New renegade beekeeper Stirlingshire

[Anduril]

https://www.hiive.eu/en/This is a more in depth link. It states you can sample for foulbrood and that all parts are replaceable. It looks as though the innermost part has guy ropes for the bees to attach the comb, although this will reduce laying space and an in depth inspection looks out of the question.

 

[JamezF]

an in depth inspection looks out of the question.

Which is what happened last time I had a BDI visit (because there had been a case of EFB in the area). They went through the entire hive and checked every single comb with brood on. Is a "sample" sufficient?

James

 

[Anduril]

Which is what happened last time I had a BDI visit (because there had been a case of EFB in the area). They went through the entire hive and checked every single comb with brood on. Is a "sample" sufficient?

James

Short answer 'no'.

 

[Wilco]

It's beyond obvious that these features are not unique to the Hiive, but in posts previous to mine, the concept has been described as if it didn't have the potential to be inspected and some beekeepers who will never consider buying one, (count me in that group), are critical of the fact that it is clearly not an improvement on the regular hive.

We may find the sales B.S. to be pretentious and distant from the reality of the honeybees' need for natural habitats, but you're right....someone just wants to sell things; and as happens in all aspects of life, they've invested thought and money in a design. Good luck to them and to all lateral thinkers and entrepreneurs......(but I think they'll need a shed-load of it.)

I think that second paragraph describes the designers input and motives much more kindly than I would!

 

[Boston Bees]

Which is what happened last time I had a BDI visit (because there had been a case of EFB in the area). They went through the entire hive and checked every single comb with brood on. Is a "sample" sufficient?

James

Good lord. Every frame with brood on? Mine looked at 1 or 2 per hive.

 

[Beesnaturally]

We may find the sales B.S. to be pretentious and distant from the reality of the honeybees' need for natural habitats, but you're right....someone just wants to sell things; and as happens in all aspects of life, they've invested thought and money in a design. Good luck to them and to all lateral thinkers and entrepreneurs......(but I think they'll need a shed-load of it.)

Ah, sweet capitalism, the freedom to do as you please regardless of foreseeable consequences. I think the best that can be said is that it's better than all the rest, to borrow Churchill. The planet seems to be trying to tell us otherwise.

I'm not sure reinventing the wheel is a great thing - or that this is lateral thinking. It's only possibly mostly well intentioned, but also wishful thinking, and jumping on the environment bandwagon all in one. It smells of formulaic start-up to me. Entrepreneurs tend to see only the sunny side in their plans just like everyone else.

I wish beekeepers were more concerned with what bees need, rather than with what they want. Sitting at a unique juncture between nature and commerce we could be leading lights; instead our self-serving muddle is roadkill, picked over for marketable morsels, to justify whatever might turn a profit with moral righteousness and a green blank cheque.

I wish this damnable east wind would go away.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

They went through the entire hive and checked every single comb with brood on. Is a "sample" sufficient?

no, in it's initial and developing stages the disease can be very isolated, spoke to a SBI a while ago and they had identified foulbrood in one hive from one single infected cell

Good lord. Every frame with brood on? Mine looked at 1 or 2 per hive.

every NBU inspection I've witnessed (including one where they were responding to a positive identification of EFB) the inspector has checked each and every frame with brood on.

 

[Newbeeneil]

Good lord. Every frame with brood on? Mine looked at 1 or 2 per hive.

All 3 of mine were very thorough. Every brood frame with all the bees shaken off.

 

[Erichalfbee]

Yes. Same here. Every brood frame free of bees and a few cells probed. Absolutely no point in looking at a sample.

 

[user 20297]

Ah, sweet capitalism, the freedom to do as you please regardless of foreseeable consequences. I think the best that can be said is that it's better than all the rest, to borrow Churchill. The planet seems to be trying to tell us otherwise.

I'm not sure reinventing the wheel is a great thing - or lateral thinking. This is only possibly mostly well intentioned, but also wishful thinking, and jumping on the environment bandwagon all in one. It smells of formulaic start-up to me. Entrepreneurs tend to see only the sunny side in their plans just like everyone else.

I wish beekeepers were more concerned with what bees need, rather than with what they want. Sitting at a unique juncture between nature and commerce we could be leading lights; instead our self-serving muddle is roadkill, picked over for marketable morsels, to justify whatever might turn a profit with moral righteousness and a green blank cheque.

I wish this damnable east wind would go away.

I'm sure that we'll all agree with that final sentence.
No-one's ever going to come up with a better shape for a wheel, but the mold has been completely broken on many occasions with regard to beehives. Since I am fortunate to live in a country where beekeeping is not highly regulated, I support anyone's choice, financially motivated or not, to keep bees in their container of choice.
The Hiive idoes not appeal to me, but then again, for instance, neither does keeping bees in a tree-trunk or a long-hive. The great thing with our social system is that people have freedom of choice, and overall, we benefit from a laissez-faire attitude to life. Unfortunately, in beekeeping, many people seem to think this latter option should not apply.

 

[Mint Bee]

going to be an expensive bonfire when AFB or EFB is found in a hiive

 

[Beesnaturally]

The great thing with our social system is that people have freedom of choice and overall, we benefit from a laissez-faire attitude to life. Unfortunately, in beekeeping, many people seem to think this latter option should not apply.

Laizzez-faire doesn't mean regulation-free. We are constrained in multiple ways. We couldn't function without it. Especially when it comes to livestock and environmental protection.

I'm not saying innovation is not valuable - and this might turn out to be valuable, or lead to something that is. But I can't help but connect the dots between unfettered freedom and waste and damage. A double edged sword then.

 

[Ian123]

Good lord. Every frame with brood on? Mine looked at 1 or 2 per hive.

Yes they should check every frame, I’ve never seen them do a sample!

 

[Boston Bees]

Yes they should check every frame, I’ve never seen them do a sample!

Well, maybe I am doing the guy an injustice. It happened to be at a time of year when 70% of the hives were nucs, having just been split, with may of them waiting on confirmation of being queenright. So perhaps I am misremembering. Anyway, he was a very nice chap!

 

[Ian123]

They generally shake every frame with brood on to inspect. They should not be checking those waiting on a virgin to mate. In fact some have used it as an excuse to get rid of them a bit sooner

 

[plain_hunt]

If it's won prizes I'd gladly buy some! I heard Chris Park say 'a year and a day' for a good full mead.

If I’m ever coming up your way, I’ll bring you some. Chris Parks is right, and his mead is gorgeous! He brought some with a talk he did, and we all had some.

 

[pargyle]

I will leave to your imagination what the designer came up with ....

 

[madasafish]

Good lord. Every frame with brood on? Mine looked at 1 or 2 per hive.

When I had AFB, every frame was emptied of bees and EVERY cell examined. One hive had one cell with. It - like the others infected - was condemned, the bees killed, the combs burned and the interior of the hives sterilised.
Once one cell has AFB, the entire colony is infected.

 

[bingevader]

Yes. Same here. Every brood frame free of bees and a few cells probed. Absolutely no point in looking at a sample.

That's still a sample.

When I had AFB, every frame was emptied of bees and EVERY cell examined. One hive had one cell with. It - like the others infected - was condemned, the bees killed, the combs burned and the interior of the hives sterilised.
Once one cell has AFB, the entire colony is infected.

That must have been carnage.

 

[Erichalfbee]

That's still a sample.

No point in probing a normal cell.