Welcome to all Omlet Beehaus Members

[Somerford]

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couldn't have put it better myself.

personally, I think alot of straws are being clutched at here w.r.t. how long it has been around vs suitability. It is plastic version of the Dartington. End of in my view as we know the Dartington works, in what ever version one runs.

 

[BKF Admin]

Omlet did always rush out mods for the Eglu after getting customer feedback.
What better product trialist can you get than customers for testing.

 

[Somerford]

mind you, Admin, I'm glad the mods. for the nationals have ended now....otherwise there would be a new version out every year !!!!

 

[oliver90owner]

Boys, you can put your heads together as much as you want but please just stick to the facts and do not exaggerate. People might even believe you if you stick to the truth. This is turning into an advertising thread in my opinion, whatever you might say to the contrary (Admin, please watch carefully).

Let us be clear here. It is not me making those extravagent claims; it is the omlette 'owners'. To me it is an expensive Dartington and until otherwise persuaded, it will remain just that, in my opinion.

If you think that 'many' can be less than several, or a few, or not very many, or whatever, that is OK as long as everyone is aware of your blatant mis-use of the English language. Please, just stick to the facts, give us the plain unadulterated truth and accept that it may never catch on as a viable alternative to the well established, well tried and tested, variants of a beetainer and is really only a fad for the over-moneyed members of our society. I could be wrong; I await the outcome with interest.

For example, Steve tries to make smoke by saying 'how much development was done before the National came out??? Actually a huge amount . He obviously does not realise the National was a standardisation of the plethora of hives available at the time. All the Standard did was rationalise the many close, but not compatible, dimensions so that components were usable/transferrable across all the subsequent models offered for sale. That comment was, therefore irrelevant and demonstrated the straws he is clutching to to persuade possible punters that he is offering something different than simply advertising the omlette offering (in one way or another).

If I have 'a bee in my bonnet' it is about the mis-truths being banded around on this thread. Let's face it, it would not even make a good coffin for anyone: it appears to be non bio-degradeable, as far as I can see.

Again I say either substantiate or retract. Please.

RAB

 

[Somerford]

I have stated no mis-truths about the BH, RAB, they must only exist in your point of view.

 

[victor meldrew]

it would not even make a good coffin for anyone: it appears to be non bio-degradeable, as far as I can see.
RAB

It has been suggested on here that it would make a more than suitable casket for my passing .

John Wilkinson

 

[Somerford]

john, does that mean you'll be getting one then ? LOL ;-)

 

[oliver90owner]

Somerford, you need to read more the posts more carefully.

I did not say you had. Jimbeekeeper actually said "The Omlet hive has been tested over the past 2 years before release to the public by many experienced beekeepers."

You did, however, defend him on that fact by blowing smoke about after the public release.

You might explain to all of us your thoughts as to why a bee would prefer a BMW to a cheaper, but just as efficient, alternative (but in terms of beetainer rather than a car). Do you think bees choose their new homes on Q-dos rather than practicality? I think not.

And while you are at it, please quantify and qualify these 'many experienced beekeepers over this period of 2 years before public release'. I am quietly confident that neither of you can.

RAB

 

[BKF Admin]

It has been suggested on here that it would make a more than suitable casket for my passing .

John Wilkinson

Guilty,sorry Victor

 

[Somerford]

That comment was, therefore irrelevant and demonstrated the straws he is clutching to to persuade possible punters that he is offering something different than simply advertising the omlette offering (in one way or another).
RAB

If you have read my previous posts, both on this forum and other forums you will reaslise that I am not offering 'something different' and trying to 'persuade punters' as such.

I have made it clear time and again that I am in this to encourage new beekeepers to the profession. It just so happens that the Omlet/BeeHaus opportunity has arisen and it would appear that my courses are popular and in demand, based upon the numbers taking up each course so far.


As I have previously stated, I offer choice in so far that, while the majority of interested people do want to view the BeeHaus as they have booked through the Omlet site, and therefore are interested in that particular hive/the BeeHaus being the hive that has spurred them to enquire about beekeeping, I do not focus solely on it. Indeed, I show bees in a National, and use the BH as an empty hive currently as it allows novices the opportunity to take it apart and inspect it, bee free, so to speak.

I do not recommend it above any other and make it clear that it is horses for courses, depending upon the style of beekeeping one wishes to follow.

So far I have had 1 family ,with a BH and bees already,on the course; a Langstroth owner, a potential National owner, 2 potential BH owners and so on.

I am not arrogant enough to suggest the BH is the only and best and preferred way to keep bees, I even mention the Dartington and TBHs.

Boys, you can put your heads together as much as you want but please just stick to the facts and do not exaggerate. People might even believe you if you stick to the truth. This is turning into an advertising thread in my opinion, whatever you might say to the contrary
RAB

I am in no way 'advertising the omlet offering'. You speak so much about the Dartington, one could infer you were doing the same, but I believe we are all on this forum for beekeeping's sake. There are other forums out there for advertising on and this isn't one of them.

Someone has to stand up for the BH and I am happy to say I am one of the few who is prepared to go public and throw his hat into that ring.

regards

S

 

[Somerford]

You might explain to all of us your thoughts as to why a bee would prefer a BMW to a cheaper, but just as efficient, alternative (but in terms of beetainer rather than a car).

RAB

This has been answered in previous threads...and I'll enlarge on it. We as beekeepers choose the box that we keep our bees in, whether or not it is wood, poly, vac-formed, wooden log, old pallet box is up to the individual and the bees have a choice - they swarm from it if it is not up to scratch.

The idea the 'bee' has the first choice is a little strange, it is up to us what we hive them in. Do you criticise someone for choosing a national made form Deal as opposed to Cedar, claiming it is inferior ? I think not. The same goes for the BH v Dartington v any other hive.

Personal choice, whether or not they are in the top 10%/bottom 10% of earners, prevails IMHO.

As to your question re. 'many experienced'....the straws being clutched at are two differing interpretations of the word 'many'.

The BH has been tested out, whether by the manufacturers Omlet, Mr Dartington perhaps (I am supposing this as it is his basic design) and others. It's out there and available and like Admin said, will be adapted based upon feedback. I can't see what the issue is.



S

 

[Bcrazy]

Hi Somerford

In your post above you mention the following;

We as beekeepers choose the box that we keep our bees in, whether or not it is wood, poly, vac-formed, wooden log, old pallet box is up to the individual and the bees have a choice - they swarm from it if it is not up to scratch.

Bees do not swarm from a home that they have set up, even if its a run down abandoned hive. The swarming tendancy in generic. How long did you say you have been keeping bees? Ah I do recall a comment that we are all still learning. How true.

Regards;

 

[Somerford]

Hi Somerford

In your post above you mention the following;



Bees do not swarm from a home that they have set up, even if its a run down abandoned hive. The swarming tendancy in generic. How long did you say you have been keeping bees? Ah I do recall a comment that we are all still learning. How true.

Regards;

Actually, I'll correct you here. A beekeeping aquaintance of mine coated his hive with a creosote type substance in the 1990s, hived a swarm in it, only to find they swarmed from it 2 days later as they couldn't stand the smell....so proof that bees will abandon a home if necessary.

Like yourself, I am still learning.

 

[m100]

There is a beekeeper in the Yorkshire area still using some hive boxes that a previous beekeeper treated with creosote, they have long since been scorched inside and out, and painted but apparently on a warm day he can still recognise these creosote impregnated hives. The bees love them. His honey doesn't take up any creosote taste or odour.

As for a hived swarm absconding, that is nothing new. It might have had nothing to do with the smell

P.S. Bees have also being observed bringing back road tar, presumably as a propolis substitute.

 

[Somerford]

M100 - the issue I refered to was fresh creosote from memory. I believe hives can be ok if aired for enough time, or at least that is what I heard anyway.

 

[cliff]

The beehaus

I came across the Beehaus at the Newbury Show this year. Main problems I can see are the "2 hives in 1" which would result in one hive facing an optimal way whilst the other couldn't be more poorly situated. I'm also concerned abut condensation and the whole thing looked flimsy to me. Also you're restricted to getting extra kit from Omlet alone. I'm not sure how much the extra supers cost but you're going to need a lot of them when the honey flow is on. But my main concern is disease. If like me you get EFB and the bee inspector brings his behemoth flame throw to flame the hive (which he has to DEFRA tell him to) you've just watched £500 turn into a molten plastic bit of modern art.

Cliff

 

[jezd]

I came across the Beehaus at the Newbury Show this year. Main problems I can see are the "2 hives in 1" which would result in one hive facing an optimal way whilst the other couldn't be more poorly situated. I'm also concerned abut condensation and the whole thing looked flimsy to me. Also you're restricted to getting extra kit from Omlet alone. I'm not sure how much the extra supers cost but you're going to need a lot of them when the honey flow is on. But my main concern is disease. If like me you get EFB and the bee inspector brings his behemoth flame throw to flame the hive (which he has to DEFRA tell him to) you've just watched £500 turn into a molten plastic bit of modern art.

Cliff

Some old issues in that post Cliff, EFB is dealt with by use of cleaning fluids from what I remember. Flimsy, nope, rock solid in term of the main hive - see pics on this forum of someone stood on top! if there is an issue then it maybe with it being top heavy in my view but time will tell. As for poorly sited issues, why? you know you have 2 entrances when you site it so why would you ignore one end?

Its a jigsaw at times, I will say that regards supers and cover boards.

You would not want to run too many of these hives, roof is heavy too.

JD

 

[RoofTops]

I am sure the B-H clan will leap in defence on this one but I don't think there is any "optimal" orientation of a hive, unless you mean facing the hives in towards a fence. In which case you have a point. South facing sites are good but I have found no difference which way the entrances face on a specific site. If they all faced the same way it could lead to drifting.

As for sterilizing the latest version of the Foul Brood Guide includes chemical sterilization and this was employed on polystyrene hives during the recent outbreak in Scotland.

 

[m100]

As for sterilizing the latest version of the Foul Brood Guide includes chemical sterilization and this was employed on polystyrene hives during the recent outbreak in Scotland.

Are you absolutely sure of that as I've read nothing that indicates such an approach was adopted

The Beehaus being a relatively smooth impervious plastic can easily be treated after propolis and wax removal with with Virkon S etc , whereas wood and expanded polystyrene have numerous pores and fissures in their surface where spores can lurk, hence the usual methods of scorching wooden hives rather than using antibacterial disinfectants (obviously scorching is a no-no for poly hives)

 

[Black Comb]

So if you get foul brood and have poly hives you can sterilise and re-use?
If you have wooden ones they are burnt.

So no replacement cost for the polyhives.

As I read in another thread that the insurance doesn't pay out much poly hives are more economical in this respect.

Is this logic correct?