What gadget do you wish you had?

[beyondthesidewalks]

The thread about what you've bought but don't use got me to thinking about the things I want but haven't bought and tried yet.

For me it's the wax tube fastener. I've gone to foundationless frames and put a piece of SC starter strip in my deep frames. Especially in my swarm traps the heat makes them fall out no matter how tight I think I've wedged them in. I think this will fix my prob.

[Bonsai]

Frame Grip

[Terry Small, Jr]

Heavy-duty spring loaded chain key holder. The thing maintenance guys use to yank their keys back to their belt. I want to try one out for my hive tool. If it works like the way I hope it will, it will keep my hive tool at my side at all times, without wondering where I set the stupid thing down.

Yes, a hive tool becomes part of your hand, but it still has to be set down every once in a while. This will allow me to 'set it down' anywhere and still never be out of reach.

[BigDaddyDS]

For me, a Maxant Hive Tool!

I completely understand how it should be better than a regular hive tool, but I just can't bring myself to pony up the extra cash for one. Not that I've lost many hive tools... It's just I find myself saying, Is it REALLY 5 times better than my $3 dollar hive tool?? (But, I suspect it is!)

[PCM]

Hive tool holder like I once saw !

This guy attached a leather piece, fairly thick, to his belt with a metal clip, , he had a magnet attached on the leather. Hive tool stuck to magnet.

Next homebuilt projet I guess.

PCM

[dbest]

One of my guys tore apart an old speaker and put the magnet in his pocket. His hive tool just sticks to the out side of his pants.

[Ski]

I think the gadget I would like most would be:
A magic eye that would show robber bees as red, show all the bees blue 3 weeks before they swarm and show then as green any time they are under stress from pests or diseases.

[Kathleen]

I wish I had bought a hooded jacket right from the start intead of the cheap-o hood. It would have helped immensely with my confidence and composure, and the subsequent bee attitude. I would have spent a lot more time observing in the hive body and learning.

I might even try smoke free with my fab new hooded jacket.

Not exactly a gadget, but I also wish I had the money for two hives from the start. The ability to compare would have provided invaluable insight.

[odfrank]

Some kind of powered wax melter, or a larger less cumbersome solar rig.

[Tom G. Laury]

One thing that wears me out is separating hive bodies, in my case deeps. The worst is lifting and holding the top body while poking around with a hive tool trying to pry apart bars. For years I have been meaning to make a hardwood wedge I could insert while I work the hive tool, to save the labor of holding the top body up. Maybe this year.

[donniethebeeman]

BEE-VAC

Have been thinking about building or buying one. I do several cut outs each year and i have been thinking about how much easier life would be with a vac,

[wildbranch2007]

a crystal ball that I could put on each hive and it would instantly tell me what was going on and what to do, sure would free up some spare time and make me look reallllllllly smart.

miike

[dcross]

I have been meaning to make a hardwood wedge I could insert while I work the hive tool

I just use a second hive tool as a wedge.

[USCBeeMan]

Bee Vac and one of those breeze bee suits/jacket. I am so tired of sweating my guts out in the bee suit and dripping sweat all over the bees. But I just can't afford one now. Maybe next year.

[Roland]

A diesel bee blower. I hate all the carb troubles and flamabilty(sp?) of gasoline.
If a diesel does not run, change the fuel filter.

Roland

[Terry Small, Jr]

I'm a big fan of diesel engine's reliability too. If I could find a small car with a diesel engine, other than a Volkswagen pickup, I'd be all over it.

[Countryboy]

You can get small diesel engines for generators. Look around for a Changfa diesel engine. http://www.utterpower.com/changfa.htm