is stopping you from doing the questionnaire, but nobody's forcing you to, so just don't do it.

 

[Chris B]

Lack of a perceived problem with existing hives doesn't mean you can't make a meaningful improvement.

And a hive has several components, some perhaps with more scope for innovation or improvement. In the recent past the open mesh floor has been superseding the solid floor, but the rest of the hive remains unaltered.

Hives are expensive! Wooden hives due to labour cost. Polyhives due to moulding cost. It would be a big improvement to make them cheaper.

Is there a case for a cheap, single use, compostable super?

 

[Hivemaker.]

Is there a case for a cheap, single use, compostable super?

Good idea, they could be made in a mold, from compressed dried cow/horse dung.

 

[Chris B]

Good idea, they could be made in a mold, from compressed dried cow/horse dung.

Yes, and straw, and shredded Th*rnes catalogues.

Or fill with water and freeze for the igloo hive. Very cheap.

 

[Chris B]

I think eco-villages should have specially designed walls in all buildings with slide-out "bricks" that are actually hives. That way the bees are heating your house.

 

[simoncav]

First of all, thank you everybody for taking the time to do this, you are helping me out massively!

Let me tell you a bit about myself and some ideas I have been playing around with/what I feel the problems are.

I do have a limited experience of beekeeping as my stepfather has 2 hives in our back garden. I have always been really interested in it as it is such an unusual hobby, and then I have told my friends about it, and they have thought it's fantastic but have asked questions I didn't know the answer to, which meant I would ask my step dad and this is how I have learnt. So I am by no means an expert!
When our final year project titles were published, this one caught my eye immediately as obviously I have an interest in it. However, the brief stated redesigning the beehive to help combat CCD, something I perceived as impossible as the cause is not known! (Although many possibilities exist.)
So I decided to tweak it a little, to focus the design on trying to promote the healthiest colony possible, giving the bees the best chance at surviving the harsh weather and other colony weakening factors.

I appreciate there are LOTS of hive designs already out there, so I am fully aware that the best way to go about this is to try to combine the most successful features from a number of different hive types. I also would like to consider taking it back to basics, as bees are capable of looking after themselves (as is evident in the wild). The top bar hive design is of interest to me, and even Skep beekeeping if there was a way to extract the honey and maintain the hive without having to kill off the bees! As a materials engineering student I think my supervisor wants to see some consideration of the materials used, and I am aware of some of the pros and cons of the polystyrene hives, however I will be evaluating other polymer materials, alternative natural materials, insulating materials or a combination of different materials!

All of your comments are being taken on board as there are so many factors to this project that I sometimes miss things! It is difficult to please everyone (bees included!) but you are the people who hold the knowledge, so your opinions really matter to me making this project a successful one!

Don't discount temperature, particularly in regards to CCD... Which Varroa is a prime suspect.

Varroa don't like high temperatures and a super insulated hive "might" enable bees to keep areas of the brood chamber warm enough to make it harder for the mites to breed...

 

[Hivemaker.]

Varroa don't like high temperatures and a super insulated hive "might" enable bees to keep areas of the brood chamber warm enough to make it harder for the mites to breed...

So i understand, but i wonder why they have serious varroa problems in very hot countries.

 

[BeeJayBee]

Don't discount temperature...

If you can design something that will keep the internal temperature stable then it gives a chance to look at the real variables that are harder to control.

It's not much different from us insulating our homes to avoid spending money on fuel. A lot of beekeepers make sure the hive roofs are well insulated throughout the year.

In a badly insulated hive, bees work hard to keep the internal temperature cool in the summer, so eat more - so have to forage more to keep a good level of stores, which can impact on the honey available to the beekeeper.

In winter a poorly insulated hive is likely to mean they have to work harder to raise the temperature during winter, so eat more - which might mean the beekeeper has to top up stores by either feeding syrup in the autumn or making sure there's fondant available right through to, maybe, March.

 

[Hivemaker.]

In a badly insulated hive, bees work hard to keep the internal temperature cool in the summer, so eat more - so have to forage more to keep a good level of stores, which can impact on the honey available to the beekeeper.

That would most likely of been 1976 in this country, when many bees just clustered on the fronts of the hives, not doing much foraging.

 

[pargyle]

Thanks, VM.

It was just another option. If food availability came out as the top answer, well there is nothing you can design to help that. But for this project I have to provide ALOT of research, and part of that includes ruling things out and justifying EVERY decision.

Not sure why this is such a big deal and is stopping you from doing the questionnaire, but nobody's forcing you to, so just don't do it.

Hi Sarah, You'll find that there is a great deal of diversity on this forum and some are more diverse than others ... particularly if you are suggesting anything that does not follow 'the norm' or, in your case, even thinking about something that does not follow 'the norm'. Just do a search for 'Sun hive' on this forum and you'll see exactly what can be possible ... can see the flashing lights and hear the sirens already, I wish you every success, there's a lot of people hidden in beeland that are doing it differently for a variety of reasons and perhaps your project will yield some success. I wish you lots of luck. Philip

 

[blackcavebees]

Done, all the best with your project

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

I was going to fill it out but that question #7 appeared to be out of context - completely. Anyone give a good reason to justify that question in a supposed questionnaire on hive design?

Oh not another question on sexual orientation!

 

[Dusty Rhodes]

Oh not another question on sexual orientation!

Most people find horizontal is best.

Dusty.