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BBG

Drone Bee
Joined
Oct 18, 2010
Messages
1,306
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0
Location
Devon & Dorset
Hive Type
Langstroth
Number of Hives
Polystyrene & lots more next year again hopefully
Hi to all, I am considering keeping 12 of my hives on a trailer, one foot apart, to enable movement and also convenience.

Has anybody done this?

Would like to hear the pros and cons of doing it.

Would they be too close together. It happens in Eastern European countries.

Thoughts and facts please.

Thanks in anticipation
 
Used to be loads of pics on "the dark side" forum :)

Security is the biggest problem . Also after maximising harvest Oilseed rape/ ling ! 12 colonies may require heavier feeding as not all areas are able to sustain that number in one spot ? You will of course know your ground but it was worth a mention ;)

John Wilkinson
 
Agree about security, but also consider maximum towing weights for the vehicle if you are going to relocate with the hives full. The potential weight could be very high, esp if on OSR.
 
Hi John

Thanks for that - are you saying take them to the rape and return but separate then and spread out.

Where's the dark side please?
 
Where's the dark side please?

The BBKA forum.
Good luck if your going in,a little tip while you are there:
Dont ask any questions you dont already know the answer to.
See you soon if you make it back alive..
 
Agree about security, but also consider maximum towing weights for the vehicle if you are going to relocate with the hives full. The potential weight could be very high, esp if on OSR.

Thanks, we have not been on OSR before and would like to know what sort of weight you're talking about per hive (honey gained that is)

Also why security issues - trailer easy to steal or hives all together?? Thanks

Thanks also Admin
I was a member of ybw.com - full martial arts training and body armour were necessary before entering the LOUNGE there.

I'm out of practice so will take heed.
 
Security first. Very thievable yes unless a Denver boot is used. I once had my trailer stolen from under my nose. I jest not.

OSR does not yield now as long as it used to, due to "improved" strains of said plant. If you allow for 200 lbs per hive you will be well with in the SWL.

Not a new idea and I knew folks in the past who used scrap caravans cut down to the floor to use as bee houses. For that matter a scrap caravan provided the chassis is good could be used as a mobile bee house.

Also be aware that these days there are licence implications for towing.

PH
 
starting at the top hives on a trailer is easy all you realy need to do is to fix the hive bases to the floor and install clipes on all the boxes to hold them in place,

12 on a trailer is no worries and unless your are stupid enough to trying to drive it with four supers on each hive you will never go over the 7 ton limit.

several people i know do it as they move the bees around from area to area as theflow slows they move one trailer to another spot
 
Hive trailer

Hi Pete used to use this but it only carries 6 hives safely, strapping down needs to be done carefully and the weight may be a consideration depending on tow vehicle, (Land Rover max is 4 tons) and I do not know anything that will tow heavier, dont use it any more as it took too much time to strap hives on, just use a normal flat bed trailer. PM me if you have a use for it, it is a camping trailer chassis with corner jacks to level it and for security just remove the wheels and coupling
 
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12 on a trailer is no worries and unless your are stupid enough to trying to drive it with four supers on each hive you will never go over the 7 ton limit.

7 ton limit, what do you use for towing? My car is only 1800 kgs!
 
hence the question of what tow vehicle
 
(Land Rover max is 4 tons) and I do not know anything that will tow heavier,

Tractors.
 
I think you will find 3.5 tonnes is the towing limit without power brakes (not the normal over-run braking systems). For that Landrover, Discovery and RangeRover models are OK, along with some of the Japanese SUVs, but by no means all. Only about 350kg is the limit for unbraked trailers.

Note that tractors would likely need to run on white diesel unless the operation was classed as agricultural. A minefield of rules and regs these days. I have not driven my 7.5 tonne lorry recently and will have to inforn DVLA re my maladies. I have had a full licence since the 1960s but recent ones need all sorts of extra tests. I learned on tractors with 4 wheel trailers in tow. Not many can reverse those, especially without separate footbrakes!

Regards, RAB
 
Note that tractors would likely need to run on white diesel unless the operation was classed as agricultural.
Regards, RAB

Red diesel is no more ;).
All white now .(exempted vehicle owners reclaim fuel tax )

John Wilkinson
 
Red diesel is also known as gas oil, 35 seconds, medium diesel, heating oil, tractor diesel, cherry, generator fuel, digger fuel and many more
 
Red diesel as we know it is being phased out. The replacement will still be stained red? It will have up to 7% bio fuel content and this will have a bit of a shelf life.

The question for winter 2011 is do you empty the fuel tank of your combined harvester and risk condensation, or do you store it filled up and risk the decomposing 7% bio content blocking the filters?

The worrying bit is that the harvester manufacturers haven't got an answer to that question just at the moment. I'm sure that they will have it sorted before long though. Farming Weakly . . . :)
 
That is interesting, and something I hadn't considered for our plant that we don't use in the winter like the screener. It could be a problem in time to come.

Filters are and easy replaced part however rusty fuel lines and tanks are a very different matter.
 
"The question for winter 2011 is do you empty the fuel tank of your combined harvester and risk condensation, or do you store it filled up and risk the decomposing 7% bio content blocking the filters?"

We use diesel bug to overwinter the boat and fill tank to prevent condensation.

'In the old days' we wheeled the harvester into the barn (if it was lucky) gave t some 'snuff' a few eeks before needed and it flashed up, then the filter changes, oil and general smiles as another season was coaxed out of it.

Are all the turbos, electronics and all that jazz really more beneficial!
 
The replies have all been very helpful but have more questions please.

Is the foot distance between hives OK?

What would the panel use -

Flat bed trailer

Mesh like Beebreeders trailer

Other suggestions

To overcome the weight problems, we thought to take the supers off as things progress on site rather than wait for the finish.

Thoughts and advice on how to proceed gratefully welcomed.

Additionally we're going modern and using Polystyrene hives throughout - are they robust enough or should we use rubbing strakes/protectors.

Really good input from everybody thanks.
 
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