Help with Beekeeping Project

[rowly]

Hello,

I am an architecture student currently doing research for a building project to be designed for beekeeping, re-introducing bees into the wild for pollination purposes, research into CCD and other reaons for bee population decline. I am also looking into Apitherapy as another use for this building.

If anyone could help me with some questions I have struggled to find answers to it would be a massive help...

-How close hives can be kept together?
-How many hives can be kept within a certain area?
-What is the maximum wind speed in which a bee is able to go out foraging?
-What is a 'safe' distance to be from the Hives without protective equiptment?..And will this be a larger distance the more hives there are?

Thanks in advance for any help

Rowly

 

[jimbeekeeper]

I have struggled to find answers

You are not the only one!

Hi
What level are you working on i.e GCSE A-Level Uni?

 

[rowly]

thanks for responding, i am in my 3rd year of uni doing my final project.

where do you keep your hives?

i think i have found most other information i need but books and the internet are vague on these questions

 

[jon]

Hello,

-How close hives can be kept together?
-How many hives can be kept within a certain area?
-What is the maximum wind speed in which a bee is able to go out foraging?
-What is a 'safe' distance to be from the Hives without protective equiptment?..And will this be a larger distance the more hives there are?

Rowly

-Hives can be kept side by side but this encourages drifting by bees from one hive to the other and is not considered good practice.
-The number of hives in a given area depends upon available forage. Most beekeepers would consider a dozen or so at one apiary to be getting on for the upper limit, again depending upon available forage. If the density is too high the bees will get stressed and stress can bring on or exacerbate other diseases which affect bees.
-Don't know in mph but bees do not forage in high wind.
-If bees are calm you can sit beside a hive and watch them from 2 feet away, whereas if they are defensive people can get stung a considerable distance away. You hear stories of beekeepers being chased for 100 yards by angry bees. I have 8 colonies and I only wear protective gear around them when I am opening them up for an inspection.
The number of hives is not that relevant. A single angry colony can make life very difficult for neighbours. A colony can become aggressive due to queenlessness, bad manipulation or a number of other factors. Different races of bee have different temperaments so that is also a factor.

 

[jimbeekeeper]

Rather than a fixed building, consider a large HGV truck (like used in the USA). This would have the advatge that you could move the hives to where the pollination is needed / nectar (pollen) is best depending on sessions.

 

[BKF Admin]

I have checked out the ip for Rowley and he is posting from a uni department that is one of the best in the country,all answers I am sure will be used for his research.

I only posted the above because I know that at times forums can have members join up from companies etc asking questions to gather information for free.

 

[Polyanwood]

Hello Rowly

I think it is worth you not just thinking about honey bees. Bumble bees and mason and other types of bee are really good barometers of the health of the environment and there are plants that cannot be polinated by honey bees but need the longer tongued bees I terms of a structure these bees some could easily be accomodated as part of it as they live in holes/gaps. I thnk Alison Benjamin suggests that the diversity and survival of bumble bee species is linked to lower levels of CCD.

Mostly you will not want honey bees near people or animals, for reasons above, but if you wanted this if you had a 7 ft high barrier around them, they could fly up and over and out. Perhaps glass - as people would like to see, although the bees would poo on it, so cleaning might be a chore.

Good luck.

 

[jimbeekeeper]

I have checked out the ip for Rowley and he is posting from a uni department that is one of the best in the country,all answers I am sure will be used for his research.

I only posted the above because I know that at times forums can have members join up from companies etc asking questions to gather information for free.

Hi Admin

I never doubted it was a real student, there have been quite a few around the country doing simliar projects...I think it is a hot subject!

But I do think they are trying to do somthing that is never going to happen.

If I was a uni student, after waking up at around 2pm I would drag myself off to the nearest beekeeper and offer to carry around supers for him and make frames..that is research. They would then understand beekeeping ( a bit)

 

[BKF Admin]

Steady on Jim.
Thats hard graft,no need to work when mum and dad will send a food parcel and beer token allowance.

 

[jimbeekeeper]

OK I re phrase

Get up a 2:30pm go and Watch beekeeper in action.

Hi Rowly Please take this semi jest I have been there and got the T shirt for 2 day drinking sessions at uni.

But seriously you will learn a lot.

 

[rowly]

I have checked out the ip for Rowley and he is posting from a uni department that is one of the best in the country,all answers I am sure will be used for his research.

I only posted the above because I know that at times forums can have members join up from companies etc asking questions to gather information for free.

thanks!

 

[gavin]

Hey Rowly

I wonder if you might get some inspiration from the many designs of bee house you can see on the continent? For example:

http://www.honeyshop.co.uk/Bee.html

but just Google Imaging for 'bee house' will get you more. In places like Germany and Slovenia (did I say Slovenia?! Damn - I think that I'm about to be accused of illegal harassing of Mike again!) they like to do their beekeeping inside a building, sneaking in at the back of colonies when their focus is usually to the great outdoors. A good splash of colour helps the bees to find their way back to the right colony, and sometimes you can put the whole thing on wheels to take them to better forage.

Maybe that last bit isn't relevant, but there may be ideas there for your bee facility.

G.

 

[FenBee]

With reference to Polyanwood's comments on Bumble Bees, you can find more information on Bumblebees from the "Bumblebee Conservation Trust", a research group based at University of Sterling.
See ... http://www.bumblebeeconservationtrust.co.uk/

 

[rowly]

Thankyou all for your fast reponses, i have more ideas and answers now. im finding out about local beekeepers and will try and visit them.

I like the idea of including Bumblebees into my project and will definitely look into this.

Hey Rowly

I wonder if you might get some inspiration from the many designs of bee house you can see on the continent? For example:

http://www.honeyshop.co.uk/Bee.html

but just Google Imaging for 'bee house' will get you more. In places like Germany and Slovenia (did I say Slovenia?! Damn - I think that I'm about to be accused of illegal harassing of Mike again!) they like to do their beekeeping inside a building, sneaking in at the back of colonies when their focus is usually to the great outdoors. A good splash of colour helps the bees to find their way back to the right colony, and sometimes you can put the whole thing on wheels to take them to better forage.

Maybe that last bit isn't relevant, but there may be ideas there for your bee facility.

G.

Thanks for this... The designs of the beehouses are incredible and the use of colour to help the bees find their way back similar to the way they are attracted to flowers is something i would not have thought of.

If anyone has any more thoughts or suggestions they will be gratefully received.

I'll probably have more questions in the near future,

thanks,

Rowly