Quick appraisal of the 'improved' beehaus

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oliver90owner

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Went to the CLA Game Fair yesterday.

There, on the omlette stand, sat an example of the new revised beehaus.

So I had a closer look.

First thing I heard was the guy telling someone that it was two hives in one (not the exact words, but you get my drift).

I saw some of the 'improvements' possibly not all of them. Didn't pull the whole thing apart but noted the following:

Sides of brood are now in injection sheet form - an improvement on the correx type sheets.

Central divider is now inserted from the top into a slide (moulded as part of the brood side sheets) - hope the bees don't find it something to propolise in place, but likely OK. My thoughts on the central divider is that they ARE really marketing it as a two colony hive, one cannot fit that divider anywhere else (I didn't actually check that out), and the hump on each of the frame rails is just a pain in the derriere. Also, those mouldings might just be a platform for extra comb building if the hive is used with a brood area larger than half the hive.

The 1/2 supers now have injection moulding as sides (or is it ends?) and look much improved, but they are still a pain to use (for me, yes, - for those who need smaller boxes they are possibly good).

The brood covers are now composite fabrications of injection moulding parts - much more rigid (more stable, predictable shape than the earlier ones?). They are still air filled and will transfer heat by convection from bottom to top but that may be satisfactory as the parts seem to be ribbed, but not an ideal solution unless filled with an insulant (easy to do, I would think, for the thinking beek - just a pity the manufacturers were not so particular, if my simple observations are correct).

The guy who was there was apparently a van driver (well, so he said, and I was not going to question further!) told me that air was a very good insulator - well now, that shows a severe lack of understanding and demonstrates the mis-information being passed to the potential punters, as we are talking convection here (heat moving vertically upwards and not vertically downwards), a very important subtlety lost on that particular gentleman. I know both air and water are both very good non-conductors of heat; as an insulator they both need to be stationary, as in 'not moving''!

The dummies are now ill-fitting (in this instance) polypropylene sheets about 2 1/2 mm thick. Better idea than the 'correx' type but poorly executed (the sheet was likely too narrow to do the job properly(?)).

I did check the brood width, and it was consistent along it's length (a problem with some very early production examples).

So, some definite improvements on 'fit and finish', but no real improvements (IMO) on operation, apart from no 'correx ' type edges - so removing possible 'hidey holes' for SHB etc. and those more robust 1/2 super boxes.

So, comparing my example with the revised one - better, and I would appreciate evaluating these modified parts (over the 'weaker' options on my example), but would not go out of my way to actually purchase them. Sealing up the 'correx' with silicone sealant and filling the coverboards with polystyrene prills is a pain but not so arduous to certainly improve the under-developed earlier design.

I am wondering if the side panels still need filling with 'bags of rockwool, or similar insulant, to prevent lateral energy losses due, mainly, to the freely convecting air currents in those panels?

What did I miss? Any more thoughts (or even disagreements) with my, admittedly, hurried appraisal?

Regards, RAB
 
Nice summation o9o

Any change in price or is the version 1 production on going at a minor discounted price?

Any improvement in the leg supports?

Lastly

I wonder if the marketing as a duel hive is some thing Robin is perfectly happy with or he has refined his methods of management since 1985 over the years to revert back to an 11 frame size hive (Deep National) or is it as it sounds to me just a marketing exercise as I have Robin's book " New Bee keeping in a Long Deep Hive " which I think is the original first publication 1985 and it has several references to using the hive as a full 22 framed hive during the peak of the brood nest through to later in the year using a dummy board with a large bucket as a feeder.

Maybe I'm a little synclinal but when I read his book I get the feeling it was written with passion and conviction and a true love of the craft of bee keeping and his desire to share his hive design with everyone else. I wonder how he honestly feels now about the plastic hippo now (Plastic pig already taken)
:confused:
 
Nice write-up Oilver:hurray:

I always said the Omlet are very pro-active, and when they first brought out the eglu and cube they very quickly listen to people and developed the units.

I still suspect they will branch out into the National style hive type, with an Omlet twist.
 
Does anyone know the predicted lifespan of a Beehaus..?
 
I was at RHS Tatton where the most exciting thing I saw was a Hummingbird Hawkmoth enjoying the flowers, totally ignored by all those people looking at the plants ( tunnel vision springs to mind) BUT I digress. The Beehaus chap was telling somebody that the hive would last for at least twenty years :)
I do actually covet one of Omlet's Cubes :biggrinjester:
It would have to be purple :biggrinjester::biggrinjester:
 
The Beehaus chap was telling somebody that the hive would last for at least twenty years :)

I saw a national box last week in relatively good condition that going by the branding of the long deceased owners initials was deemed to be at least 30 years old and maybe 40.

Maybe by another few iterations the Beehaus might be built properly, then all it needs is a complete redesign...or a genetically modified bee that works horizontally.
 
Last edited:
M100,

or a genetically modified bee that works horizontally.

IF you follow what appears to be the omlet line you operate it exactly like a National or any other 'normal' framed hive. Nothing new or radical there. You are just not able to manipulate the brood frames vertically as you might (in a 'normal' hive by adding a second brood box over the first and possibly swapping them about.

The only differing part is the built-in A/S capability without moving brood frames into another box.

IF you treat it simply as a two colony hive then some who own these, had better watch out while doing things that way!

I operate my Dartingtons (and beehaus) in a much more bee-friendly way IMO.

Regards, RAB
 
I was at RHS Tatton where the most exciting thing I saw was a Hummingbird Hawkmoth enjoying the flowers, totally ignored by all those people looking at the plants ( tunnel vision springs to mind) BUT I digress. The Beehaus chap was telling somebody that the hive would last for at least twenty years :)
I do actually covet one of Omlet's Cubes :biggrinjester:
It would have to be purple :biggrinjester::biggrinjester:

Here's my one!
Gary
 
Lovely garden.

But I meant one of these

4833362723_f45db12a35_o.jpg
 
Same thing Eric - just with a bit of mesh at the front...
Maybe they'll do a 'Half-bee-half-chicken-haus" next...
 
The salesman at Tatton told me it was triple insulated.
 
Two layers of plastic and one layer of air then?
Actually Tatton was a disappointment ......... I've always lived on Hampton Court's doorstep and the show there is great.
I wish I'd gone to the Game Fair instead.
Will next year
 
Further to go? I was told it was back at Blenheim for next year, but the lady who told me, might have been mistaken.

Regards, RAB
 

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