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I've made an improvement

3K views 16 replies 8 participants last post by  Alex Cantacuzene 
#1 ·
I've made an improvement on the beehive and would like advise.

I've been testing my prototype for the past couple of weeks. I think beekeepers could benefit from this idea. But I don't know where to take it from here.

Any advice? I can't give the specifics yet.
 
#2 ·
>I've made an improvement on the beehive and would like advise.
I've been testing my prototype for the past couple of weeks. I think beekeepers could benefit from this idea. But I don't know where to take it from here.

Where do you want to go from here?

>Any advice? I can't give the specifics yet.

If it's just a rearrangement of things then it's probably not worth worrying about it. If it's really revolutionary, you may want to get a patent, but it may or may not ever pay. Eli Whitney pretty much made nothing on the cotton gin because everyone just built their own.

Odds are someone has done it already.
I "invented" the trough hive back in the '70s when I'd never seen one, but it turns out they've been around a long time. I "reinvented" the slope sided Top Bar Hive in the '70s based on pictures of the Greek basket hives. Then a few years later I saw a Kenya hive in the American Bee Journal. Just a couple of my many experiments that I later learned had already been done.
 
#3 ·
Thank you Micheal. I'm familar with all the glitches. I'm not interested in manufacturing anything. I'm interested in sharing my drawings with someone who could manufacture it and offer to give me what it's worth for the idea.

I'd like to consult confidentially with a bee professional to work out any defects that may exist, if there are any. So far I've seen no defects in it's operation but I could be mistaken. I don't assume anything.

And by talking with a professional beekeeper (whom I trust) they can tell me if it's a worthy persuit.

But who to consult? And if worthy, whom do I approach with the idea to see if they'd be interested in creating it?
 
#4 ·
>I'd like to consult confidentially with a bee professional to work out any defects that may exist, if there are any. So far I've seen no defects in it's operation but I could be mistaken. I don't assume anything.

Always wise to have another point of view on things.

>And by talking with a professional beekeeper (whom I trust) they can tell me if it's a worthy persuit.

Yes.

>But who to consult?

You have to decide who you trust.

>And if worthy, whom do I approach with the idea to see if they'd be interested in creating it?

Off hand, it seems like Brushy Mt. Bee Farm seems to have all the odd little inventions and convolutions. They are quick to offer things like Screened Bottom Boards, Merril Tool boxes, Imirie shims, Double screen board, deep and medium nucs, nuc introduction boards, 8 frame equipment, triangular escape boards, frame perches, Italian hive tools, Burr comb boxes, screened front doors, Ant Bee Gone stands and jacks, bee vacs, several kinds of wax melters and several kinds of pollen traps.

My point is these are gadgets that I don't see many places and he give credit to the inventor. I don't know if the inventor gets any cut of the sales of the item. But you could ask about it.
 
#6 ·
Yes a patent search is the first step.

I would think that if this was patented or drawings copyrighted, it would have showed up in a design somewhere and more then likely for sale.

I will copyright the design, but I won't pay to have it patented. The concept can be copied so for those with a few hives, no money and lots of time, they may even decide to build/incorporate it into their equipment but for those with many hives, they will buy it because it will be faster, cheaper, and easier to buy it. Much more so...

We'll just see what happens.......
 
#8 ·
>Yes a patent search is the first step.
I would think that if this was patented or drawings copyrighted, it would have showed up in a design somewhere and more then likely for sale.

There are literaly thousands of hive designs that are patented and not in production. Some are quite ingenius and useful but didn't catch on.
 
#9 ·
BB,
A freebie OK?

It's not a beefeeding station.

But I have been pretending in my mind what I'd do if I had beeyards scattered out in a 60 mile radius, and only wanted to visit a yard once a month.

Take a month like this one, them bees have to be fed or they go into winter with no food. You either feed the bees or replace them with whatever resources available.

I'd want something that could hold enough food and water to get them by for a month.

Does anyone know about a product that can take care of 10 hives for food and water for a month when there is no rain and nothing for them to forage?
 
#10 ·
There is always water in a 2 mile radius and they will find it. Horse tanks, cattle tanks, ponds, creeks, swimming pools, old tires.

As for feeders, I've heard of people using 55 gallon drums of Corn Syrup with wood chips or bark floating in it and a raised roof so the rain doesn't get in but the bees can.
http://www.honeybeeworld.com/misc/syrup/feed.htm
 
#11 ·
Thanks Micheal. I guess this is too hugh an operation for me. I don't see myself going this route. I want the bees to take the feed into their hives summer/fall and put it up for storage so they don't have to be fed in the winter.

I'm thinking, Ideally a large colony with plenty of space for the proper amount of stores should hold them over till spring without a need for an operation like this, for this area.

What do you think?
 
#12 ·
>Thanks Micheal. I guess this is too hugh an operation for me. I don't see myself going this route. I want the bees to take the feed into their hives summer/fall and put it up for storage so they don't have to be fed in the winter.

I've never attempted to feed during the winter here. I think it's a waste of effort. It's too cold. I have put some feeders on top when it's cool but not so cold and they seldom take much of it. If you want a feeder that will last a month at an apiary with quite a few hives, this is a simple setup. It's just a barrel, some bark and something to keep the rain out.

>I'm thinking, Ideally a large colony with plenty of space for the proper amount of stores should hold them over till spring without a need for an operation like this, for this area.

Any colony with adequate stores for the winter is better off than one being fed through the winter. Feeding is to weather dependant.


[This message has been edited by Michael Bush (edited August 26, 2003).]
 
#16 ·
Daisy, the life of the creative inventor is a good one, but with little reward. I have a good friend who incredibly inventive but such a poor business operator. He's always off inventing a new product while the orders go unshipped.

You can shop your idea with someone who manufactures and try for a royalty. Patents are expensive to obtain, non-disclosures are weak, and litigation is expensive.

my recommendation is try shareware

ok, i just have to guess. remote hives, winter, feeding, water, it's a crispy creme feeder!
 
#17 ·
Hello Daisy,

I suggest that if you have an idea that could become patentable, you should do the following. Describe your idea in writing, with sketches etc. Have a friend witness that you have shown the idea to him/her, that you are the originator, and you both sign the papers with dates. Make a copy and put the original in an envelope and send to yourself as registered mail immediately. Keep the envelope unopened until you have to prove the date of conception of the idea before a court or similar. The post office stamp and date becomes the proof and you have covered yourself during the patent application period. Just a thought and good luck
 
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