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Author Topic: robbing bees at honey house. air filter ?  (Read 4515 times)

Offline damienpryan

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robbing bees at honey house. air filter ?
« on: May 23, 2019, 10:36:59 pm »
Hi Guys,

I'm thinking of building a shed at my brother-in-law's house to store some of my bee gear (and some other stuff) as well as to use as a place to do the honey harvest.

The only problem is that it is quite close (10 metres) from 2 of my bee hives.
I worried that I couldn't make the shed bee proof enough to stop the harvest being unpleasant.

I thought maybe an activated carbon filter (like the ones marijunana growers use) with a air pump to keep the negative air pressure in the honey house would stop it being attractive to bees while I do the harvest. i.e. any honey/wax smells would get pumped through the filter before leaving the shed.

Anyone tried anything like that ?
Or had success beeproofing a cheap garden shed ?

Cheers

Damien

Offline eltalia

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Re: robbing bees at honey house. air filter ?
« Reply #1 on: May 24, 2019, 01:22:40 am »
That is different... thinking question, like.
Wouldn't a build around that old killeroom style on stations do the job?

Bill

Offline BeeMaster2

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Re: robbing bees at honey house. air filter ?
« Reply #2 on: May 24, 2019, 08:35:43 am »
I just bought a metal shed that is pretty well sealed. If I were to put a window AC in it I could use it as a honey house. 8 x 12 was about $2200 and the 10 x 16 is $3200. Unless you can get a lot of free material, you can hardly build one for less. Actually I?m pretty sure it would cost a lot more even doing  all of the work yourself.
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Offline Beelab

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Re: robbing bees at honey house. air filter ?
« Reply #3 on: May 26, 2019, 06:06:53 am »
My beelab, where I also extract, is just a wooden 5 x 7m insulated house with screened windows and screened door. While honey spinning, I just keep the windows shut. Never had a bee in there.
They may fly around the lab, but they can?t get in.
Distance to the hives that are scattered over the land is 10 to 200m.
Just ensure you insulate well and seal any entry points. My lab has been built with that in mind.

Offline Sledin

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Re: robbing bees at honey house. air filter ?
« Reply #4 on: May 26, 2019, 11:40:54 am »
I think I?d try the opposite. I?d pressured the honey house and just screen the outside air that?s beeing brought in, that way if the bees try to come in they can?t because of the jet of air coming out.
I?d still try to keep it as well sealed as possible.


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Offline damienpryan

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Re: robbing bees at honey house. air filter ?
« Reply #5 on: May 27, 2019, 12:25:00 am »
Thanks all for the suggestions!

I just remember nightmare honey extraction in unsealed sheds.
It could be worse in Australia due to the number of feral bees.

The idea of negative pressure was to force any honey smell through the filter (i.e. the bees then wouldn't have any idea what was going on in there).
I might be trying to solve a 'non' problem.

Probably first to go with sealing a new shed properly.

Cheers

Damien

Online Acebird

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Re: robbing bees at honey house. air filter ?
« Reply #6 on: May 27, 2019, 09:40:33 am »
I?d pressured the honey house and just screen the outside air that?s beeing brought in,

For the bees is doesn't matter but for cleanliness you do pressurize the room and filter the incoming air.  You want all contaminants leaving the room.  OK, now lets talk design.  If you are going to bring 100 cfm into the room you have to exhaust 100 cfm out of the room.  The bees are going to smell it no matter what.  If you completely seal the room you will die.  A window AC is the way to go because that will limit the amount of air you have to bring in and exhaust.
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Offline eltalia

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Re: robbing bees at honey house. air filter ?
« Reply #7 on: May 27, 2019, 10:46:55 pm »
Acebird didst w0w us (royal) with;
" OK, now lets talk design.  If you are going to bring 100 cfm into the room you have to
 exhaust 100 cfm out of the room. "

Well nooo, actually... as there is ingress leakage and FHL plus SPL to figure
into the equation - buuut help on all that is beyond my pay grade, here.
/chortles/

Bill

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https://www.engineeringtoolbox.com/duct-friction-pressure-loss-d_444.html

Offline damienpryan

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Re: robbing bees at honey house. air filter ?
« Reply #8 on: June 02, 2019, 08:19:16 pm »
Hi Guys,

This is the shed I'm looking at getting.

https://www.landera.com.au/garden-sheds-structures/plastic-garden-sheds/keter-oakland-1175-shed-11x7.5-3.5mx2.3m/

I'd used it for storage (bee gear, bikes etc) then use it as a small honey house for the 4 frame extractor.

I know I could get a cheaper metal shed but I like the idea of this one.
Also I need something that could be moved (It will be on my sister and brother-in-law's block) so the lego like structure is better.
Unlike metal I can get my 7 and 8 year old boys to help (well a little anyway).
It comes in at 8.00m2 so is under the 10.00m2 gardening shed allowance so won't need council approval.

Cheers

Damien

 

Offline eltalia

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Re: robbing bees at honey house. air filter ?
« Reply #9 on: June 02, 2019, 10:10:14 pm »
Sure looks the part Damien, some flymesh screens and your done.
Still going to get warm in there, so as much as I loathe spending
other folks money have a look around to see what you could do
with this concept - hopefully we'll be building a new machinery
shed this year and hope to use a couple of these fans hooked to
a separate solar array (400W).
http://www.solazone.com.au/solar-roof-ventilators/

Bill

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Re: robbing bees at honey house. air filter ?
« Reply #10 on: June 03, 2019, 09:33:08 am »
Acebird didst w0w us (royal) with;
" OK, now lets talk design.  If you are going to bring 100 cfm into the room you have to
 exhaust 100 cfm out of the room. "

Well nooo, actually... as there is ingress leakage and FHL plus SPL to figure
into the equation - buuut help on all that is beyond my pay grade, here.
/chortles/

Bill

It doesn't matter how the air gets in and out it will be the same.
Brian Cardinal
Just do it

Online Acebird

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Re: robbing bees at honey house. air filter ?
« Reply #11 on: June 03, 2019, 09:45:21 am »
hopefully we'll be building a new machinery
shed this year and hope to use a couple of these fans hooked to
a separate solar array (400W).
http://www.solazone.com.au/solar-roof-ventilators/

Bill

You are much better off getting a small window air conditioner that has vent control.  You want the room warm but dry.  Spinning honey put moisture in the air.  Vent control will allow you to get just a slight positive pressure inside the shed.  You want to plan your run so you don't have to go in and out the door which will let in a lot of bees and other insects.
Brian Cardinal
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