Sun hives

[Brosville]

an article from "Home Farmer" - download here - (pdf acrobat file) - [Deleted by admin as the link sets off my anti virus software.]

 

[For want of a better word]

McAfee blocked it... full of virus perhaps?

 

[Tom Bick]

No problem with down load for me on both this link and the other thread regarding video it must be McAfee (and I was thinking they are a pop group) both links are very interesting and thanks for the links.

 

[Anduril]

The pdf does not give enough info. Other websites will tell you that it has 9 moveable half moon shaped frames. The comb is about 2 feet in length. For inspections there is a possibility that the comb may buckle and kill bees or at worst the queen or brake away losing valuable brood or stores. Any way of hefting the hive? One downside is it needs a rather large structure to support it. Not many people have the space. Not suitable for the bigger seed industry which rely on bees for pollination and seed production. Supers can be added on top, it is up to the owner how they employ it. The life of the hive would be about 10 to 15 years. Warmth inside the hive? Not as good as poly. I know that IBRA touched on the use of straw in hives but I cannot find the link. With the wrong kind of rain then this would lead to the demise of the bees. Although I see the sun hive has gone over to India I would deem it impractical for the third world who can gain extra income from keeping bees. I await the response.

 

[For want of a better word]

The pdf does not give enough info. Other websites will tell you that it has 9 moveable half moon shaped frames. The comb is about 2 feet in length. For inspections there is a possibility that the comb may buckle and kill bees or at worst the queen or brake away losing valuable brood or stores. Any way of hefting the hive? One downside is it needs a rather large structure to support it. Not many people have the space. Not suitable for the bigger seed industry which rely on bees for pollination and seed production. Supers can be added on top, it is up to the owner how they employ it. The life of the hive would be about 10 to 15 years. Warmth inside the hive? Not as good as poly. I know that IBRA touched on the use of straw in hives but I cannot find the link. With the wrong kind of rain then this would lead to the demise of the bees. Although I see the sun hive has gone over to India I would deem it impractical for the third world who can gain extra income from keeping bees. I await the response.

It must be said if you wish to experiment with alternative hive types there are many far more practical , both to use and play with...... IMO of course!

 

[DanBee]

McAfee blocked it... full of virus perhaps?

Sounds like a varroa issue...

 

[Red Bee]

From the article.

Feral colonies are also demonstrating better survival rates than ‘kept’ bees, with the implication that our ‘interference’ may
be a significant part of the problem.

 

[DanBee]

But how and where do the feral colonies find their crystals?

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

McAfee blocked it... full of virus perhaps?

More like full of horse sh!t

 

[Finman]

.
It is impossible to nurse that kind of hives

And hives are too small

 

[drstitson]

"Feral colonies are also demonstrating better survival rates than ‘kept’ bees, with the implication that our ‘interference’ may be a significant part of the problem."

Covered by Tom Seeley during his talks in UK in 2011 (as susbees jr knows!).

Managed bees live in apiaries with many colonies in close proximity. Feral colonies live on average 800m from each other.

The result is in the former the mites utilise horizontal transmission and in the latter vertical transmission. For obvious reasons horizontal transmission tends to evolve virulence whilst vertical transmission tends to evolve benign symbiosis

 

[madasafish]

"Feral colonies are also demonstrating better survival rates than ‘kept’ bees, with the implication that our ‘interference’ may be a significant part of the problem."

Covered by Tom Seeley during his talks in UK in 2011 (as susbees jr knows!).

I don;t know how anyone can verify that statement as the UK does not accurately know the number of "kept" bee colonies let alone feral ones...

 

[victor meldrew]

I don;t know how anyone can verify that statement as the UK does not accurately know the number of "kept" bee colonies let alone feral ones...

Gotta agree with that , totally uncoroborated!
VM

 

[theboynelson]

I agree, I'll stick with my Nationals Thanks

 

[oliver90owner]

I don;t know how anyone can verify that statement as the UK does not...

Why should it be pertinent (or not) only to the UK? Is it not likely that observations in other places might just be justified to make that comment?

Ask Chris Luck. He has that observed that with his bees. So don't be jumping in too soon to try to poo-poo the idea is my comment.

 

[Chris B]

"Feral colonies are also demonstrating better survival rates than ‘kept’ bees, with the implication that our ‘interference’ may be a significant part of the problem."

Covered by Tom Seeley during his talks in UK in 2011 (as susbees jr knows!).

Managed bees live in apiaries with many colonies in close proximity. Feral colonies live on average 800m from each other.

The result is in the former the mites utilise horizontal transmission and in the latter vertical transmission. For obvious reasons horizontal transmission tends to evolve virulence whilst vertical transmission tends to evolve benign symbiosis

Yes but....

In layman's terms, this is a survival of the fittest argument. But any evolutionary benefits will be shared among feral and managed populations because the evolutionary clock ticks much slower than the exchange of both bee and mite genetics between the feral and managed populations.

 

[drstitson]

"But any evolutionary benefits will be shared among feral and managed populations because the evolutionary clock ticks much slower than the exchange of both bee and mite genetics between the feral and managed populations."


not quite true -

we're talking feral vs managed situation rather than managed with neighbouring ferals.

remember that a new generation of mites is produced every 3-4 weeks and that out in the wild wood there are no managed colonies nearby, just widely scattered feral colonies. Very little if any horizontal drift of bees so the mites MUST ensure that they do not cause the colony to fail or they die too.

just think about resistance to acaricides - quickly acquired/selected for in treated colonies but lost relatively quickly (2 years) when selective pressure (ie treatment) removed.

same reason why fruit flies are used for genetics experiments - short generation time so easy to produce a stock of a particular sporadic mutant to work with.

 

[Finman]

.
Like somebody here said, the earth would be crowded with ferals if they do not die.

Every colony makes 2 swarms annually. It is +200%.

If there are 100 colonies, in 10 years they will be 2 million. After 20 years they are 100 million

100 300 900 2700 8100

24 300 72 900 218 700 656 100 1 968 300

If the dead rate of ferals is 30%, there will be then only 40 000 colonies after 10 years.
After 20 years they will be 60 million

Have you ever met a species, which multiplays itsef in nature from 100 to 40 000 ? Not even varroa.

.

 

[Finman]

-
But those sun hives with cow sh.... From where the name comes?

And added with UK continuous rain?........Holy ship!

.

 

[Dishmop]

.
It is impossible to nurse that kind of hives

And hives are too small

According to "her who knows" you are not supposed to nurse them.... Just let them do their own thing and swarm.