Beemaster's International Beekeeping Forum

MEMBER BULLETIN BOARD => MEMBER'S WEBPAGES, BLOGS & FORUMS => Topic started by: Tomas on July 08, 2016, 04:03:21 pm

Title: Musings about looking backwards in order to move forward
Post by: Tomas on July 08, 2016, 04:03:21 pm

Musings about looking backwards in order to move forward
http://musingsonbeekeeping.blogspot.com/2016/07/musings-about-looking-backwards-in_2.html

Looking ahead to constantly improve and modernize something isn?t always the answer to the problems we face in today?s world. And this includes beekeeping.

Many beekeepers always want to have ?a better beehive.? They want something even more modern that has the latest advances. But I think in many instances the answers come from stepping back and seeing how things where done in the past.

I recently happened across this old photo from rural Jamaica in the 1880s. What caught my attention was the building technique for the house?wattle and daub. Bamboo is woven and then covered with mud to make the walls of these simple houses. This is a technique I had the chance to experiment with for making economical hive boxes. It meant taking the old and using it for something new.

(http://i155.photobucket.com/albums/s313/Tomas_fotos/otra%20fotos%20y%20cosas/8897f186-1e37-4f0f-9488-efc6cb23a617.jpg) (http://s155.photobucket.com/user/Tomas_fotos/media/otra%20fotos%20y%20cosas/8897f186-1e37-4f0f-9488-efc6cb23a617.jpg.html)

Title: Re: Musings about looking backwards in order to move forward
Post by: divemaster1963 on July 09, 2016, 01:14:08 pm

Great thought. I have limited funds for my hobbies. So I use recycling of items to do that.

ie: I make power generating windmill motors form defective Ecm fan motors from air-conditioning equipment..
     Make my beekeeping tools from scap materials ( first smoker from large soup cans with a hose attached to blow smoke out.  Mosquito netting made into bee Vail.( now use mosquito suit I by cheap).  Hive boxes made from scrap wood ( saved up to get sawmill to cut my own lumber) 

Beekeeping does not have a big cost to start with.

I know people that use the trunks of cutdown trees that carve out insdes then cut down centers to make two haves then add leather hinges then top and bottom so they have a natural cavity that the can open up and cut comb out of like downing a cutout from a structure.


John

Keep up the great work in bring beekeeping to more people.