Omlet Beehaus

[Tuffers]

I'm one of the many who have no doubt discovered this forum as a result of doing a Google search for 'Beehaus'. I had already been investigating beekeeping as a hobby and this news piqued my interest further.

I already keep chickens and rejected the Eglu in favour of a traditional ark as the cost of the Eglu struck me as a complete rip-off compared to the wooden alternative.

Having owned my chickens for a year now, I can appreciate some of the benefits of the features incorporated into the Eglu, however, that would make it more practical long-term than my ark. Whether that justifies the extra expense is open to debate but I do think Omlet's products are more than just a gimmick for those labelled 'yuppies' on here (c'mon guys and girls it's not the 1980's any more!) I'm therefore not going to write off the Beehaus as an option before I have researched it further.

I would be interested in finding out whether anyone has had the chance to see a Beehaus 'in the flesh' as it were and even if you haven't whether the info on the Omlet site suggests that the Beehaus does possess features that would give it an advantage over the traditional hive types.

 

[anniebygaslight]

Why criticise Omlet forum members for joining this site when Poly Hive joined the Omlet site to invite Omleteers to do exactly that.

All have done so because they want to do the appropriate research.

I for one am irritated by the tiresome and hackneyed 'more money than sense' comments. Making such strident assumptions about people based on such flimsy information is ludicrous.

I'm getting the impression that far from wanting to encourage new beekeepers and their research and desire to do things safely and correctly, there is an active agenda to keep people out.

What really worries me is that one of the forum subscribers on the Omlet site who is "sooooo looking forward to getting bees" likes to be known as 'pinkcrochetfrog'!!!!

There is no member on the Omlet forum of this name. Check the memberlist for yourselves.

 

[by-bier]

Fool that I am, I am posting for my first time in the middle of this MESS!
Can you please answer me honestly:
Theoretically, if I should ask for advice, and you know that I have a Beehaus, will you give me impartial advice anyway, or should I give up on this forum and try and figure out beekeeping alone?

 

[Brosville]

I'm sure you'll get extraordinarily good, free advice from all sorts of directions on this forum, but please accept the fact that everyone is still reeling from the blitzkrieg spamming/advertising blanket bombing that the media and beekeeping fora have had for this "plastic product" over the last few days - it is a "shock to the system" for everyone - nothing to do with new beekeepers, just the manner of the launch of these "devices" - their users will undoubtedly get the "backwash" from it for some time.........

 

[jon]

There is a vast amount of info on beekeeping on the web.
Check out Dave Cushman's site for example.
I shouldn't really mention the forum of the jodhpur wearing, moustachioed and monocled gentlemen of leisure headquartered at Stoneleigh for fear of drawing a bad house down on myself again but there is also steady advice to be had there especially if you anticipate a future queen problem.
This forum has quite a few experienced beekeepers but it also has a lot of beginners who got their first bees this summer so it should be pitched at the right level for newbies.
There are a lot of big egos in beekeeping (that egos not eglus) but you soon learn who to ignore and who to listen to. It's the same in any forum.
All beekeepers have to learn to handle bees properly irrespective of what colour or shape of box they live in.
My top tip for beekeeping is everyone lighten up, it's supposed to be fun.

 

[Rosti]

Fool that I am, I am posting for my first time in the middle of this MESS!
Can you please answer me honestly:
Theoretically, if I should ask for advice, and you know that I have a Beehaus, will you give me impartial advice anyway, or should I give up on this forum and try and figure out beekeeping alone?

By-Bier - No brainer, YES! You are a Beek, so you are in the right place. You have an innovative new hive and given the issues of internalised infection and the porosity of wood, who says the plastic hive is wrong? I've found this forum and it's members invaluable in expanding both knowledge and confidence, I hope you do to. The fact that the Omlet marketing campaign has stimulated such debate reflects the passion Beeks have for the hobby, not any animosity to new comers.
Welcome!

 

[victor meldrew]

I'm sure you'll get extraordinarily good, free advice from all sorts of directions on this forum, but please accept the fact that everyone is still reeling from the blitzkrieg spamming/advertising blanket bombing that the media and beekeeping fora have had for this "plastic product" over the last few days - it is a "shock to the system" for everyone - nothing to do with new beekeepers, just the manner of the launch of these "devices" - their users will undoubtedly get the "backwash" from it for some time.........

Never thought I would agree with you Bronsville, but I certainly do.
Launching a new (not so new concept really cept in plastic) hive on the back of the media publicity of the "WHo Killed the Honey bee " brigade appears to be devicive (or am I an old cynic?).
New beekeepers are the life blood of the hobby .
However .encouraging the public at large to suddenly take up beekeeping in often less than ideal conditions , untrained, unprepared, is in my opinion counter productive and certainly won't result in an answer to the many problems facing the bee population of the Uk!.I include all species of bee and wasp!.
The proper way is to encourage people to at least research the keeping of honey bees in particular and the demise of bees in general, rather than pretend that the losses can be overcome by a surge in ill thought out ventures involving the purchase of equipment plus 4 free jars, implying that bees are little more than a fashion accessory, adding decoration to ones garden and requiring little effort and no knowledge.
Please, join an association, get involved with a beekeeper/ beekeepers, witness the problems you are likely to meet, find out if your nature ,degree of nervousness is compatable with the keeping of bees.
The last thing you should be doing is rushing out buying equipment (traditional or newfangled),only to realise that you aren't really suited to the job. All that does is create a scenario, where neglected (through ignorance or fear)bees become a nuisance to family and neighbours and certainly wont go one whit towards addressing a very real problem .

John Wilkinson

 

[OXFORDBEE]

>>I'm sure you'll get extraordinarily good, free advice from all sorts of directions on this forum...<<

This is true, and I think Omleteers need to realise that beekeeping is not quite as simple as it has been made out to be.

>>All beekeepers have to learn to handle bees properly irrespective of what colour or shape of box they live in.<<

This is so very true, a beekeeping course will give one a good start but when you start to manage your first hive the first season can be quite eventful!

 

[OXFORDBEE]

Daft question but when you buy the beehaus you get 11 deep frames and 10 shallow frames.

Why not 22 deep and 20 shallow? You get four 5 frame supers but only enough frames for two of them ...

 

[Tuffers]

Daft question but when you buy the beehaus you get 11 deep frames and 10 shallow frames.

Why not 22 deep and 20 shallow? You get four 5 frame supers but only enough frames for two of them ...

I imagine it's because the Beehaus is 'two hives in one' so there are enough frames for one complete hive with two complete supers above (assuming the divider is in place to keep one half of the brood box empty).

Incidentally, why doesn't one of the experienced beekeepers on here put Omlet to proof on their 30 day money-back guarantee and take delivery of one of these fellers so that they can then give it a good going over and provide us with an independent assessment of the product?

 

[8LGM]

Incidentally, why doesn't one of the experienced beekeepers on here put Omlet to proof on their 30 day money-back guarantee and take delivery of one of these fellers so that they can then give it a good going over and provide us with an independent assessment of the product?

Cost springs to mind.

 

[Simon]

Daft question but when you buy the beehaus you get 11 deep frames and 10 shallow frames.

Why not 22 deep and 20 shallow? You get four 5 frame supers but only enough frames for two of them ...

There could be at least two reasons (except cost!)

When you get bees, you'll often get them as a nucleus, which means they will be on frames with brood (eggs) and stores (honey). When you put them in their new hive, you need space, so if they provided 22 frames you'd have to take some out and put them somewhere else.

I think they are probably assuming you start with one colony, when you would only need one half's worth of frames. You'll probably work up to two (perhaps as part of your swarm control), but probably wouldn't need all the frames too quickly. Since bees take to fresh foundation better, it does make some sense to not give more frames than you need.

 

[jimbeekeeper]

Incidentally, why doesn't one of the experienced beekeepers on here put Omlet to proof on their 30 day money-back guarantee and take delivery of one of these fellers so that they can then give it a good going over and provide us with an independent assessment of the product?

I am working on that, watch this space

 

[BKF Admin]

There could be at least two reasons (except cost!)

When you get bees, you'll often get them as a nucleus, which means they will be on frames with brood (eggs) and stores (honey). When you put them in their new hive, you need space, so if they provided 22 frames you'd have to take some out and put them somewhere else.

I think they are probably assuming you start with one colony, when you would only need one half's worth of frames. You'll probably work up to two (perhaps as part of your swarm control), but probably wouldn't need all the frames too quickly. Since bees take to fresh foundation better, it does make some sense to not give more frames than you need.

Maybe they have never heard of package bee's ?

 

[jimbeekeeper]

Maybe they have never heard of package bee's ?

Speaking of packages, Wheres Mike? Has he not coined in some of this action?

His he going to be hosting Beehaus Parties?

 

[Geoff]

Speaking of packages, Wheres Mike? Has he not coined in some of this action?

His he going to be hosting Beehaus Parties?

I wonder if he is running about dealing with the heather honey.

 

[OXFORDBEE]

>I think they are probably assuming you start with one colony, when you would only need one half's worth of frames.<<

I think they should sell the hive complete with all the frames required.

I'm going to be really cyncial here, I think having to purchase extra frames for the supers you've already purchased and will definately require is a "hidden" cost.

Also, four 5 frame supers is not nearly enough for a 14 x 12 colony. You ought to be thinking of eight 5 frame supers. Don't forget you'll need some more supers for the other side when you artificially swarm the bees.

 

[BKF Admin]

Thats a good point Oxford, 14 x 12 is a large frame of bees.

Without getting my books out"or searching the Cushman site" is it around a brood and a quarter ? or a brood+an Eke ?

 

[OXFORDBEE]

I think it's a brood and a half or thereabouts on one frame!

It will be interesting to see how the more delicate amongst us cope with these large frames that can hold 7lbs of honey; especially when they are playing "hunt the elusive queen" on an overcast day with grumbly bees.

 

[tonybloke]

I think it's a brood and a half or thereabouts on one frame!

It will be interesting to see how the more delicate amongst us cope with these large frames that can hold 7lbs of honey; especially when they are playing "hunt the elusive queen" on an overcast day with grumbly bees.

they are 8 sq inch larger than my 'commercials', and they are pretty heavy when full of honey!!