Just add Bees - Just say no!

[simoncav]

One of my colleagues at Fleet Beekeepers sent me this today - Apparently CostCo are selling these "Natural beekeeping" kits for £300 with the slogan "Just add bees"...

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B2Dq1IuGW46jTlloX1NTZlNOWFk/edit?usp=sharing

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B2Dq1IuGW46jTm1YendBcDNLY2M/edit?usp=sharing

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B2Dq1IuGW46jTlloX1NTZlNOWFk/edit?usp=sharing

Photos taken by a friend - plastic outer with unknown sized frames inside without foundation, so may be some kind of top bar setup. Looks like a whole load of trouble.

PS. Tried for 40 mins to directly place images here with no joy - What an obtuse BBS system...

 

[Greenhill Girl]

One of my colleagues at Fleet Beekeepers sent me this today - Apparently CostCo are selling these "Natural beekeeping" kits for £300 with the slogan "Just add bees"...

Photos taken by a friend - plastic outer with unknown sized frames inside without foundation, so may be some kind of top bar setup. Looks like a whole load of trouble.

That is a lot of money for a garden decoration.

 

[Erichalfbee]

Can't see anything
Can you post them on here?

 

[victor meldrew]

Likewise


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[dn170221]

looks like a TBH
http://www.wildlifeworld.co.uk/hbhh1_homebee_honey_hive_top_bar_kit.html

 

[Tom Bick]

One of my colleagues at Fleet Beekeepers sent me this today - Apparently CostCo are selling these "Natural beekeeping" kits for £300 with the slogan "Just add bees"...

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B2Dq1IuGW46jTlloX1NTZlNOWFk/edit?usp=sharing

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B2Dq1IuGW46jTm1YendBcDNLY2M/edit?usp=sharing

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B2Dq1IuGW46jTlloX1NTZlNOWFk/edit?usp=sharing



Photos taken by a friend - plastic outer with unknown sized frames inside without foundation, so may be some kind of top bar setup. Looks like a whole load of trouble.

PS. Tried for 40 mins to directly place images here with no joy - What an obtuse BBS system...

I think perhaps a glitch in the software as it usually easy to post photos

 

[Tom Bick]

looks like a TBH
http://www.wildlifeworld.co.uk/hbhh1_homebee_honey_hive_top_bar_kit.html

It's actually a glorified WBC

 

[domino]

Here are two of them.

 

[pargyle]

looks like a TBH
http://www.wildlifeworld.co.uk/hbhh1_homebee_honey_hive_top_bar_kit.html

So they say ... but look at the second photo - isn't that a frame I see ?

I'm all for experimentation but this looks like a disaster looking for somewhere to happen - and being sold 'off the shelf' to people who think it's a bit like growing mushrooms from those 'kits' they sell in supermarkets and garden centres - 'just add water'.

There'll be a slew of newbies on here this year asking questions like 'Where have my bees gone' if it takes off !!

 

[Hivemaker.]

There'll be a slew of newbies on here this year asking questions like 'Where have my bees gone' if it takes off !!

These hives have been around for a long time, been a few threads about them.

 

[dn170221]

It looks like a frame but I think it is a clear(ish) crown board

 

[Russel]

Yep cross between WBC and TCB was on here about a year or so back but not Costco selling them.

 

[sugarbush]

The cover appears to be made out of plastic foundation, drone size it appears.

 

[pargyle]

These hives have been around for a long time, been a few threads about them.

Yes ... I've seen them but never in the likes of Costco as per the OP

"Apparently CostCo are selling these "Natural beekeeping" kits for £300 with the slogan "Just add bees"..."

Having said that ... I can't find them on the Costco website so, perhaps, they are just trialling them ~ not a full listing ... bit irresponsible if they are selling them under the 'Just add bees' slogan though !

 

[pargyle]

It looks like a frame but I think it is a clear(ish) crown board

No ... the second picture with all the bees on it ... look at the frame around the comb ?

 

[alldigging]

Have been this morning and had a look at it. They'd put the display one inside the greenhouse so had to climb inside that to play.

Top bars that have gaps in - so bees can get up through to the clear crown board.

Don't know where you put your brick on the lid to keep it stayed on in the wind, or how you'd strap it down.

Tiny jar feeder inside the bag of stuff with what looks like a water sprayer rather than a smoker.

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wE5wEbbgy5Y"]The Wildlife World HBHH1 Home Bee Honey Hive Product in Use Video - YouTube[/ame]

This vid shows an extra layer put on at the end.

£360 inc VAT.

The greenhouse was very nice but don't have room for it.

 

[Hivemaker.]

bit irresponsible if they are selling them under the 'Just add bees' slogan though !

Not really, that's all you have to do if your a "natural beekeeper"

What a contradiction.

 

[pargyle]

Same people make the Highgrove Hen house ... a real snip at £3750 ... JBM could do with one of these to replace his chinese carp !!

http://www.highgroveshop.com/catalog/product/view/id/5407/

And the Highgrove Top bar Hive:

http://www.highgroveshop.com/top-bar-bee-hive.html

More affordable at a mere £1250 !

 

[Russel]

Same people make the Highgrove Hen house ... a real snip at £3750 ... JBM could do with one of these to replace his chinese carp !!

http://www.highgroveshop.com/catalog/product/view/id/5407/

.....and we thought beekeeping was expensive?
Some (several) silly sod(s) have bought them.

 

[pargyle]

Not really, that's all you have to do if your a "natural beekeeper"

What a contradiction.

They seem to have a variety of these hives offering other styles of beekeeping:

http://www.wildlifeworld.co.uk/hbhh2_homebee_honey_hive_WBC_kit.html

This one has frames with no beespace between the frames and another has top bars WITH beespace between them ... very confusing (at least for someone who has bought it in Costco !).

I suspect that they have not proved to be a winner and they are clearing their stock out via Costco ...