High-Tec Beekeeping

[BKF Admin]

I think temperature of the brood is an indication ~22 no brood ~ 35 brood. So through the use of a digital thermometer and probe (possibly inserted year-round).

But that is getting hi-tech or should we be going hi-tech? After all the Victorians always strived for the latest gadgets and fads, has much in beekeeping really changed since then!

Above is a post by Jimbeekeeper,he asks a very good question regards should beekeeping be going more high-tec?

I know from a chat with a forum member that he/she rang a couple of local group members regards giving an OA treatment and was given very short change from some.

Does beekeeping need to move forward? should the younger beekeepers being doing stuff that maybe a few older members are loath to change?

We dont think anything of treating our dogs and cats for worms and flees today,should we be doing the same for our bees regards parasites?

 

[Mission]

In a simple answer yes!

As a young bee keeper I often find my self both shaking and scratching my head with some of the comments made by much older bee keepers. If you dare to even think about suggesting something outside the normal techniques that are over 100 years old, then you come under fire.

Times change and bee keeping has to change with it. Of course it can be as simple or as technical as a bee keeper wants it. It's all down to the choices of the individual.

A further example of this is the books people often read for reference. Most have them we written decades ago. It's time for change in my opinion. New threats have to be counted and new problems solved.

People should respect the advice of the old, and embrace the ideas of the young. Afterall most young bee keepers are not teenagers. They are young professional adults.

 

[Finman]

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Dear Heaven. Don't give to Englishmen any more beekeeping tech.
They use it however against themselves.

Let them keep all beekeeping on old national level
and don't tel to them anything what others have revieled out.

What ever new they know, they use it how I need not to do,
where others think how I do it.

 

[Bcrazy]

Above is a post by Jimbeekeeper,he asks a very good question regards should beekeeping be going more high-tec?

What does Jim mean by Hi-Tec?
We are talking of insects that behave in their own way. Do we want cloned bees?
If possible cloned bees that are resistant to disease would bee great, but impossible to achieve.

A further example of this is the books people often read for reference. Most have them we written decades ago. It's time for change in my opinion.

Why are the older (if that is the right word) beekeepers loathed to change?
Only the ones that are resisting moving forward can answer that.
What is the latest publication on the market and does it tell us anything new?

This beekeeping hobby of ours is a complete mix match of a load of different types of hives, frames, spacers, etc. etc. For the beginner its a confusing entity.

I would like to see one or two maximum, types of hive used in the UK.
Do away with all plastic spacers. Use only two types of frames in the respective hives.
Stop all imports of bees into the country, as sooner or later will we get SHB and Tropilaelaps. This would make beekeepers breed their own queens.
Licence all beekeepers and those found without a licence would be banned from keeping bees for life.
This should provke some reponse, Mikethe bee will have his say I guess.

Regards;

 

[BKF Admin]

Some good thoughts Bcrazy,I think Mike may have jetlag from his visit to downunder so we are safe for a couple of days.

 

[jimbeekeeper]

Bcrazy

If you note my original posting and where it started from, it was in reference to oxalic acid and determining if the hive contained brood or not. Without taking the frames out, my reference was to the use of a digital thermometer for a guide to brood state via temperature of the core (from memory ~20 deg c no brood, ~30 deg C brood.

That is my reference to hi-tech. And it looks like already it is dividing the beekeeping world! The thought of using something digital "shock honour"

Beekeeping is traditionally an old man's pass-time (or at least the majority of the general public think that way).

Yes there are many old keepers who post on here, and are very forward with beekeeping (like yourself ) but how many do not even know there Windows from a conservatory?

I gave the reference to the Victorians, was more related to Reverend L. L. Langstroth and his change to the movable frames was a major "hi-tech" change for bee keeping...what will our generation bring?

I would like to see one or two maximum, types of hive used in the UK.
Do away with all plastic spacers. Use only two types of frames in the respective hives.
Stop all imports of bees into the country, as sooner or later will we get SHB and Tropilaelaps. This would make beekeepers breed their own queens.
Licence all beekeepers and those found without a licence would be banned from keeping bees for life.
This should provke some reponse, Mikethe bee will have his say I guess.

Regards;

And as for your comments as above, I agree 100% with you. Just look in thornes there is a widget for every thingy bob going. Thankfully I (as a beginer) quickly saw past all the trinkets and gadgets and "old time" stuff, and settled on my hive and frame type and the basic required equipment.

And why not have a licence, again I agree. But only as a marker point should the government agency (DEFRA) require such action, e.g like in foot and mouth.

 

[BKF Admin]

I have just started reading Simms,60 years with Bees and its interesting that he says after trying most types of hives he uses Smiths,I do whonder just how much beekeeping choice is down to Thornes etc when beginers buy hives and equipment.

 

[Finman]

Beekeeping is traditionally an old man's pass-time (or at least the majority of the general public think that way).

Yes there are many old keepers who post on here, and are very forward with beekeeping (like yourself ) but how many do not even know there Windows from a conservatory?.

Heheh heh. I started at the age of 15 y. Now I am near 62. It is not my fault that every young will be old later.

My hobby is to pick best knowledge to my beekeeping. My hobby is not repeat all things what beekeepers have got into their head.

*** I have in spring build up pollen + yeast + soya + vitamin patty feeding.
*** Hives has in spring 15 W electrict bottom heating
*** Brood boxes are very warm polystyrene foam.

With that system I get one yield month more. Otherwise we have only one yield month.

Hi tech must be so that it makes nursing easier or it gives bigger yields.
Otherwise Hi Tec adds outcomes, but if it makes hobby happy, it is Ok.


"Dont do like I say. Use your own brains"

.

 

[victor meldrew]

And why not have a licence, again I agree. But only as a marker point should the government agency (MAFF) require such action, e.g like in foot and mouth.

I'm an old old beekeeper but not too old , at least I know that maff became defra at least a decade ago

John

 

[Polyanwood]

I like your new signature Finman.

How can we know which advice is best? (I must admit that I do find properly controlled research convincing, but let's set that aside for now)

It would be good if we had some friendly competition. If I was rich I would sponsor it myself. We could vote and get three eminent beekeepers to have management control over a hive each in the same location, and then they would instruct the apiarist how to deal with their bees, and we could see which ones did best.

What prize should the winner get??

 

[Finman]

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What is High Tech?

In our country it has been just founded "top university". It has been connected engineering + industrial design + economy. These three universities will be joined. It's duty is to bring together the most talented students and put their heads together in global competing.

I have found that in Britain you give value to good looking hives, which appeals the eye. The design is one view to Hi Tech. As it has been said, all mobile phones work technically but NOKIA's phones have appealed eye often the most.

 

[jimbeekeeper]

Thanks John, I must have had a senior moment!!!

What are your thoughts on Hi-tec though???

 

[jimbeekeeper]

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What is High Tech?

In our country it has been just founded "top university". It has been connected engineering + industrial design + enonomy. These three universities will be joined. It's duty is to bring together the most talented students and put their heads together in global competing.

t.

Our top University students mostly like Media studies and X factor, so where's our hope?

 

[Finman]

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How can we know which advice is best?

We just pick advices which seems to suit to us. There are plenty of alternatives which give the same result.
It depends how you measure that result and what meaning it has to you.

I have known 40 years that electrict heating of hives accelerate brooding, before in ultimate situation I was obliged to find out how it works and is it good.

 

[Mission]

Our top University students mostly like Media studies and X factor, so where's our hope?

Sheffield University's Entomology department (good old Yorkshire again eh??)

http://www.beedata.com/honeybee_research.htm

Helps us Obe Wan Ratnieks - Your our only hope.......................

 

[jimbeekeeper]

(good old Yorkshire again eh??)

[...

Well they do call it Gods Country. I believe actually God came from Brighouse!!!

 

[Polyanwood]

We just pick advices which seems to suit to us.

Hmmm. Not sure if this is what you do is it Finman?? Seems to me, that you, like all of us do some learning by doing, some learning by reading research and some learning through talking to respected colleagues. Beekeepers who do the same thing over and again in changing conditions, may be doing what suits them, but probably not what suits their bees.

Do you think that we should be warming our hives in the UK Finman? If so, why?

 

[Finman]

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double
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[Mission]

no mate, if God was a Yorkshire man he would have just stopped there.

A: It would have cost money to make elsewhere!

B: He would have know there isn't much worth visiting anywhere outside of Yorkshire anyway!

C: The, Thy and Though would have been replaced with E, By and Gum!!

 

[Finman]

.
The top university have top-top board members
"
A seven member board was announced on August 15, 2008: Dr. Matti Alahuhta (CEO, Kone Oyj),
Robert A. Brown (President, Boston University ),
Anne Brunila (President and CEO of wood industry societe),
Prof. Bengt Holmström (Massachusetts Institute of Technology),
Prof. Marja Makarow ( CEO for the European Science Foundation),
Prof. Saku Mantere (Finnish-Swedish School of Economics)
and Senior Design Manager Anna Valtonen (Nokia Oyj)."

In earlier work Alahuhta was Nokia's CEO.

As you see, it tilts directly into competion in business. We have only 5 million inhabitants.

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