Jackson bee hive (South African)

[Beeline]

My brother has recently bought one of these Jackson bee hives as he lives in South Africa. Developed by a beekeeping family, the Jacksons, it's based on the Top Bar hive but with a difference.

1) The structure is made only of a single layer of food grade plastic (corrugated plastic) with timber bearers and corner protectors. They boast you can stand on it - preferably without bees present Total weight of hive = 8kg.
2) As can be seen from the photos below, the sides are not sloping but vertical accomodating 25no. Langstroth sized deep frames.
3) Frames themselves are different - the vertical sides and bottom rail are constructed from dowel rods. They believe it's a much stronger construction therefore more durable.
4)Hive can be suspended off wires under a tree to prevent predators from attacking hive e.g. honey badgers, termites etc.

Being largely corrugated plastic the hive body is cheap to make although the doweled frames are expensive. Other than the above differences it enjoys all the benefits of the TBH.

Interestingly this type of hive is apparently suitable even for the higher altitudes inland where it can go to sub temps but I suppose the difference is that their Winters are alot shorter than ours.

Anyway, thought I would share the pics below.

 

[ugcheleuce]

My brother has recently bought one of these Jackson bee hives as he lives in South Africa. Developed by a beekeeping family, the Jacksons, it's based on the Top Bar hive but with a difference.

By chance, I found an old web site with descriptions of it:

http://web.archive.org/web/20100119084247/http://www.rupertshoney.co.za/rh/index.htm

 

[blackcavebees]

I can't see the pic, is it me?

 

[VEG]

I can't see the pic, is it me?

Its due I think to the forum moving servers over the past couple of days it should be sorted soon by admin

 

[blackcavebees]

Its due I think to the forum moving servers over the past couple of days it should be sorted soon by admin

Thanks

 

[pargyle]

My brother has recently bought one of these Jackson bee hives as he lives in South Africa. Developed by a beekeeping family, the Jacksons, it's based on the Top Bar hive but with a difference.

1) The structure is made only of a single layer of food grade plastic (corrugated plastic) with timber bearers and corner protectors. They boast you can stand on it - preferably without bees present Total weight of hive = 8kg.
2) As can be seen from the photos below, the sides are not sloping but vertical accomodating 25no. Langstroth sized deep frames.
3) Frames themselves are different - the vertical sides and bottom rail are constructed from dowel rods. They believe it's a much stronger construction therefore more durable.
4)Hive can be suspended off wires under a tree to prevent predators from attacking hive e.g. honey badgers, termites etc.

Being largely corrugated plastic the hive body is cheap to make although the doweled frames are expensive. Other than the above differences it enjoys all the benefits of the TBH.

Interestingly this type of hive is apparently suitable even for the higher altitudes inland where it can go to sub temps but I suppose the difference is that their Winters are alot shorter than ours.

Anyway, thought I would share the pics below.

Well if it had frames then technically it's not a top bar hive it's a long hive and if it takes 14 x 12 frames then it's a long deep hive. I don't get hung up on names but there are those who are a little purist (or peurile depending on your point of view).

It's an interesting construction material but you are probably right - it's ideal for Africa where the temperature in winter at altitude does drop but daytime temps climb a bit higher. Their winters are very short as well.

Typical african ingenuity using whatever materials are available. I had a look at the website identified in a susbequent post (as your photos are not available yet) ~ I'm sure it will work well in Africa.

 

[Goran]

When talking about long hives, in our conditions mostly use dadant frame size ( or 30*40, 40*30..), for langstroth they say it is not appropriate for a long hive ( maybe cause of cluster formation..). Number of frames vary as I heard and read to 27 frames. Even some very successfully work with two queen system. Comparing to other hives they claim the same or better yield, but they are heavy... One more plus is when you come to apiary you can take a nap on it..

Forgot and due its weight - more difficult to steal.

 

[pargyle]

... One more plus is when you come to apiary you can take a nap on it..
QUOTE]

I knew I'd made a mistake putting an apex roof on mine ... next one will have a flat roof with an integral inflatable mattress and perhaps a drinks cabinet !

If I don't get on with the decorating soon it may be more than a luxury it will be essential !

 

[ugcheleuce]

Well if it had frames then technically it's not a top bar...

I don't think they claimed that it is a top-bar hive, but that it was originally based on the top-bar hive. From their perspective, it is a top-bar hive that evolved into a hive with frames. They started off by trying out top-bar hives (in a cardboard banana box, that worked fine during the non-rain season), and they were impressed by the results, but wanted to improve the design, and this is what they ended up with: essentially a long deep hive.

Also, I think boxed and framed long hives are practically unknown in South African beekeeping history, so the closest existing thing to what their hive looks like and operates like is... a top-bar hive.

...and if it takes 14 x 12 frames then it's a long deep hive.

It takes "standard Langstroth frames", but as we all know, "standard Langstroth" means different things in different parts of the world. My impression from South African beekeeping web sites is that the far majority of hives in South Africa are "Langstroth" hives and that they use one brood frame size and one super frame size, and nothing else inbetween.

Also, it doesn't take Langstroth frames per se, but rather their own design of frames that have Langstroth compatible dimensions. For one, they've changed the frame spacing from 35 mm to 32 mm, and they've made the frame top 32 mm wide, so that there's no bee straight between the frames. They also replaced the side bars and bottom bar with long dowels.

The Rupert web site is a little short on exact information about dimensions, but it says that the hive has the same amount of comb space as 1 Langstroth brood chamber plus 2.5 Langstroth supers. According to the Beeware web site, the Jackson holds 25 Langstroth brood frames, and is the equivalent of 2. 25 frames x 32 mm = 800 mm. Elsewhere on the Rupert web site it says that 25 frames make for a hive body of 100 litres.

It's an interesting construction material...

From the Rupert web site I deduce that the only reason for the choice of material is the weight, since these hives are meant to be portable. In that sense, they're quite different from the Western top-bar hives with permanent legs.

According to the Rupert web site, had they made the hive from wood, it would have weighed 30 kg, but with the corrugated plastic construction it is only about 7 kg. And the fact that it is a hanging design means that you only need rigid sections at the top.

Typical african ingenuity using whatever materials are available.

No, I have the distinct impression that they did not use "what was available" but specifically chose this material for its characteristics.

 

[pargyle]

.

I don't think they claimed that it is a top-bar hive, but that it was originally based on the top-bar hive. From their perspective, it is a top-bar hive that evolved into a hive with frames. ~ essentially a long deep hive.

A journey not dissimilar to the one that led me to an 'LDH'

Also, it doesn't take Langstroth frames per se, but rather their own design of frames that have Langstroth compatible dimensions. For one, they've changed the frame spacing from 35 mm to 32 mm, and they've made the frame top 32 mm wide, so that there's no bee straight [space /] between the frames. They also replaced the side bars and bottom bar with long dowels.

That's interesting ... 32mm is very tight without any spacing. My frames are set at 38mm centres (standard Langstroth spacing) and they are foundationless so the comb seems to be a bit thinner than the one frame that is in my hive that had foundation on it. At 32mm I would have thought they may get issues poarticularly if the top bars butt up against each other.

I've seen frames that just consist of a top bar and two dowels for the sides with no bottom bar at all and they seem to work. Presumably with dowels they are also going foundationless ? If they are then new comb may be a little fragile without any wires to support it but TBH owners cope with free comb so it will work. They will probably need to get the combs running straight in the first place or they could end up with a very interesting cross combing situation.

But ... if it works then don't fix it is my mantra - so good for them.

Would love to see some photos of the hive in action eventually !

 

[ugcheleuce]

Presumably with dowels they are also going foundationless?

From the photos I've seen, they do use a 1 inch starter strip at the top, but yes, mostly foundationless. In fact, most of the photos of South African hives (including Langstroth) that I've seen indicated foundationless beekeeping. However, I'm no expert.

 

[Goran]

... One more plus is when you come to apiary you can take a nap on it..
QUOTE]

I knew I'd made a mistake putting an apex roof on mine ... next one will have a flat roof with an integral inflatable mattress and perhaps a drinks cabinet !

If I don't get on with the decorating soon it may be more than a luxury it will be essential !

Believe it or not some really did

 

[ugcheleuce]

The Rupert web site is a little short on exact information...

I sent the owner of the Rupert web site an e-mail, and he wrote back that the hive is no longer distributed because of the death of the distributor.

 

[Beeline]

Sorry folk - didn't see this activity on the thread since I posted last year.

I've been back to SA a few times and seen this hive in action.

A lot of beeks in SA use starter strip foundation.

Weight is not the only reason why they've chosen corrugated plastic. SA countryside is crawling with wood termites. Most hives, however, are constructed using South African pine, a conifer which is a cheap fast growing softwood - heavy in weight and soft, unlike Cedar.

If you would like to see further pics I can post some more. Let me know.

 

[gwelo62]

Jackson Hive Dimensions

Hello
I am new here and to bee keeping.Found you whilst looking for Jackson Hive info. I see they are now out of production in SA. Doe anyone have a set of dimensions for the hive and frames? I would like to build a couple. I live in Leesburg, GA.

Cheers

 

[gwelo62]

Are the hives free to swing in the wind?

 

[Beeline]

Just pm'd you.
Yes they can be hung from a tree to avoid termite issues however due to their lightweight construction they would need to be weighted down whilst the colony built up to a decent weighty size. My brother's hive is supported both ends on trestles but then again he constantly battles with ants. Hanging them from a tree isn't an option for him as he lives on the coast where it always blows.

I would recommend that for the Georgia hot summers you probably want to construct them from white corrug, not black, unless you locate them in the shade. Although your winters can be short, the odd ice storm or two may prove to be a challenge - maybe some added insulated cladding over the winter?

 

[crispin jackson]

Hi guys, I see this is an old thread, so sorry to drag it up again. But as one of the inventors of The Jackson Horizontal Hive i can gladly answer any questions you might have.

Regretebly my father Tim Jackson died a few years back and I have subsequently moved to Norway, (and took a break from beekeeping for a while) but the JHH is back in production and Ruperts Honey is again concerntrating on rural apicultural development (one of the primary reasons we developed the hive the way we did.) and the hive being manufactured fairly fast.

If anyone is interested I can gladly explain the reasoning we had behind the specific functions of the hive, whilst a lot may have appeared to have happened by chance, there is a fair degree of planning and thought in this hive and the materials we used.

 

[Fusion_power]

Let me speculate, then you can respond with clarifications.

The primary advantage of a long hive is that access to the combs does not involve removing a stack of boxes first. The area of combs accessed can be selected so that the brood nest is minimally disrupted. Bees naturally tend to keep the brood nest between the entrance and the storage area for honey. This makes it simple with a long hive to remove frames at the back for honey removal.

The biggest disadvantage of a long hive is that it can't be expanded very easily. This puts the beekeeper at a disadvantage in areas with heavy honey flows. With Langstroth or similar equipment, a honey super can be stacked on top as long as the bees need the space. With a long hive, it has to be built large enough for the bee it houses and the area where it is used.

Collection of honey has to be done one frame at a time. This compares with blowing bees out of a super of honey on a Langstroth hive and carrying the entire super to the truck for extraction. This "one frame at a time" method of operation is common in all variants of long hives I've seen including the Layens, various Ukrainian chest type hives, etc. This results in a significant increase in labor needed at the beehive as compared to hives with removable honey supers.

One special limit for top bar hives is that they are easily damaged if extracted. Special handling methods can be devised to deal with this issue. Since your hive uses dowels to form a frame, extraction will be easier, but still an issue given that the combs will be relatively fragile.

Use of starter strips or guide combs is required to get straight combs. Once several combs have been drawn straight, they can be used as guides to get more combs drawn correctly.

Long hives have advantages in winter. The brood nest tends to be near the entrance. As bees consume honey over winter, they move toward the back of the long hive consuming honey as they move. When fresh nectar is available, they reverse and backfill the combs as the brood nest relocates near the entrance. This was written about extensively by Quinby 150 years ago.

There are advantages in terms of colony cohesion because the bees align properly in a long hive. Think of it as Entrance, Brood Nest, and Honey Storage. They are in line with foraging bees coming in the entrance and giving up their nectar load in the brood nest. House bees then process the nectar pushing excess moisture out the entrance. Once the nectar is sufficiently concentrated, house bees move it to the storage area at the back of the brood nest. This sets up an efficient flow of foragers bringing in honey and house bees processing it into honey stores. The result is that foragers tend to stay near the entrance and house bees tend to stay in the honey storage area. Both groups of bees have regular contact with the brood nest and therefore are exposed to queen pheromones.

An advantage of long hives is that the beekeeper can move the brood nest if needed. This allows the beekeeper to maintain control of position of the brood nest which should be placed near the entrance. Moving the brood nest can be an advantage in areas with sharp transitions from winter to spring.

A disadvantage of long hives is that swarm control is limited to splitting and removing queen cells. One of those little tricks you learn if you keep bees in long hives long enough is that empty combs and/or empty bars ready to be drawn can be rotated next to the entrance as a cluster area for foragers. This can help a bit with preventing swarming.

Long hives have significant advantages in low input sustainable agriculture because the cost is low and the potential for profitable production is relatively high.

Since the major concern with your long hive is figuring out how big to make it, may I suggest looking at the Perrone hive which was designed for minimalist agriculture conditions. It is about double the size of the Jackson long hive. In the right conditions, the Perrone hive can be highly productive and requires minimum labor input.

 

[ugcheleuce]

Since the major concern with your long hive is figuring out how big to make it, may I suggest looking at the Perrone hive which was designed for minimalist agriculture conditions. It is about double the size of the Jackson long hive.

The volume of a Perone hive is 280 litres. A Jackson hive is 100 litres.

I think a single person should be able to carry an empty Jackson hive, so you can't make the hive longer than about 1 meter. In addition, a longer hive would require much stronger, thicker lengthwise beams at the top, since this is a hanging hive with a soft underbelly.

A much longer hive would also be more difficult to place (depending on the type of tree in your region, if you use trees instead of custom built stands), i.e. you're more likely to find a cluster of trees in which you can hang 1 meter long hives than 3 meter long hives.

In addition, an overly long hive will have lots of space "wasted" in it, as the bees don't fill up the entire hive all year long, but the bees still need to warm/cool the extra room, unless you can use dividers. But dividers require regular interaction with the hive.