Bee Works Products

[Butterchurn]

I discovered the Bee Works web site and I'm curious about their products. I'm interested if anyone has tried their DE hives or the modification kits to the Langstroth hive? How has it worked for you? Would you recommned it?

Also the person I spoke with there said that it was better to use the solid bottom board rather than the SBB as the SBB creates conditions that favor the propogation of the varroa. What do you think?

Other info had to do with using wintergreen as a feed additive as a varroa inhibitor. Any comments?

They also said to use FGMO and just spread a line on the top bars of the very top box, only, not fog it. What do you think of this?

Thanks!

Ron

[Sundance]

Do a search for DE hives. It has been talked over quite a bit. There are ways to get their ventilation advantage.

[Michael Bush]

>I discovered the Bee Works web site and I'm curious about their products. I'm interested if anyone has tried their DE hives or the modification kits to the Langstroth hive?

I have four complete DE hives plus some odds and ends, and four complete DE mod kits for the Langstroth hives.

>How has it worked for you?

They both work fine. The ventilation is well thought out. The DE hives are easy to work and were very productive.

>Would you recommned it?

The problem with the DE hive is, quite simply, that it's not standard. Nothing you want to try, like a SBB or a slatted rack or a triangular bee escape or a miller feeder or a bound queen excluder will fit. The other problem is that he makes them by hand and he can't offer the kind of prices you get from a place like Western Bee Supply who makes all of the hives for Dadant and all the hives for themselves on a massive scale.

The only problem with the DE vent kit is the price. Its a nice product. It's well planned and designed.

>Also the person I spoke with there said that it was better to use the solid bottom board rather than the SBB as the SBB creates conditions that favor the propogation of the varroa. What do you think?

There is some research that shows that lower temps cause more mite reproduction and higher temps cause more mite fall. There are also studies that show that SBB kill a lot of mites. I'd say the jury is still out on how it all balances out, but I have a lot of SBB and I find them useful for ventilation, if nothing else.

>Other info had to do with using wintergreen as a feed additive as a varroa inhibitor. Any comments?

I've tried it. Maybe it works. Maybe it doesn't. It's not enough to handle mites by itself.

>They also said to use FGMO and just spread a line on the top bars of the very top box, only, not fog it. What do you think of this?

I've tried that also. I think it helps, but not as much as the cords. The idea came from Dr. Rodriguez, but he found the mites didn't come into contact with it over a long enough period of time. So he came up with the cords. Then the fogger was easier to get it in the hive. David Eyre (If you spoke to a man, it was probably him. If you spoke to a woman it was probably his wife) believes that it will weaken the wax. I have not found that to be true.

David is an honest man and a good beekeeper. He has great Northern raised queens, that I used to buy but he can't import anymore. He is very opinionated (as are a lot of us beekeepers).

I buy the rapid feeders, the Wax moth control (Certan), some of his queen catchers etc. He has some nice videos on queen rearing and beekeeping too.

He sells some very nice jackets and bee suits also (which I think his wife makes). I use the jacket from them more than any other protective gear I have.

And, as mentioned, search on "DE Hive" and you'll find a lot of discussion on them.

[moposcar]

I just purchased on DE modification kit, and will try it this year. I am thinking of modifiying it a little so that I can use a SBB. I use them in all my other hives and really like them.

[Pugs]

moposcar,

Me too. It arrived yesterday and I'm looking to use a SBB on it as well. Once I saw it all together with the instructions on assembling it, I understand it alot better. It is simple. I'll see how it goes this year. I'm already thinking of simple changes (looks more than anything).

Pugs

[Michael Bush]

You guys might want to just cut a hole in the middle and put the screen on. The DE mod kit is set up to turn the hive the "warm way" and you'll lose that with a standard SBB. The upper entrace will end up on the side etc.

[BubbaBob]

Opinionated? Us? Surely you jest...

BubbaBob

[Pugs]

Michael,

I was planning on making a SBB that followed the provided bottom board, so I guess I'd make it the 'warm' way. Thanks for pointing that out. I miss details like that easily, and it is always safer to assume that I missed something like that.

I found some 8# hardware cloth in the garage I bought about 5 - 6 years back. I think there is roll of it somewhere too (I moved since I bought the roll, at least I think I bought a roll. Old age is heck.)

Pugs

[Michael Bush]

His are easily modified. They are well made and lightweight and the bottom is 1/4" laun so all you have to do is cut the hole and cover it with #8 hardware cloth.