I don’t often comment on these threads, but providing a suitable hive is one of
the most important things a bee person can do and I want to follow up on the
subject of top boards. Welcome, Andrew, btw.
A crown board creates a space above the tops of the combs. In natural
conditions a bee nest does not have a space above the tops of the combs. The
combs start from the roof of the tree cavity. The result, looking up from
below, is a series of cul de sacs between the combs, something which the bee
has adapted to over millennia and likely contributes in important ways to the
control of nest heat and scent.
Similarly, a top cloth is generally covered in propolis and is propolised to
the top bars. Propolis is the hive-level immune system of the colony and is
vital for colony health. It should be encouraged as much as possible. Top
boards do not do this.
When it comes to hive inspections (if they are done), once a top board is
removed from a hive, either all the top bars are exposed or a number of them
are, all in one go. The top board often has to be 'cracked' open due to its
propolis seal. The result is mechanical shock and noise and the creation of a
sudden draft within the hive causing the loss of heat and scent and disturbance
to the colony. Bees will rush to the top of the hive to see 'what the heck
happened there?' and these bees are generally not happy. Conventional
beekeepers often pump smoke in below the top board as it comes up for this
reason. By contrast, a top cloth can be pealed back a little at a time in the
gentlest of fashions, causing minimal disturbance. No bees rush up to the top
bars and all remains calm. It is a good opportunity to see the tops of the
combs while the hive remains in an undisturbed state. Little or no smoke need
be used. I sometimes peal a corner of a top cloth back and sniff the hive as a
way of determining its health.
The top hole for winter ventilation (in which the Porter escape would fit) is
again absent from a natural hive. The function of the quilt box is to allow a
degree of movement of water vapour out of the top of the hive without the loss
of heat. It is not just there for insulation (although this is an important
factor) but mimics the moisture absorbing properties of the rotted wood that
would be found at the top of a natural tree cavity.
Gareth
________________________
Gareth John
Westhall Cottage
Westhall Hill
Burford
OX18 4BJ
01993 824943
On 20 Jul 2018, at 15:54, Andrew Bax (Redacted sender "andrew.bax" for DMARC)
<dmarc-noreply@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
Hello Helen
I am a new member of Oxnatbees so hadn’t seen your hive design, and I really
like the idea of using Warre bars and an eke. I, too, have been wondering how
to combine the merits of the Warre and Top Bar Hives. Here’s an idea for the
Helen Hive Mk 3:
1. Replace the hessian cover by a crownboard, providing bee space over
the Warre bars. In practice I suggest the hive should be covered by three or
four smaller crownboards, set next to each other, each of which can be
removed as required so that the whole colony need not be exposed during
inspection. The Porter escapes will help ventilate the hive (particularly if
you have ventilation holes in the roof – I couldn’t see them in your photos)
and the most appropriate escape can be removed for feeding. There is probably
enough space for a half-gallon contact or rapid feeder.
2. Extend the height of the follower board by the bee space so that it
fits under the crownboard
3. Do away with the quilt boxes. For winter insulation the space can be
filled with old clothes
4. Register the design, license it to a few manufacturer and collect
royalties.
I hope to be with you on 18 August
Best wishes
Andrew Bax
From: oxnatbees-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:oxnatbees-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] ;
On Behalf Of Helen Nunn
Sent: 17 July 2018 21:44
To: oxnatbees
Subject: [oxnatbees] Re: Updates and gossip (was: test)
Hi Sam
Sorry you can't make either date. Here's a link to see what my hives look
like. It's my own design and seems to be working really well, during about 4
years use.
oxnatbees.wordpress.com/2014/03/27/adding-warre-features-to-a-top-bar-hive/
<http://oxnatbees.wordpress.com/2014/03/27/adding-warre-features-to-a-top-bar-hive/>
All the best
Helen
On 17 July 2018 at 21:34, SAm Acton <dmarc-noreply@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
<mailto:dmarc-noreply@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>> wrote:
Hi Helen
I am new to this group how I love to come to have a look at your hives. I
have recently aquired a TBH and hoping to learn as much as I can before I
start. Unfortunately I can't make both of the dates but thanks for all the
same. If you have another get together in the future may I come? I live in
Rose Hill, Oxford.
Sam
On Tuesday, 17 July 2018 15:20:42 BST, Oxnatbees <oxnatbees@xxxxxxxxx
<mailto:oxnatbees@xxxxxxxxx>> wrote:
I'd prefer the 18th but could probably make the 4th please thankyou
Paul
On 17 July 2018 at 12:06, Helen Nunn <helenmaynunn@xxxxxxxxx
<mailto:helenmaynunn@xxxxxxxxx>> wrote:
Hi Paul et al
I'd be happy to offer a get-together at our place (Derwent Avenue,
Headington, Oxford) on an August Saturday, eg either 4th or 18th, 2.30pm for
a cuppa, cake, and a wander up the road to our allotment and two bee hives
which are Warre-version-TBHs. If people would like to respond with their
preferred date, we'll settle on the most popular!
Helen
On 16 July 2018 at 21:57, Oxnatbees <oxnatbees@xxxxxxxxx
<mailto:oxnatbees@xxxxxxxxx>> wrote:
Hi all
yes I was thinking things are v quiet on this mailing list too. My bees are
just happy and doing their thing, no problems, and it seems no one else with
bees has problems. Beats me what they're foraging on, it's dry as a bone out
here and I don't see anything significant in flower. But in previous years
when they've had no forage you could tell because the number of flyers was
minimal, maybe one a minute, whereas this traffic is as busy as any I've
seen.
Swarm numbers down 66%? I can believe that, I only collected half what I did
last year (6 not 12) and my own hives only threw out 2 swarms and a cast
between 5 established colonies. Normally by now our mailing list is alive
with questions like "what is up with this cast I hived a month ago" but... I
guess those swarms that were caught, thrived.
Similarly - all 7 feral colonies in my village are going strong but the 8th
appears to have been poisoned by the householder shortly after being
recolonised this year (presumably by a swarm I missed).
We ended swarm season - I think we have to admit it's over now - with
several bee-less members who were top of the list for the next ones; unheard
of.
I apologize for not being in your inboxes more and not organising Events. My
life is somewhat disrupted by the addition of my aged in-laws to the
household, after they had a series of serious health problems. We squeezed
them in and for a while had a bed downstairs. I feel there should be a joke
here about merging two colonies... This rather cramps opportunities for
meetings here, though Gareth has kindly offered a visit to his apiary (To Be
Arranged). Perhaps someone else can offer a visit to their place eh? Eh? Eh?
We looked into the Bee Farmer visit but, it Ain't Going to Happen. When we
finally got one on the phone it became clear there is no way they are going
to show strangers where their hives are, especially after the theft of 40 in
Oxfordshire last winter.
One thing coming up is, you may recall former member Helen Jukes - we had
several meetings at her house and viewed her TBH, which Jack took over when
she left Oxford. She has written a book about her recent life and how it was
influenced by her beekeeping experiences, A Honeybee Heart Has Five Openings
(Scribner UK) which is due to be released in, gosh, under 2 weeks. Jack and
I have proofread it and I have to say I really liked it. It mentions some of
us... here's an Amazon link
<http://www.amazon.co.uk/Honeybee-Heart-Has-Five-Openings/dp/1471167712/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1531773525&sr=8-1&keywords=a+honeybee+heart+has+five+openings>,
and you can see an extract here
<http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-5954495/How-author-HELEN-JUKES-got-buzz-life-keeping-bees.html?ITO=1490>.
Andrew recently visited Sutton Courtenay Primary School to show them Bee
Things and a writeup will appear on the blog shortly!
Pip pip!
Paul
On 16 July 2018 at 18:53, Jon Woods <jwoods@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
<mailto:jwoods@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>> wrote:
Very quiet !
My bees see happy and busy.
But I never did get a swarm. I read somewhere that swarm numbers were down
66% on last year....
Sent from my iPhone
On 16 Jul 2018, at 17:41, Will H <whanrott@xxxxxxxxxxx
<mailto:whanrott@xxxxxxxxxxx>> wrote:
perhaps it's just quiet just now?
On 16/07/18 17:35, Ann Welch (Redacted sender ann_welch for DMARC) wrote:
Just testing Paul as have not received anything from the mailing list for
a while.
Ann
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