volunteers to help with Honeybee Research

[user 6228]

Hi, As you all know I'm doing a Phd into "Differences in Heat Transfer between man-made and natural honey bee nests. " https://engineering.leeds.ac.uk/pgr/457/Derek_Mitchell

As part of my research I need to investigate the comb structure inside trees - so instead of cutting down trees I need help from beekeepers in the North Hampshire/ West Berkshire Area to put bees inside artificial tree nests that can be easily dismantled and the comb measured.

Here is the deal

I supply you, the volunteer, with an artificial tree nest to put in one of your apiaries, we run one of your swarms (shook or otherwise) into the nest.. The colony is not fed or treated (Trees don't lend themselves to that). After a year I come to extract the colony to put in one of your hives and measure the comb.
The artificial tree nests are about 1.7m tall and 300mm square, painted brown, so they will need guying and need room, so I will come with tent pegs,rope and cinder blocks to mount the artificial tree nest. Any honey or wax, along with the bees is yours. All I take away is the artificial trees, the cinder blocks, and some pictures.
For further details or clarification PM me or email me at my university address

 

[fatshark]

Surely you should treat?
Leaving a fresh swarm with an unknown mite load - but it could be substantial - for a year amongst other colonies in the apiary is a potential problem.
Might not be an issue with a shook swarm, but I'd want to be sure they had a very low mite load to start with.

 

[oxnatbees]

Surely you should treat?
Leaving a fresh swarm with an unknown mite load - but it could be substantial - for a year amongst other colonies in the apiary is a potential problem.
Might not be an issue with a shook swarm, but I'd want to be sure they had a very low mite load to start with.

Depends on the bees. Lots of varroa resistance in Hampshire. I'm in Oxfordshire, just north of there, and every year I meet more beeks who don't need to treat because it's simly not needed here. Obviously if you use Buckfasts, Italians etc you don't get this advantage.

 

[B+.]

Obviously if you use Buckfasts, Italians etc you don't get this advantage.

That's actually not true. There are resistant lines in various races (e.g. the Buckfast and carnica groups even have VSH lines https://aristabeeresearch.org/)

 

[oxnatbees]

That's actually not true. There are resistant lines in various races (e.g. the Buckfast and carnica groups even have VSH lines https://aristabeeresearch.org/)

That's interesting. I deliberately didn't say Carniolan because I knew (you) had resistant ones, but I thought Bukfasts were devoid of such traits. Thanks for the heads-up.

 

[B+.]

That's interesting. I deliberately didn't say Carniolan because I knew (you) had resistant ones, but I thought Bukfasts were devoid of such traits. Thanks for the heads-up.

You're welcome.
The traits are present in all populations, but, they are usually expressed at low levels so they are missed by the beekeeper. It's only when the trait is developed through a controlled breeding programme that it becomes noteworthy.

Apologies for drifting off topic Derek.

 

[MartinL]

Hi, As you all know I'm doing a Phd into "Differences in Heat Transfer between man-made and natural honey bee nests.

As part of my research I need to investigate the comb structure inside trees - so instead of cutting down trees

Just using two man-made ones?

artificial[/B] tree nest to put in one of your apiaries, we run one of your swarms (shook or otherwise) into the nest.. The colony is not fed or treated (Trees don't lend themselves to that). After a year I come to extract the colony to put in one of your hives and measure the comb.
The artificial tree nests are about 1.7m tall and 300mm square, painted brown, so they will need guying and need room, so I will come with tent pegs,rope and cinder blocks

Square tree, big enough to hold a colony but <6' tall???

to mount the artificial tree nest. Any honey or wax, along with the bees is yours.

So where are the "Natural nests"?
Sorry but Your data is going to be just as skewed as the data that's given us the sugar tax!
Faties are seen buying sugary drinks,
therefore they are fat because the sugar content of the drink is too high?
Not because their only exercise is lifting the bottle to their lips???

 

[Finman]

.
You can count something about food consumption in North USA. It is recommended that bees have 3 langstroth boxes and winter food store is 50 kg. They have simple wood walls there.

'Are the bees able to gather such amount of winter food in the UK in nature.
And when natural hives swarm, their ability make surplus stores will stop then.

Very complex research arrangement, and what are you going to reviele out.

In our climate non insulated hives consume so much food that they will not survive over winter.

UK winter hardly goes under freezing point and the lenght of cold period is more important that the one week of very cold period.

,

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Lots of varroa resistance in Hampshire.

yerrrs......................

 

[eltalia]

Hi, As you all know I'm doing a Phd into "Differences in Heat Transfer between
man-made and natural honey bee nests.

I didn't (know) Derek. but I do not take a lot of interest in profiles of
posters. I do tho' in what is posted.
And so it is I ask;
Is not there an easier way to accomplish this in applying physics?
Like determining hT across set manufactured timber is already available
from known constants, so that part is too easy.
Then to locate sufficient "wild" colonies in differing tree types - and core sample
the walls for hT testing - might be what you ask for assistance with in locating?
I am thinking you have to have considered this approach so why was it rejected?

As part of my research I need to investigate the comb structure inside trees - so .....

I am puzzled by what you expect to find in evaluating any commonalities, Derek.
Being as I have personally cut down hundreds of trees - at least two every weekend
in just one year alone, 1984 - it beats me how comb info beyond what is already
known is going to build a Phd. They all have bees+comb supporting the organism
but they are all different, near as much as people's faces are different.

I am not asking you layout your framework. I am simply raising the same
questions you may have been asked in submitting the prelude for examination.
Your anwsers then were?

Bill

 

[user 6228]

I didn't (know) Derek. but I do not take a lot of interest in profiles of
posters. I do tho' in what is posted.
And so it is I ask;
Is not there an easier way to accomplish this in applying physics?
Like determining hT across set manufactured timber is already available
from known constants, so that part is too easy.
Then to locate sufficient "wild" colonies in differing tree types - and core sample
the walls for hT testing - might be what you ask for assistance with in locating?
I am thinking you have to have considered this approach so why was it rejected?


I am puzzled by what you expect to find in evaluating any commonalities, Derek.
Being as I have personally cut down hundreds of trees - at least two every weekend
in just one year alone, 1984 - it beats me how comb info beyond what is already
known is going to build a Phd. They all have bees+comb supporting the organism
but they are all different, near as much as people's faces are different.

I am not asking you layout your framework. I am simply raising the same
questions you may have been asked in submitting the prelude for examination.
Your anwsers then were?

Bill

Already Done research on the effects of the enclosure (the wood bit ) and published it. The internal structures effect the convection and thus the heat loss. Man made internal structures are not the same as bee made. We know the man made ones but the bee made ones?

 

[user 6228]

Surely you should treat?
Leaving a fresh swarm with an unknown mite load - but it could be substantial - for a year amongst other colonies in the apiary is a potential problem.
Might not be an issue with a shook swarm, but I'd want to be sure they had a very low mite load to start with.

Hence the choice of bee source is upto the volunteer.

 

[user 6228]

...

Square tree, big enough to hold a colony but <6' tall???...

The tree hive design is not square internally but roughly octagonal. This is based previous experience with artificial trees.

 

[user 6228]

Surely you should treat?
Leaving a fresh swarm with an unknown mite load - but it could be substantial - for a year amongst other colonies in the apiary is a potential problem.
Might not be an issue with a shook swarm, but I'd want to be sure they had a very low mite load to start with.

They cant be treated once they are in the tree for practical access reasons.. It doesnt matter if they are treated before hand.

 

[Finman]

Varroa had already killed all feral bees in wood cavities. New swarm will fill the cavity year after year.
.

 

[Beefriendly]

On a practical issue, these artificial nests probably need to be situated outside dense concentrations of other bee nests (Apiaries) to give them a reasonable chance of reflecting a true wild bee population. Non treatment and varroa usually creates very weak colonies that are prone to being robbed, with resultant increased varroa load on hived bees.
But good luck with the PhD, it's a long old process and you will face tougher criticism.
Personally I'd overcome my reluctance to chop down trees and find as many wild nests as you can and make "Log Gums" from them.

 

[Lancs Lad]

Wonderful to see this kind of research and hope you uncover some unknown facts about this subject. Will you be noting the difference with poly hives ? I ask because I use poly hives with solid insulated floors and insulated crown boards and don't get the colony losses other beekeepers do.