Things I'm having problems with is trying to design a totally new styled beehive following a design movement that isn't a "box" which I've been told is a no-no by my teacher. We had freedom to choose whatever we wanted so I thought, to be different I would like the challenge of a beehive which is proving to be a real challenge with it being far more complex than I first thought!
Check out
http://beehivejournal. blog spot.fi/2010/01/alpha.html (close gaps for link to work) It has a list of over 300 types of hive, along with drawings and pictures. If nothing else you can use it as a resource to show your teacher that it's difficult to be 'new' and also design something that works.
If a hive is a fashion statement or intended as a piece of garden architecture it may not be good for bees and could be a nightmare for the beekeeper. If it's brightly coloured, and sitting on field margins, it'll get stolen. So boring boxes in neutral colours are what tend to work best - unless you can design something to prove both the above wrong.
The most popular hive worldwide is, I'm fairly sure, the Langstroth. Probably because it's used by almost every beekeeper in USA as well as much of Europe. Many British beekeepers use variations on the National design; Smith hives are popular in Scotland.
To make nomenclature even more complicated - my hives are called Jumbo Langstroth, but use Dadant frames.
The beehive I am hoping to create will be hopefully both bee friendly but also providing a decent amount of honey for the keeper.
Then you need plenty of adjustable space - small enough for a colony to overwinter without losing too much heat whilst ensuring there's enough space for overwintering stores. It needs to be able to expand to allow storage of the spring and summer nectar flow. Some European hives are massive boxes, impossible to move, but with internal movable partitions.
Some forum members have have taken huge quantities of Oil Seed Rape (OSR) honey this year. There's a thread about 'tallest' hive.
But some bees are frugal and will only ever collect a small excess - it
does get complicated!
What I was more interested in from you guys was opinions on good features for a beehive and ideas on how I could input them e.g mesh sizes
Mesh size needs to be large enough for debris and varroa to fall through, but too small for a bee. Varroa mesh is 8-10 count (8-10 holes per inch) A bee can easily get through a space made by an ordinary drawing pencil.
Materials - Scots Pine, Spruce (but to stay away from composite boards like plywood etc in fear of harming the bees). I am also going to stay away from plastics as after speaking to a beekeeper he stated it would need to be sterilised which is usually done with a open flame. However, what do you guys use to avoid the wood getting singed during sterilisation?
People make hives from plywood and OSB, but they can be heavy. Plastic and Polystyrene hives can be, as itma said, sterilised using bleach. Plastic obviously needs to be UV resistant, poly hives are usually painted - check the gallery e.g.
http://www.beekeepingforum.co.uk/album.php?u=4812
A drawer with a mesh to trap potentially harmful bugs from giving the bees a disease.
You could investigate the traps used in USA for Small Hive Beetle (read Beebase forum) or what some European beekeepers use to trap Asian Hornets (see Beebase). Neither pest has arrived in UK yet.
Extendable in order to allow more supers to be placed on the hive if a good summer.
Mentioned above - but will you refer to these boxes as 'supers'? Sometimes referred to as 'shallows' and are used for brood in one size box hives.
Insulation in order to keep the bees nice and cosy
Poly hives? (Check information on
http://www.beehivesupplies.co.uk/ - he designed and built his own, which are very good. He is approachable too, I'm sure would help if he can.)
Check Derekm's posts and see what he's doing with hive design
An inspection screen that allows you to look into the super/ brood in order to check the condition of the honey/queen.
Some people, myself included, use an acrylic crown board - that's a top cover that goes beneath the roof. Some Warre and Top Bar beekeepers use an acrylic window in the side of the hive, covered with a thick piece of wood.
Would need to be weather proof and resistant to vermin attack.
Green woodpeckers will drill through almost anything once they realise bees are inside.
A possible automatic smoker that subdues the bees (would this be worthwhile?)
Would need to be weatherproof if on the outside of the hive all year. If internal it could be bulky and would probably end up covered in wax and or propolis. If removable (for maintenance) would it leave an awkward space?
I also have to design my product for a "client" so I'm thinking of contacting some garden centres that may be interested however I will also ask some local beekeeping societies if they're willing to help.
A garden centre might not be the best 'client', businesses are becoming bee-friendly - see Dusty's Manchester thread. Fortnum & Mason's hives are an expensive example.
