Beemaster's International Beekeeping Forum
BEEKEEPING LEARNING CENTER => GENERAL BEEKEEPING - MAIN POSTING FORUM. => Topic started by: Donovan J on December 02, 2019, 07:47:45 pm
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A new indegogo campaign for a beehive that allows you to control the conditions in the hive. I don't really have a opinion on it yet I'll have to find out more about it.
https://www.prweb.com/releases/bee_fortress_usa_launches_indiegogo_campaign_with_mission_of_saving_honey_bee_colonies_around_the_world/prweb16753859.htm
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I can think of cheaper ways to make more ventilation, but then I'm not sure MORE ventilation is a good thing. Bees need a certain level of raised CO2 to be in the right dormant state in winter. Condensation is only an issue if you don't let the moist air out the top. Bees have been managing their own ventilation for millions of years before humans existed... or at least a few days :) depending on your world view.
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I agree with Michael Bush. Seems like a great deal for snowflake bees. But I've never known any snowflake bees.
An insulated hive makes sense to me, though.
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Looks like a solar panel, ant trap stand, 4 entrance? One exhaust? Just posting the pic, I have no idea the components.
Van
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Bush makes a good point about internal hive conditions. In short, the bees know best. How would one determine optimal: gas levels, humidity, temp, space, diet etc in a hive? Like guessing at climate change, to many variables. I know we could ask Greta! Lol
Interesting observation this day, Tuesday 55F, I have one styrofoam hive that I wanted to try, just for the enjoyment of my hobby. The styrofoam hive was the most active hive in my apiary with bees just a buzzin on the entrance. Like it was spring or something. Lots of activity on the styrofoam entrance, more than the other 15 or so hives.
Now will this cause the bees to consume more stores, or less???? I?ll tell ya next Spring. However one hive will not will not tell us any significant value. But it is fun to try different stuff.
I purchased two, styrofoam, 6 frame nucs which I plan to use this Spring. Again, just for the enjoyment of trying something new, something different. Honeybees are so adaptive, they fascinate me and provide me with so much enjoyment. And don?t forget the challenge of raising bees! Always learning, I am.
Best to your Bees.
Van
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An insulated hive makes more sense than so much ventilation.
Bees in the wild have much to teach us, I think.
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Agreed Father Michael. Bees are hatched with detailed knowledge: born understanding waggle dance, understanding their location device[magnetic?] more accurate that our GPS, knowledge of nursing duties, rather all hive duties, math relative to the Sun position at a given time of day, geometry of comb, obtaining nectar and pollen, making honey, communication, reaction to pheromones, humidity level, temp, etc. all this with a brain the size of this letter o. DNA is transferable knowledge but we have yet to understand how this is possible.
As humans we are born with zero knowledge. Go figure.
Blessings
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Van. That hive picture looks like it might to be a podium used for beekeeping lectures. I encourage Michael Bush to buy one. His lecture videos are excellent. Even more so if he spoke behind one of those.
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Alright after hearing all of your explanations I now think that this may not be the best thing. I agree that the bees know best. One of the lessons I learned this year.