Foundation abuse

[planbee]

It's now about 1-30pm on Monday, I've been down there and changed the affected frame - they were still at it, chewed about 4 to 5 inches, each about three quarters inch wide, along two wires!

Because it's stinking hot, and because I wondered if that could be the reason for the "nadging", I've also taken each hive down to it's crown board, and replaced the board with a floor mesh, and a Snelgrove board, respectively; they are the only items I have, with any amount of vent area.

Then built each up, finishing with an empty super with a roof on.

That topmost super is spaced off the one below with some bits of twig, each one, hopefully, a bit smaller than a bee space.

The idea being that my efforts should allow a bit more airflow through each hive.

I noticed that the affected hive had quite a lot of bee's hanging about on the hive-stand, plus a lot on the floor in front - [black weed control membrane over the grass].

There were about 100 all together, and after about 20 minutes, they were down to about 50.

We shall see..........

John

 

[MJBee]

The foundation I was using was from Maismore all my colonies (7) have had some from the same batch but only one colony was wrecking it and they have stopped now the queen is laying well.

Admin - I have a queen that produces good tempered prolific queens so I am usiing her in a Jenter kit. After the eggs hatch (day 4) the cell cups are transferred, in a frame to the "cell starting colony". This is the one I was referring to in my previous post. The queen is confined to the bottom brood box by a qx then 3 supers, another qx (not really necessary but insurance in case a queen emerges early which would mean searching 33 frames for a virgin)
then the top brood box which contains sealed brood and larvae older than 6 days. This box is far enough away from the queen to feel queenless and readily accept the frame of queen cups. The cells are transferred to my incubator 2 days after they are sealed.
The whole process takes 15 days - 9 before cells are introduced to ensure no larvae young enough to be used by the hive. 6 days introduction to sealed plus 2, the colony is then returned to "normal" double brood configuration.
Mike

 

[chris_richmond]

are there any powerful transmissions in close proximity ?,High Frequency gear ?, reason I ask is that the positon of the hive in relation to such a source could cause the wire to resonate at a harmonic of the fundimental frequency of the source.
The total length of reinforcing wire being approx 2 metres in length (common length used in the radio spectrum).
Altering the position of the hive slightly (rotating it on it's axis ) could nullify this phenonemum .

John Wilkinson

John has a valid point on this one if the total length of the wire is about 2 meters then it would be resonant on or around the 2m amatuer radio band which is on 144 to 146mhz, if there is an amatuer near your apiary on the 2m band then you could try turning your hive a bit at a time so as to effectively stop the resonation by putting the wire in your combs out of phase with the antenna of the amatuer.

Obviously your problem is solved for the moment as your queen is now mated but it may be worth giving it some thought if it happens again.

 

[JCBrum]

Hmmm, personally I don't buy this rf transmitter theory. 2m is mostly peanut power stuff, and anyway you don't get any net resultant force without rectification (used to be called a detector).

If it was likely that bees didn't like rf, then you wouldn't be able to keep bees within miles of Droitwich, Worcestershire. The BBC has emitted several hundred KiloWatts 24hrs a day since before WWII from that station. Beekeepers in the vicinity would have noticed. Some times in that area you can light a bicycle lamp off a wire fence.

I think it more likely that the bees just wanted something to get stroppy with, or, perhaps they didn't like the 'metallic' taste or smell of that particular bit of wire.

JC.

p.s. there is another very high power transmitter in Scotland I think, and several in France.

 

[planbee]

Perhaps I should help it to come to resonance by the addition of a trimmer?

A Beehive type, of course!!

Your comments about 2 metres have been noted, but I think that the nearest person who is likely to be on that, is about a mile away.

I live about one and a half miles away, but I'm on 30m, 20m, 17m PSK [and QRP at no more than 10 Watts].

There is VHF at the Fire Station Control room, about two hundred yards away, and it's quite likely that they are on PMR high band around 150 to 174 ish.

But why only one frame, perhaps a loosely embedded wire?

If I get a chance tomorrow, I might wave a GDO around in the shed, where the spare foundation is!

John

 

[chris_richmond]

Hi John

What your callsign? I am G0TOO

Not on the radio much nowadays due to idiots in the this area / local club but no dought I will get back into it at some point.

Yes I agree a mile away is too far, like you say it could have been loose wire or anything.

Cheers Chris

 

[mikethebee]

Please ask your selves again!!
Who made the foundation originally????
I buy condoms from the chemist, the chemist don’t manufacture them!!!.
If the condom has a hole in it, I will have to join fathers for justice and pay maintenance.
Laugh out loud and roll on the floor. But think about it the same applies to foudation
all the best mike

 

[JCBrum]

Hmmm, thanks for the warning Mike.

We have a new young lady member in our bka, and I've been mentoring her a little bit.

If she accidentally gets pregnant her hubbie is just not going to believe it was all due to dodgy wax foundation !

JC.

 

[planbee]

Chris,
I'm G8HWI.


Mike,
I've no idea who made the foundation, I bought it from Paynes.
Because it's only one frame, I'm inclined to go along with the "they don't like the taste" theory, at the moment.
I don't think that it's faulty, I think it's just one of those things, and we may never find the answer.

John

 

[DulwichGnome]

Chris,

I'm inclined to go along with the "they don't like the taste" theory, at the moment.

John

Could it be the wire is tinned copper and the tinning has come off? Looking at the Thornes site they do two grades and the stainless steel is three times the price of the standard!

Mike.

 

[Hombre]

Riveted by 2m conversations

G0PAi. I can't imagine that the cheaper Thornes framing wire is tinned copper. Peanut power - well there is a description. I don't suppose many run max permitted power.

Is the habit not an indication of stress, such as being queenless, or just plain perversity.

Someone would have to be doing a lot of talking to affect the bees with a 2m signal. Normally it induces a feeling of tranquility, until it's my turn to bore my mates rigid with my riveting repartee.

 

[BKF Admin]

Do Thornes use different wire in the Premium and standard foundation ?

 

[Hivemaker.]

Don't think it matters what wax it is,as i said,some colonys are doing this to wax from Thornes and from KBS, and some are doing it to several frames.I don't buy any wired foundation.

 

[JCBrum]

G0PAi. Peanut power - well there is a description.

Well, some of us remember the days before computers, ASCII, packet radio, and the internet.

Rather than use 'skip' on HF, some of the most advanced amateurs were the 'Ruskies' on vhf.

Talking to them was achieved through inter-continental 'over the horizon' QSO's by moon-bounce and converted military Creed telex machines using Baudot code. You had to adjust the speed of the flywheel very carefully in your receiver !

Some of us could run an erp of 10Kw on 70cms with stacked and bayed steerable yagi arrays, driven from linears with 4x 4CX250's with 2Kv on the anodes. We could fry pigeons, let alone bees.

JC.

 

[Hombre]

I have recently seen signs of rust on the exposed wire loops on foundation that had been stored in a cellar.

Radio wise, my experience dates back to the days of 88mH toroids, 850Hz shift as standard, pre- 450Hz before 170Hz was thought about and all the talk was of dual slideback TUs. Never worked it, but followed avidly. Horrified at the thought of 45.25 baud Allied Interpolation speed and slept with my head on a novel on a tiled floor under a bench with un-covered 7BRPs rattling away.
Regarding "converted military Creed telex machines using Baudot code", The variant was Murray code (ITA2), Military TELEX was called TASS and the machines were owned by The GPO. The military did own a lot of Creed kit though. I was a "service" telegraphist well before I was a radio amateur.

Does four hives in an apiary make that a 9dBee apiary and would that equate to a gain of 9dBeeH?

I don't think that modest amounts of RF have much influence on the bees at all and I certainly haven't received a card from them.

JCBrum, I hope you have a good season and might even catch you on the radio some time.

 

[JCBrum]

Ok Hombre, I've just acquired a little tiny dual band vhf handie but I can't understand how to use it !

I swapped it for a 4 metre valve mobile set on motor-cycle pannier mounts, and the bloke was delighted !

I used to get a lot of Creed stuff, and another make I can't remember now, from the yard at Alum Rock, or was it Washwood Heath. You'll probably remember it. As well as Thatchers yard at Cheslyn Hay.

88mh toroids ! they're modern !

Aplologies to beeks for off-topic. I'll shut-up about it now.

JC.