Bee Nets

[pahvantpiper]

Who makes the best quality, strongest, longest lasting nets?

-Rob

[Bob Harrison]

What size?

[pahvantpiper]

Semi size.

-Rob

[Bob Harrison]

Semi size are two piece. The only new nets i ever bought were from Meyer. They have stood the test of time but once a mouse chewed some holes but Meyer sent patch material.

I like the fact the netting is very visable but too heavy as compared to the light green netting.
You can get the netting and nets made in many large cities. Kansas City has a place and also in Florida.

Call Dave Mendez in Florida and he can give you the Florida number. Dave has an ad ( back of mag) in ABJ this month I think.

We have picked up used nets at sales. Cheap!

My partner priced semi netting last year at the place in KC and I believe he said the nets would run around $600. I do not know if $600 for both nets required to do a semi or $600 a piece.

Meyer does a good job but their "Road Runner" netting does not roll up as well (in my opinion) as the thin green netting.

I can get a phone number for the KC place if you need me to and Meyer is in the Bee Magazines. I can get Meyers phone number if you can't find the number. Meyer does not take credit cards but always sends me whatever I order and bill me.Mostly what I have bought lately has been pallet clips. I think they would want payment in advance for a net as custom made. Get the 53 foot size and roll up the extra at the back no matter who you order a net from.

Order two extra strips the length of the trailer about 2-3 wide.

[pahvantpiper]

Hey, thanks Bob. I'll check my magazine and give Dave a call. By the way, what are the two extra strips the length of the trailer for?

-Rob

[Bob Harrison]

Without those you will have trouble making the load bee tight.
Lay those down before you start loading and drap half over the side.
Load your pallets. the pallets will pin those.
once the top net is on pull those up and staple to the load.

[pahvantpiper]

Bob, Thank you so much for your time and expertise. I hope you don't mind a couple more questions.

I've only used nets once and they had boxed ends which seemed OK. But, would wrapped ends be better? I have a choice to make and am not familiar with wrapped ends. Also, I'll probably have them made 8 ft. wide which I believe is standard for a semi trailer and hang down far enough to cover double deep hives stacked 4 high on pallets. If I only have them stacked 3 high I'll just let the net bunch up at the bottom. I think I'll have d-rings placed close to the bottom and a couple of feet up the sides to accomodate pallets stacked 3 high or 4 high. Is my thinking sound or is there anything else I ought to be considering?

Thanks again,

-Rob

[greenbeekeeping]

From the nets I have been around I like the ends with the flaps other than the boxed ones.

[Bob Harrison]

ends with flaps.

I have got a net with boxed ends but the load never matches like you would think.

8 feet is out of date. Go 102" in wide. Also get the net big enough for four pallets high.

Once you get the feel for four high not as scarry as looks. However I did load once on the side of a hill four high and thought a couple times I was going over.

Four high load the first two and then the second two.

I have turned my swinger over. My partner has turned both a swinger and a bobcat over.

They actually go over slow. The trick is to keep from getting your hands and arms pinned. If sideways (ours were) grab the opposite side of the headache rack. Do not try to get off in our opinion. The bees will let you know when the pallets hit the ground. They do boil out!

All three times we came away without a scratch.

[pahvantpiper]

Why is 8 feet out of date? Aren't tailers 8 feet wide? Now you've got me paranoid about tipping my swinger over, I'll probably be so careful it will take me twice as long to load. Thank you for the heads up, or down if I happen to tip over.

-Rob

[Sundance]

102" is only 6" wider. I imagine this give
some "wiggle" room.

[Bob Harrison]

102 in. is the legal width for semi's. Has been for over a decade. Most commercial carriers use the 102 in width. More semi's of bees go to almonds on commercial carrier flatbeds by far than by the beekeepers rig. Every season many drivers haul bees for the first time. I have got a funny story about one of those drivers if interested.

If you sit the pallets on the exact edge on a 102 in wide flatbed then the 8 foot net will not work if boxed on the ends. With flaps you can make work.

The pallets do not need to touch in the center if loaded and strapped correctly but many drivers want the pallets to touch and stand on the flatbed and make sure each pallet is touching and the load is square.

Placement of the straps is important. I gave in to the wishes of an SMX driver while loading a load in Kermin California( after quite an aurgument). When the load arrived back in Nebraska all the front lids had blown back under the net and rain could have entered about ten hives. I made the driver get up on the load and see why we wanted the straps in a certain place.

Most beekeepers only use air ride flatbeds.

I personally like follower boards ( easy to make) but if you have got enough straps you can haul without ( if you know what you are doing).

Follower boards are 2 long boards held together by pieces of semi cargo straping. I use those on a one ton when hauling dry supers. Very handy.

[tecumseh]

mr harrison sezs:
Follower boards are 2 long boards held together by pieces of semi cargo straping. I use those on a one ton when hauling dry supers. Very handy.

tecumseh ask:
do you place these at the top edge/corner of the load?

[pahvantpiper]

Thanks again, Bob, for sharing your experience. I think, (hope), now I can make an informed decision in the way I want my nets configured.

Would love to hear the story of the driver who hauled bees for the first time if you have time to tell it.

-Rob

[Sundance]

I'd like to hear more details on the follower
board assembly myself.

Thanks for the info Bob. It is always so
helpful to hear your perspective.

[Bob Harrison]

Bruce,
The follower boards are boards different lengths. 8 foot being the common size. Lay side by side and staple a piece of 6 up tp 10 in. semi strap about every 2-3 feet to each board.
They are used to hold the corners in place on the semi load and dry supers in place on the one ton.
On the one ton you do not need to use as much rope plus the rope will not indent the boxes.

[Bob Harrison]

-Rob,
The world of large scale beekeeping has only been seen by a small number of people. Now truck drivers are becoming involved more and more. Many for the first time.

At a loading out yard for a large operation bees hang in bunches in the live oak trees. Standing in the open without a veil is asking for a sting.
The air is full of bees.

The area involved has little " back haul" loads so independent drivers return north empty. They
search the boards of large truck stops looking for a load headed north.

One such trucker calls the beekeeper and gets directions to the load out area. The beekeeper says to get in line behind the other semi's on arrival and then come to the office.

The driver swaggers into the office. Boots you can see your reflection in. Rodeo belt buckle. Cowboy hat. Said he had been a Ranger in Viet Nam.

The driver asked if he needed to move the truck and the beekeeper said no the loading crew would bring the hives to his truck and do the whole process. He was given his paperwork and directions.

He never asked about bees or hauling bees.

Once loaded he stepped out the door and a bee stung him on the side of the neck. back inside he came demanding the load be unloaded. He was not hauling bees. He wanted to know how many bees were on his load. Millions was the reply of the unconscerned beekeeper. " and each has a stinger he asked" Yes replied the beekeeper!

The driver wrapped his face in a borrowed towel and ran to his truck and left. The truck driver arrived safely with his first load of bees.

The reality of hauling a load of bees should never be taken lightly.

[greenbeekeeping]

Haha that is great bob. Hey bob do the drivers out your way supply the follower boards usually. We had one last year that had his own he was an experienced bee hauler.

[pahvantpiper]

I love it! He got broken in the hard way. I'm not sure follower boards would work too well with me, at least not with hives on pallets. I think they will tend to slide in at the top. I used 2X6's though (on top of the load under and parallel with the straps), as recommended by the trucker, to pull the the hives straight down. It worked well, not much shifting took place. Well, appreciate the great advice and fun stories.

-Rob

[Bob Harrison]

Most bee haulers bring their own follower boards.
We have used boards across the top but not as thick as 2X6. You mean boards across the load on which the straps lay and press down on the load?
The most critical part of the load is the front corner.
If we can we like to load and send two loads together. Keeps both drivers focused.
Cold weather is a big plus for shipping to almonds. If almond pollination was in July beekeepers would be in serious trouble and most would either haul their own bees or use a professional.
My partner and I are thinking of giving up the road in 2007. Drought has been problematic in getting hives up to standards in fall for almonds and honey crops have been poor two years in a row.
The last bumper crop was in 1997.
To produce honey in the drought we need to chase the honey flow. I guess I should write an article about what is involved in chasing honey flows.
Our option for next year would be using our locations on Texas Tallow and then Nebraska Basswood/alfalfa. Both have had normal rainfall.
I think I will keep enough equipment stored for a commercial operation and run sideline numbers.Still not ready to sell out yet. Not sure what my beekeeping partner has decided.
He has health issues.
Our main honey flow was over in two weeks this year in Missouri.

[pahvantpiper]

"You mean boards across the load on which the straps lay and press down on the load?"

Yes.


"I guess I should write an article about what is involved in chasing honey flows."

I, for one, would very much enjoy that. In Utah we seem to do just as well in a drought year, it makes the alfalfa bloom a little quicker if the farmer can't keep enough water on it. The only moving I do is into the alfalfa fields after the farmers are done poisoning. Unfortuneately, we usually miss the first blooming.

-Rob

[Bob Harrison]

Missouri is a minor beekeeping state although a big agriculture state. Four large operations have folded in the last decade. The oldest was started in 1955.
Beekeeping is a tough agriculture business once you get past sideline and nich markets.
Programs which prop up other types of farmers are denied beekeepers.
This year commercial beekeepers in North Dakota saw what many of us fight every other year.
To say they were unprepared for what happened would be an understatement. When you run a business which depends on over a 100 pound average honey production and you get a 10 pound average plus hives crashing due to lack of pollen and nectar its a real eye opener.
Many say they are done.
The Red River Valley of North Dakota is the richest farm land in the world next to the Nile River Valley. Last year 18 in. of rain in 24 hours. This year extreme drought and honey plants burned up.
Yesterday Senator Kent Conrad ( North dakota)went before the senate to ask for a Farm Aid Bill. Sadly none of the 4.5 billion will go to beekeepers.
Money to rebuild large beekeeping operations is tough to find. My banker ( long time personal friend) will try to word loans to help as I have got excellent credit but has repoed a bee operation before and has not forgotten the banks losses.
Some North Dakota beekeepers rebuilt last year hoping to get the cost of packages back this year.
Did not happen. Several told me this year is the first absolute honey crop failure they have seen in three generations of beekeeping.

greenbeekeeping:
Numbers of hives at times can be an asset or the problem. Depopulating hives is common in larger operations. Especially in the north. Richard Adee depopulated three fourths of his operation every year before he saw the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow in California.

Migratory beekeeping can be the salvation of an outfit or cause its downfall.

Armchair beekeeping has been the downfall of many a beekeeper. You can NOT know what is going on in your hives unless you look! Many large operations have got a guy which travels from yard to yard. Never seen by the crews which looks into hives and reports to the boss what the bees need. In an operation I spoke with running around fifty thousand hives he was considered the most important employee they had.

His job was to report bees needing feed, moved,split or treated.

[Sundance]

I just wrote Sen. Conrad and expressed my
concerns regarding the omission of beekeepers
in the Farm Bill. I encourage all to write him,
regardless of your state of origin. He is a
powerful player in Agriculture, even more so
come January.

http://conrad.senate.gov/webform.html

[Bob Harrison]

It is possible beekeepers may be able to collect under the disaster part. Keith Jarret (California beekeeper) says he has collected before under the disaster section of government help.
Let me know what he says Bruce. I watched his senate presentation yesterday.

[Sundance]

I am in a "fortunate" situation as of yet
as I am in an increase state. The weather
effected even that though.

[pahvantpiper]

It sickens me to hear of the struggles some areas are going through. Agriculture is never easy and beekeeping appears to be even more volatile than farming or other areas of agriculture.

I hope I'm not making a mistake by divesting in our dairy and going into beekeeping. The dairy is usually a stable money maker, but not always. I just want to do what I love and make money at it at the same time.

I just wish Utah was a better honey producing state. The commercial guys around here have historically made about 70 lbs of honey per colony. Of course they don't feed which I plan to do. You can make pretty decent money right now with the Almonds but if and when that ends I don't know how a guy can make it. I'll probably eventually look into moving or starting an operation in Montana or the Dakotas.

Thanks again for your insight Bob, especially the commercial perspective. As bleak as things appear in some areas of this country I know plenty of commercial outfits that are doing better than they have in years, mainly due to the Almond prices. Anyway, I'm committed to this line of work for better or for worse.

-Rob Bliss

[greenbeekeeping]

Hey Rob I can see a need for a guy to run around and look at what everyones work. Sometimes what some think are good enough just doesn't cut it. I would have a hard time trusting others working on my stuff and too know they are doing it the way I want. Also Rob if you or your bizz partner ever do decided to cut back there is an eager 29 year old here in Indiana that would be interested. haha.

[Jim 134]

Who makes the best quality, strongest, longest lasting nets?

-Rob

IMHO
http://www.meyerhoneyfarms.com/nets.html
Just me $0.02

BEE HAPPY Jim 134 :)