Omlet Beehaus

[oliver90owner]

longevity

I have not read all the thread but, has anyone enquired of the life expectancy of the product? (if covered, disregard this post!). I would expect some colours to be more resistant to UV than others even with UV inhibitors.

Beekeepers would expect what, 20 years +, from a £150 cedar hive?. Plastic standing out in all weathers, particularly in the sun maybe OK..... but there again.... Water tubs seem to last well enough, but some garden furniture can soon go brittle. Depends on the type of plastic, of course.

So I rang the number. Reply I got was 10 years plus. I think I will stay with the old fashioned materials for a while....but watching with interest. Spare outer shells should be available by then....

Regards, RAB

 

[Melbourne12]

I assume the Omlet Eglu and Beehaus are made of foam-cored polyethylene, the same material as many modern canoes and kayaks. We've had kayaks for 20 years that haven't degraded. Bashed and scratched, yes, but the colour and properties of the plastics didn't change.

So I reckon that a Beehaus would last at least as long as a cedar hive, and would look a lot fresher after 20 years!

Edit: And I'd like to see a woodpecker go through a polyethylene wall, or even perch on it.

 

[Hivemaker.]

Not convinced about that,time will tell,but i have cedar hives well over sixty years old and still going strong,no woodpecker holes either.Just saw some up on the moors that look even older,not mine.

 

[Brosville]

As to whether it's the best thing to hit beekeeping for years, or a cynical overpriced con is a matter for debate, but I'm getting heartily sick of the blatant "plugging" being given by the BBC for this damned product - just switched the goggle on for the 6 o'clock news, what's one of the first things....... a brief preamble about shortage of bees, and then they launch into a sales pitch for this blasted superannuated cool box........ this, of course, being the same BBC that decided not to broadcast humanitarian appeals lest they appeared "biased and political"........
Utter disgrace, they've had free plugs on nearly every programme and bit of web content put out by what is supposed to be OUR broadcasting service. Bet there's certain BBC execs shaking some Omlet managements' hands..... (large theatrical nudge and wink!)

 

[ribblesbees]

Could say similar with ITV, used the same person/location but not quite as much plugging for the hive although is was clearly seen.

 

[Poly Hive]

Poly hives will easily last 20 years+ in very good nick. I would expect them to last 40 NP.

PH

 

[Brosville]

In other words, the bloody things won't EVER biodegrade when they end up as expensive landfill.........

 

[Bebe]

In other words, the bloody things won't EVER biodegrade when they end up as expensive landfill.........

- but if they won't ever biodegrade then why would they end up in landfill? - if wooden hives are still in use after 60years, then so will the plastic ones be.

 

[MrTrueman]

128 replies! in this thread....wow.....make that 129!
(just love this smiley!)

 

[Brosville]

Garish fashionable placcy items end up in landfill when their trendy owners tire of the colour, the style, or the "latest thing" - wood is easy to repair, placcy isn't, another reason for it ending up in landfill in relatively short order......

 

[jimbeekeeper]

Brosvile I think you are being a little harsh! I thought you where a progressive open minded free thinking and modern beekeeper?

If they are like the tupperware my mum has from 30+ years ago, they will still keep your sarnies fresh as the day you bought them at a tupperware party!

Therfore they will not need repair

Would you thoughts have been the same if they had made a plastic TBH?

 

[PaleoPerson]

OK, so I am new to this game, BUT......is it my imagination or what? When I looked at the BBC news clip http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/8184655.stm It would appear that the super frames (SN1?) are not on castellations nor do they have any spacers. At approx 22 secs in.

 

[Onge]

They look like there all squashed together too.

Going to be a right mess when that lot gets welded together with wax and propolis.

 

[DrNick]

No room for a hive tool there.

 

[Brosville]

I'm not a lover of "plastic" - simple as that....... there is a certain innate "rightness" about wood for many uses

 

[PaleoPerson]

OK, it gets worse. If you check the Omlet site for the specifications at http://www.omlet.co.uk/products_services/products_services.php?view=Bees&about=beehaus parts. it states "4 Supers
Each super holds 5 frames - enough to store approximately 7 kgs of honey". When you look back to the news clip, they have SEVEN frames in there.

Looks like they know something very special about beespace , or if I was to be totally cynical, they grabbed a Beehaus and shoved a load of bees in it and a token Beek in front of it and shouted "Action"

 

[Brosville]

I think the fact has to be faced that a certain company has perpetrated probably one of the most smoothly-done "free publicity" campaigns, EVER - I can do nothing but doff my hat to them - free plugs on the BBC, all channels and the net (all bloody day!), ITV, innumerable newspapers, and an almost unnoticeable spamming on certain fora.........
However, I'll stick with my "largely recyclable (and biodegradeable), home brewed" wooden hives as they suit my style of beekeeping and attitude to life.........

 

[JCBrum]

I'm not a lover of "plastic" - simple as that....... there is a certain innate "rightness" about wood for many uses

I bet you think the same about Steam Trains, (only joking, are we friends again yet ?)

.................


Re - The Beehaus, it does look ok from the blurb, but time and practice will tell. The oldest member in our assoc says only WBC's are any good, all the rest have fatal flaws, and he has a certificate for 50 years of beekeeping.

I read the guidance notes from the Omlet site and was amazed to find out how easy and simple beekeeping really was !

I wonder why I've had so many problems getting my colonies going (now 8) from a cold start this year. But at least by using re-cycled and re-built Mod Nat kit I appear to have accidentally saved about £5000 rather than giving it to Omlet.

 

[oliver90owner]

And given that it is 22 frames wide

And Robin Dartington's site is down.... I wonder whether they bought his copyright?

I can still knock up a hive with 22 frames much, much cheaper. Of course, the trendy ones who don't know which side of a knife cuts, will have to buy their's at the going price.

Swarming, or prevention of, should be easy. Separate drood. Wait. Fit divider. Wait. Remove divider and rearrange frames. Job done. Easy , en it?

I love those Dartington's for that.

Regards, RAB

 

[jvercarreshaw]

I am someone who has been interested in being a Bee Keeper for the last year. I went to the Bee Keeping demonstration and stand at the South of England show. I asked lots of pertinent questions and they seemed very keen to get new keepers interested.
If I did decide to take this interest forward (I would of course attend a course) do you think 'impartially' (looking at the specs) the Beehaus is the best beginners option (excluding the cost for the moment)?

I had a look at the Omlet forums and thought this post by one of the Omlet founders would interest you:

"Hi, It is great to hear the feedback regarding about the beehaus.

You are correcting in thinking that the beehaus shares alot in coming with a Dartington hive. After doing a lot of beekeeping, research and prototyping various hive designs - we realised that our hive theory shared alot in common with the Dartington. So, we started working with Robin Dartington on the project and he has been a key member of the design team. There are many things that the beehaus shares with the Dartington which are:

* The hive is at a convenient height for working with the bees.
* The broodbox is deeper than traditional hives and we feel provides the correct amount of room for modern bees.
* The super boxes are smaller and easier to handle ( 7kg rather than 20kg ) - so it is much easier to be handle everything delicately.
* The hive is two hives in one and has double entrances - allowing you to house two colonies if required. This is really helpful for swarm management or growing a nucleus colony.

Regarding feedback on the Guide. This is still a work in progress and the feedback is brilliant. Extra pages on the BBKA are being added. I am a member of the Oxfordshire association and Johannes is a member of the London association and both have been very influential in the development of the project.

Thanks,

James

p.s. We are also looking for beekeepers who would like to host beekeeping courses - called beehaus parties. We would like to get a basic 1-2 hour taster course going, which would allow someone to actually experience inspecting a hive so they can work out if it for them. If you have bees - would you be interested in running a taster course? If so, pop me an email - [email protected]"