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Natural comb
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| bostek |
Posted on 29-06-2011 08:01
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Administrator
Posts: 32
Joined: 13.06.11
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This how it looks if you dont use comb basic(or how do you call this http://users.teol...osnova.jpg):
Beekeeper from Slovenia
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| mrcadman |
Posted on 29-08-2012 22:47
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Member
Posts: 6
Joined: 23.07.11
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On the Natural Beekeeping front, try:
www.biobees.com
A mine of information. I myself use only Top Bar Hives (Kenyan) but have designed and built a hybrid hive using empty frames instead of top bars. I have found many issues with the basic TBH in relation to it's use, hence my trial of the hybrid.
Chris 
A UK Beekeeper living in France! |
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| admin |
Posted on 01-10-2012 12:08
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Super Administrator
Posts: 65
Joined: 12.04.11
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Are not these combs brittle? How do you extract honey? |
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| mrcadman |
Posted on 01-10-2012 22:52
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Member
Posts: 6
Joined: 23.07.11
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Combs not brittle - just the same as ordinary foundation but without wires. Have found that once filled with honey, it becomes a very pliable and secure structure.
Use a spiked roller (food grade) to make holes in the capping and centrifuge by hand or use solar extractor.
Letting the bees build their own comb means it is built to a 'natural' size which is slightly smaller than wax foundation. I have noticed that in a hive with both foundation and natural comb, the bees will abandon the foundation for brood and move to it's own natural comb.
Chris
A UK Beekeeper living in France! |
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| mrcadman |
Posted on 04-01-2013 16:11
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Member
Posts: 6
Joined: 23.07.11
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Has anyone tried the 'Perone' hive? Will be trying one this year as an experiment to see how it performs in the French climate. If there are any Perones out there in Europe, would be interested in comparing notes.
Chris
A UK Beekeeper living in France! |
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| admin |
Posted on 07-01-2013 07:21
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Super Administrator
Posts: 65
Joined: 12.04.11
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I have never heard about "Perone" hive. Why do you want to try this kind of hive? Is there a good experience?
Edited by admin on 08-01-2013 19:55
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| mrcadman |
Posted on 07-01-2013 23:01
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Member
Posts: 6
Joined: 23.07.11
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This is purely an experiment since the cost to build hive is inexpensive. This type of hive has been used mainly in South America (Original idea from Oscar Perone of Argentina) for many years. They claim that where conventional hives have failed due to varroa, the Perones on the same site have survived.
Starting at the bottom, you have a 'brood chamber' measuring 57 X 57 X 57 cms with fixed top bars. This area is NEVER entered. It is estimated that over time, the colony will be about 120,000 bees, sometimes with two queens.
They build there own comb freely (tends to be smaller cells) and only 9mm gap between top bars - this apparently gives the brood chamber a higher temperature which the varroa mite cannot tolerate, along with the smaller cell size.
There are three supers above, each 100mm high with top bars which are harvested each year.
There is a forum section at www.biobees.com which I know will be updated soon but would give you a more detailed idea.
Chris
A UK Beekeeper living in France! |
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