Makes perfect sense, it there is work to do in my garden, the house doesn’t get
cleaned 😊
From: Eric Asher<mailto:eric.asher@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: 10 April 2021 19:49
To: oxnatbees@xxxxxxxxxxxxx<mailto:oxnatbees@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: [oxnatbees] Re: Converting a National to a Natural?
Gareth is absolutely right, and I have been struck by this phenomenon every
time I have had the pleasure to peep into one of these hives.
As Paul showed us from the Berlin conference, Log hives use 1/10th of the
stores of a National and still much more than a Warre!
This means they have more time for hygienic behaviour... like keeping the floor
clean!
Eric
From: oxnatbees-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx <oxnatbees-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> on behalf
of Gareth John <gj.garethjohn@xxxxxxxxx>
Sent: 10 April 2021 18:05
To: oxnatbees@xxxxxxxxxxxxx <oxnatbees@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: [oxnatbees] Re: Converting a National to a Natural?
Typical floor of a Freedom Hive. Note how clean it is and the propolis varnish.
Gareth
[cid:16813B9F-87B4-47D3-BFDC-BCB8AF49251D]
________________________________
Gareth John
Westhall Cottage
Westhall Hill
Burford
OX18 4BJ
+44 (0)1993 824943
+44 (0)7453 095008
In the nothingness, the heart of the world has space to spin, has silence to
sing: L Vaughan-Lee
On 10 Apr 2021, at 18:01, Robin Colyer
<robin@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx<mailto:robin@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>> wrote:
Really interesting thread this, thanks everyone.
On Sat, 10 Apr 2021 at 17:42, Kerry Dawson
<kerrydawson99@xxxxxxxxxxxxx<mailto:kerrydawson99@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>> wrote:
One thing we can be certain of is that wire mesh is not natural to the bees and
stops them accessing the floor and its debris, either for removal or
propolising.
My TBH has a mesh floor and I keep the sliding floor below in place and wedged
tight to stop cold drafts entering the hive and my Golden Hive has a solid,
removable floor which the bees have full access to. Though not a direct
comparison, it will be interesting to see over this next season how the bees in
the GH manage the floor space.
Kerry
From: Oxnatbees<mailto:oxnatbees@xxxxxxxxx>
Sent: 09 April 2021 23:07
To: oxnatbees@xxxxxxxxxxxxx<mailto:oxnatbees@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: [oxnatbees] Re: Converting a National to a Natural?
A few of us are trying it. I'm not a believer in it myself because, after
hearing conflicting stories about natural bee tree cavities have clean / grungy
floors, I asked some people who have looked in many tree cavities. They said
bees leave the floor messy UNTIL comb gets built down to within 1-2" and then
they clean and propolise the floor.
Also hygienic bees seem to keep their floors clean.
Also I think floor debris is a great place for pests to hide, I have heard
several people comment how the bees propolise over large lumps they cannot
remove.
Bees however are v adaptable. So far I am unaware of any correlation between
eco floors and any particular problem. But I don't think anyone's done any
comparison tests.
Paul
On Fri, 9 Apr 2021, 20:14 Robin Colyer,
<robin@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx<mailto:robin@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>> wrote:
Has anybody tried the ‘eco floor’ approach? I.e. a piece of plastic guttering
strapped to the underside and filled with wood chips, birch bark etc? I’ve read
about it but not hear any mention of it in the group.
On Fri, 9 Apr 2021 at 18:33, Kerry Dawson
<kerrydawson99@xxxxxxxxxxxxx<mailto:kerrydawson99@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>> wrote:
Thanks Gino, what an amazing picture. The bees have certainly tried to cover
up the mesh.
From: Gino Sprio<mailto:gino@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: 09 April 2021 14:03
To: oxnatbees@xxxxxxxxxxxxx<mailto:oxnatbees@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: [oxnatbees] Re: Converting a National to a Natural?
Hi,
I'm attaching a picture of the bottom of one of my Top Bar hives.
The colony (a swarm which moved in of its own accord, probably from one of my
nearby hives) didn't make it through the winter.
This hive was built several years ago and has been in use for at least seven
years.
When it was made, mesh floors were the thing and I didn't know any better. I
added a solid floor beneath the mesh a few years ago.
The section photographed is in front of the entrances (notice how they have
been propolised down to one or two bee size for the winter) and is where the
brood nest is in the hive.
Looking closely at the mesh floor, you can see that the bees have propolised
the whole section beneath the brood comb. This suggests that they would rather
there wasn't mesh there.
I don't use mesh floors any more except on nuc boxes which can overheat in the
summer.
The lumps of propolis on the hive wall are also interesting.
Gino
On Wed, 7 Apr 2021 at 17:59, Kerry Dawson
<kerrydawson99@xxxxxxxxxxxxx<mailto:kerrydawson99@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>> wrote:
Hi Everyone,
I have a TBH and a Golden hive and I am toying with the ideal of getting an
extra-deep National brood box and an extra-shallow super, supplied by Heather
Bell Bees in Cornwall, where I purchased my TBH. I plan to add two entrance
holes to the side of the brood box (not unlike my TBH and GH). I like the idea
of having standard size parts, such as the frames, easily available to replace
and this company offers the very shallow super for taking small amounts of
honey.
I have asked Heather Bell if they supply solid floors, without mesh – they
don’t. So, I asked this question and wondered what the group thought about the
reply:
Q: I’m planning to add entrance holes into the side of the brood box (bit like
your TBH which I already have) so for the floor maybe the thick crown board
without a central hole would work instead. Are you able to supply without a
hole?
A: Although colonies will use an additional upper entrance as you describe, it
must be an additional entrance. A bottom entrance is necessary so bees can
remove dead bees easily and a solid floor is just a bad idea; reducing
ventilation, encouraging damp, increasing Varroa build up. That's why we don't
use or supply them.
From my experience (only 2 years), my TBH with holes and my GH with holes have
never had a build up of dead bees. In the case of the TBH there is a horrible
build up of debris beneath the mesh floor, which the bees can’t clean up and so
they rely on me to do it causing more disturbance than I prefer (I plan to get
rid of this just as soon as I am able).
Has anyone done this conversion before and is a bad idea? Eric, I think you
might have?
Kerry
--
Best wishes,
Robin
Robin Colyer
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Joint Artistic Director
Flintlock Theatre
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Best wishes,
Robin
Robin Colyer
he/him<https://www.bottomline.org/content/support-gender-inclusive-pronouns>
Joint Artistic Director
Flintlock Theatre
[https://docs.google.com/uc?export=download&id=15JQQEMSjwSez1p88XNvRE3E8zyAhTyvs&revid=0BxYt-ti7nvS2RU5iaHc2dTRRS3o4a1RkWWNJTzUvRWd0WHFjPQ]
Find out about classes and courses from Flintlock Education here.
<http://www.flintlocktheatre.com/education>
[https://docs.google.com/uc?export=download&id=1C5z3VWlNlpagXD2_bdq9uHA_qClDBoPL&revid=0BxYt-ti7nvS2cy9STDhlbHk1UUJXU3d0QkthdHJQQWN3a2FBPQ]
Join our mailing list to be the first to know about our
work.<https://www.flintlocktheatre.com/contact>
www.flintlocktheatre.com<http://www.flintlocktheatre.com/>
01865 807322
Correspondence:
Hollybush House
Station Road
Eynsham
Oxford
OX29 4HX
This e-mail together with any attachments is for the exclusive and confidential
use of the addressee(s) and may contain legally privileged information. Any
other distribution, use or reproduction without the sender's prior consent is
unauthorised and strictly prohibited. If you have received this email in
error, please notify the sender by email immediately and delete the message
from your computer without duplication.
Flintlock Education Ltd. Registered Address 3A Station Road, HP7 0BQ.
Registered in England & Wales no. 7917219
Flintlock Theatre Registered Address 3A Station Road, HP7 0BQ. Registered in
England & Wales no. 11917051