admanga
New Bee
- Joined
- May 20, 2024
- Messages
- 38
- Reaction score
- 20
- Location
- Grenoble
- Hive Type
- warre
- Number of Hives
- 1
Jean Riondet uses 10 frame Dadant hives and aluminised bubble-wrap insulation above, below and on both sides of the brood nest. A thin layer of insulation is placed directly across the frames in addition to a thick insulation layer a the top of the hive. There is also a double floor, the upper looks like a crown board with a narrow slot and this is insulated. This system was developed originally by Marc Guillemain and has been put into practise by Jean over many years.
In Marc's system, the brood chamber is surrounded by reflective partitions, and can be adjusted in size from as little as one frame, moving a partition along as the colony expands. A second chamber contains frames with honey and pollen. When the brood chamber becomes too hot or too crowded, the bees overflow into the honey chamber. Because of the insulation, the queen can lay complete frames, right up to the edges even for the outer frames. In particular, there is no longer wasted space at the bottom of a frame. In winter, bees can move easily from one frame to the next, passing below the frame to reach honey in the extremities of the hive. Feeding by internal reservoir is preferred.
it was speculated that this hive produces more honey than a standard Dadant despite fewer frames of brood. The hive has a faster start in spring. Thermal imaging shows the 35 degC brood chamber vs 21 degC honey chamber. And the hive is at 16 degrees in winter.
Varroa treatment by oxalic vaporisation is achieved by temporarily adding an eke directly above the brood chamber to provide an extra entrance slot for the vaporiser and to keep it away from the plastic insulation which would probably melt.
I found the system presented to be very interesting. It would be adaptable to any 10 (or more) mobile frame hive. Learning about the benefits of such careful insulating made it a worthwhile read.
All the following is in French, but even without the language, you may find you can understand enough through the pictures or video.
Website in French by Jean Riondet: http://apiculture.beehoo.com
Video presenting the hive RBC:
Photo of the book cover:
In Marc's system, the brood chamber is surrounded by reflective partitions, and can be adjusted in size from as little as one frame, moving a partition along as the colony expands. A second chamber contains frames with honey and pollen. When the brood chamber becomes too hot or too crowded, the bees overflow into the honey chamber. Because of the insulation, the queen can lay complete frames, right up to the edges even for the outer frames. In particular, there is no longer wasted space at the bottom of a frame. In winter, bees can move easily from one frame to the next, passing below the frame to reach honey in the extremities of the hive. Feeding by internal reservoir is preferred.
it was speculated that this hive produces more honey than a standard Dadant despite fewer frames of brood. The hive has a faster start in spring. Thermal imaging shows the 35 degC brood chamber vs 21 degC honey chamber. And the hive is at 16 degrees in winter.
Varroa treatment by oxalic vaporisation is achieved by temporarily adding an eke directly above the brood chamber to provide an extra entrance slot for the vaporiser and to keep it away from the plastic insulation which would probably melt.
I found the system presented to be very interesting. It would be adaptable to any 10 (or more) mobile frame hive. Learning about the benefits of such careful insulating made it a worthwhile read.
All the following is in French, but even without the language, you may find you can understand enough through the pictures or video.
Website in French by Jean Riondet: http://apiculture.beehoo.com
Video presenting the hive RBC:
Photo of the book cover:
