Sharp guy. I employed a few Apimaye set ups here in the Lowcountry. I really enjoyed how well they thermoregulate (hot and cold) and love how everything fits together (great for transporting bees)but in practice I noticed some pitfalls which I shared with the manufacturer. The feeders are very convenient but become a haven for ants and SHB (unguarded territory) here in Charleston. The vents on the top cover allow easy access for pests and I found a good deal of moisture on the inside of the top cover during winter. The boxes themselves are a bit too snug for 10 frames (worse with their 7 frame nucs)…feel like I am jamming the last frame in so I use a follower board instead of the last frame. I did retrofit a hole with a metal grommet in the back corner for an ProVAp gun so plastic dosent melt. I guess my conclusion is that every system has its drawbacks and disadvantages and work a bit differently in various locations.
agree...love apimayes ...i have 100 of them. TO avoid snugness i only use solid plastic frames...they fit better. as far as Oxalic ...i make a medium dummy wood box and place on top of apimaye ...drill 7/32" hole at a slight downward angle
I lived in Cross and worked in the Charleston ports for years. I moved back home 14 years ago but have always wondered how these foam boxes would hold up in the humidity without turning black? If they ever get affordable enough to try on a few dozen I would consider trying them out up here in the northern rockies. I'm glad you posted the above. Very Interesting.
Thanks for featuring our hives, Joerg Mayer is doing some amazing work! After 5+ years of (strenuous) R&D we're glad to see the hive is being received well! Here are some points I wanted to add: 1. With regard to ventilation with our hives, we have rails underneath the base that allow the ventilated floor to be blocked if you wish to do so. With the temperatures we get here in Australia (around 10-120 F), we leave the vents open all year round, but for the folk that need to close the vents in the freezing months, you have the ability to do so. 2. Joerg featured our 3 deep hive kit, but we have recently started manufacturing medium supers that are available for pre-order on our website! They are due to arrive in the US around mid January. 3. We're finalising our hive top feeder at the moment, it will be available Q2 next year. If anybody has any questions about the hive, feel free to reply to this comment :) - Zavier from the HiveiQ Team, for healthy bees!
I might be attracted to such hive bodies, except for the substantial use of plastics. Do you have an estimate on the longevity of such hives, especially in 365/24/7 exposure to extreme elements?
@@davidloucky3566 , our components have a life-span of 25-30 years+. While at face value it may seem like our hives have are less green than wooden hives, there are a few external factors to consider: 1. Due to the significantly reduced weight, commercial/professional beekeepers will burn less diesel when moving them around. 2. Due to their extended life span, a timber hive will have to be replaced multiple times over that life span - that's more trees getting cut down. 3. Extended life span of bees/more productive bees. Because the bees will have significantly more resources allocated to being productive rather than being occupied with trying to keep the hive dry and/or at an optimal temperature, the colonies will be stronger, and therefore help with food security as they are better suited for pollinating (greater number of bees on crops) and better honey production. Hope this helps! - Zavier
My understanding is that the HiveIQ hives require painting to protect against UV whereas the Apimaye hives arrive assembled and ready to go. I’m in Australia and keen to try the Apimaye hives!
Thank you Bob and your guest. Always a new, be it a different but knowable approach toward beekeeping. Great seeing the university there in Georgia. Appreciate the diverse subjects you continue to show us all on your RU-vid channel. 🐝
I've been following beekeeping for 7 years or so and more and more people are realizing the importance of insulation and how ventilation is counterproductive. I really respect people who have an open mind and like to think outside the box. Just because its been that way forever doesn't mean you can't improve.
Thank you. I know these videos take a significant amount of time and effort. As a new beekeeper, I’ve learned so much from watching. You always give me something new to think about!
A link to the research mentioned supporting the correlation between high humidity and low mite reproduction would be helpful. Mind asking him about it and posting links? Thanks!
:) A few thoughts on this from Germany: I’m with this man and his natural view on bees and approach to beekeeping. And even more I am into the idea of practical research about beekeeping. Then why not going this way consequently? We had good research on insulated hives versus wooden hives here in Germany, and it turned out that either way is the same for bees, because bees heat the brood and not the room. This is a common misconception among beekeepers. And as this man said, whenever you try to intervene into the bees climate regime it turns out they can do better without our aid. And so it is with the condensating water in the hives: for all we know they need this water, especially during the winter. And it’s a mir of a problem for them if you try to dry them. I know that this causes fungus but in spring, they clean their hives almost completely on their own.
Great video Bob! I can add to this, I currently am running 15 HiveIQ hives in Australia. Some reason's I like them are: - easy to assemble for painting (I can assemble a full triple deep HiveIQ in around 15-20 minutes, no need for sanding) - lighter than wooden boxes - On the HiveIQ, the walls are around twice as thick as a wooden hive, so deep hand holds which making lifting much easier - Polyuarathne is recyable material - The foam cannot get mold or water damage - The most drawing aspect, very insulated, my bees use less honey through Winter The only issue I've had is that they are a tad expensive, around $270 AUD or $175 USD. Another issue as well in the video, compatability. HiveIQ currently don't sell a feeder yet (they are making one), so beekeepers have to result in using makeshift ones right now, and the only one that will feed will only be from HiveIQ. I buy them locally so I have no shipping costs.
Nice! I’m a fan of Paradise Bee Boxes but keen to wait and see how well the Hive IQs hold up over time. Will be interested to hear how the rooves and entrances wear :)
Good stuff. Regarding insulation and ventilation, it's important to remember a few key points: 1. Insulation works both ways, keeping hives cooler in the summer and warmer in winter. 2. Warm moist air stays as warm moist air until it comes in contact with cold, at which point condensation forms. If you can eliminate the cold spots, you eliminate condensation. 3. A human generates about 80 watts under normal metabolic rates (non-exercise rate). Bees also produce heat under normal metabolic rates, just walking around breathing. The trick is to keep that heat from leaving in winter. 4. Bees must work to create heat to stay warm. How hard they work is directly correlated to how much they consume and burn. The less they have to work, the fewer calories they consume.
Hey Bob, Really enjoyed the interview at the University of Georgia. I, respectfully, disagree with some of his comments about ventilation. I think what he says may be true in some climates, but not sure that will work in Ohio. The trick he uses to get rid of condensation is a good one and why I put a 10 lb bag of sugar on top of every hive as part of my over-wintering procedure. We have a lot more variation in temperature in Ohio in the Winter and, thus, a lot more problem with moisture in the hive. I make a special trip from my (Winter) home in Blairsville, GA, around mid March to check on food stores in my hives in Ohio and a lot of times they need more sugar. If the original sugar is gone, there is nothing there to absorb the condensation. His analogy of bees living in trees and not having ventilation is a bit misleading because the very porous inside of a tree absorbs the moisture, making ventilation less imperative. I have ridden by the University many times and would be interested in whether they are open to visitors?
I'm not sure about visitors. Couldn't hurt to stop and ask. I think the condensation thing is simply about warm moist air hitting a cold non absorbent surface.
@@bobbinnie9872 Hi Bob! Have you thought of any method of raising the humidity in the hive above 80% in order to decrease mite reproduction, but without harming the hive (eg Chalkbrood disease)?
Huh....the State Inspector mentioned that mite counts have been low around here in Massachusetts this year. Well, we had the wettest summer in many years. Now hearing this about humidity and mites, it makes sense. Interestingly, ticks were low this year too. Very interesting.
As always another interesting video, Thank You! We are basically kind of anti plastic and styrofoam and so forth. Then we do see some pluses in what they are doing. We now have a semi local beekeeper that we purchase our hives from. They are made of a true one inch thick rough wood. once all the propolis work is done it is done. Thus the bees can devout more time to producing honey. Makes for a better insulator in the winter as well as the summer!
Im in northern WI, I agree about zero venting. I tilt all my colonies at >5 degrees more or less, which is sufficient to ensure any condensate runs forward and down the front wall. I believe that hive top insulation(i use 2" h.d. insulation is far more important.
Bob I really like this guys ideals-they are in synch with mine! Microclimate I think is key as well. This is why I’m such a huge fan of the HiveGates. Grateful. You always put out great stuff
Hello Bob. Over time, I've tried all kinds of winter bee wraps. My conclusion is that it depends a lot on what material the hive is made of and what material is used for packaging. Untreated wood hives can be ventless, but hives treated with plastic or paraffin cannot be ventless. All good.
I Q has a pollen trap underneath built into the bottom board . Trapping pollen under the hive is a good way to spread chalk brood spores If you feed the back pollen to the bees
This no ventilation point is interesting…… I lost both colonies my first year and decided it was due to moisture/exposure, 4” of dead bees on bottom board mid February,I used bubble foil for inner cover! My reasoning was each bubble would catch condensation and drip directly on the bees. I’m in Northeast Pa. So winters can be long but usually have days for cleansing flights! I’ve since gone back to normal inner covers in winter.
You need to not half go at it. If you insulate it has to be a full envelope. Check out @vinofarm By putting bubble wrap against something cold it becomes the condensation point. If you insulate the lid with foam and then had the wrap you keep the cold away from the warm humid air. Also should have a slight tilt so it runs down the walls and out. Water dripping onto bees is not ideal but them having condensation helps access the honey. It’s a fine line
A tree with bees is a different shape than the flat top of a man made hive. Maybe a shape like this is why tree bees don’t need ventilation. My equipment is needing replacement in the next year or two. Do I want wooden? Should I try foam? Should I try a Layens? This what I need to think about going into winter
Bob Binnie Wonderful tour and very interesting information! Where can we find data corresponding to what he said about high humidity affects on varroa reproduction?
Just listening about your experience with formic pro. There is extra factor which influences how fast formic acid evaporates these are atmospheric pressure and humidity. I know only theorectical part so can't tell much more but these factors might be important to look at.
FWIW: I have had very good success with insulated (R-15) lids and no upper ventilation/entrances (very good yields and no winter losses) since I started beekeeping in 2020. Of course, having low mite loads is the most important part. To that end, I’ve been having great success with OA/gly sponges. Portland, OR 8b
Interesting stuff. I would add that a white or similar reflective color lid really helps during very hot days when shade isn’t available. Varroa doesn’t reproduce over 80% RH? Hmmm. I should all set then here where it’s routinely over 90% in the summer months. I’d like to see the research on this. 😂 Great video as usual!
Insulation on top of the hive reduces condensation on the interior lid surface, so you can achieve similar results with wooden hives if you insulate the lids, especially in the winter.
Ventilation needed. In Ohio I use screened inner cover in winter. Vivaldi board on top of inner cover. And Vivaldi is filled with straw. Another regular inner cover and finally the top cover. All moisture absorbed and no ice in hives. Ventilation needed.
Colder months, especially in colder climates, it is challenge keeping water from dripping back down onto the bees from the inner side of a lid from condensation without any ventilation and/or quilt box type set up. Any suggestions on how to mitigate this with minimal use of additional equipment?
A German bee scientist keeps on claiming that bees only heat up the cluster but not the box they live in. So the effects of insolation are at best negligible. That's why the bottom board is completely open with a metal grid which allows you to use a board underneath the grid to count fallen mites which allows you to estimate the mite infestation (no shaking of bees necessary).
The insulation allows the bees to use less energy to maintain temperature and the stores act as a heat buffer. In wooden hives bees eat the stores quicker in winter than poly. Also in poly the clusters are looser, as he states you don't need as many heater bees to maintain temperature. Open mesh floors were invented well before varroa arrived in Europe and North America, they were designed to alleviate damp in the hive, but you do lose heat through it. Also omf's are only good for counting the drop after treatment and not as part of your weekly inspection due to wind or insects removing the varroa, which would give a poor indication on the health of your hive. Using wooden hives, you need at least 2 inches of insulation between your inner cover and top board and no top ventilation.
@@beehinde I agree with all you say but with one exception - we were given a list which allows us to extrapolate the eastimated mite load on the basis of naturally fallen mites at a certain point of time. It works pretty well and gives me information on which hive needs urgent trestment and which hive does not need any treatment at all. So we only treat those colonies which need trestment.
I wonder how he keeps the Spiders from making webs in the camera hole. I have a camera at my hive, no tube, and Always have spiders making webs :( I think a tube would be worse.
Bob, the audience that watch your videos in my translation often wonder why foam (polysterene) hives are not common in the USA because in Ukraine and in Russia this type of hives has become very popular. I have no answer. Have you ever tried it?
I have never tried them but I do see the good points about them. I was just at a convention and saw three different brands and I know there are more available. None are compatible with each other which would be a problem. Perhaps in time we will see more of them being used.
@@bobbinnie9872 just transferred my colony into the new HIVEIQ from the old wooden hive. they seem to be much happier. plus i was told paradise hive works with HIVEIQ. i will put the rest of the nucs i buy into HIVEIQ from now on. cant wait till they release their other parts like the feeder and pollen collector.
I can add to this, I currently am running 15 HiveIQ hives in Australia. Some reason's I like them are: - easy to assemble for painting (I can assemble a full triple deep HiveIQ in around 15-20 minutes, no need for sanding) - lighter than wooden boxes - On the HiveIQ, the walls are around twice as thick as a wooden hive, so deep hand holds which making lifting much easier - Polyuarathne is recyable material - The foam cannot get mold or water damage - The most drawing aspect, very insulated, my bees use less honey through Winter The only issue I've had is that they are a tad expensive, around $270 AUD or $175 USD. Another issue as well is what Bob mentioned, and you saw in the video, compatability. HiveIQ currently don't sell a feeder yet (they are making one), so beekeepers have to result in using makeshift ones right now, and the only one that will feed will only be from HiveIQ. I buy them locally so I have no shipping costs.
The answer to your question as to why the insulated hives have not talen off in the US.. .. We have used them with our Alaska bees. to great success but beyond bees kept there I can see little to no benefit that will be overwritten to a significant expense in the lower 48 states. 1. They take up more space. ( more money to ship) Shipping ks expenseive. 2. They are way more fragile and break way quicker than standard woodenware. 3. The money . They cost way more. Way way more.
Sorry. Totally disagree with the no ventilation opinion. We are equating a wild hive in a tree to a styrofoam box. Totally different environments. I’ve noticed even wood boxes dipped in parafin ie, no humidity absorption allowed by the box, do significantly worse overwinter than just bare wood. Different climate in Canada though.
In Europe, bees have been kept in poly hives for 40 years without a top ventilation. The more insulation you have in the roof mitigates the condensation above the brood nest. This is the nearest you will get to a tree. There is plenty of research ongoing, Derek Mitchell in the UK and Etienne Tardif in the Yukon to name, but 2. I have bees in poly hives with no top ventilation and they thrive better than wood, plus the bonus of producing around 15% more honey than wooden hives.
I'm sorry but up north if you have no ventilation you're bees are dead in the first month of winter. Maybe it works in the south but definitely not in cold winter climates
Amazing what you can do when you have unlimited tax dollars, camera, Apimaye hives, solar cells, but well beyond the reach of 99% of hobby, sideline, and commercial beekeepers.
Yet, data is data. Keeping is definitely artistic, but having data to interpret helps mix science into the art. True, the vaaaast majority of keepers are not going to put the tech into their hives, but using the data to improve the science should ultimately help the average hobbyists and sideliners. Their results and interpretations interest me.
Yes, my mentor and carpenter friend who hung up his hammer to pursue a 1,000 to 2,000 very successful commercial beekeeping operation has shared the same feelings in regards to highly funded school entomologists. Along with another half a dozen commercial beekeepers that I worked for in my journey with keeping honeybees. I guess it is what it is. Sometimes it is only the beekeepers that find the real hardcore solutions to their problems because it is their livelihood. I worked in construction and enjoyed being a sideliner with 100 to 200 hives. Though I live in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada mountains I take them into the valley near Sacramento California to pollinate almonds. I do have a friend that has allowed me to volunteerarily work with him by his side and 2 boys learning so much more about my own bees. He has a biology degree from University of California, Irvine. I have attended the Nevada County Beekeepers Association where he was granted a life membership for all that he has done for the Beekeeping community. So I am a little biased. But the teachings and seminars at his ScientificBeekeeping.com has been a great source of knowledge and study for a lot of us out there. So I hope you don't judge all people who receive money and carry out experiments on how to keep our honeybees alive and flourishing. By the way his name is Randy Oliver. 🐝
Well I am quite guilty of generating data but have to do it with my own money. My best investment has been some Broodminder hive scales that give me hourly information on what is happening in the hives and I have really benefited from it.
Randy is absolutely the greatest. I have used his extended release oxalic acid mite treatment methods since 2017 with great success and most of the members in our county bee club have adopted them also. I always preach to them to consider donating to Randy. Wouldn't it be amazing what Randy would have achieved if he had the unlimited funds for trials. @@hillkid4mountains
Bob he is talking bologny talking about nature why his hives are made from chemicals yours mine are from wood we are better I don’t know what he teaches
