Bee Keeping

[mechanic]

My brother worked for Ergon for 35 years and he says they would often remove old power poles that had hives in them, nearly always near ground level.
So that's one more option to get a hive.
They do have a downside as their wax is extremely difficult to remove off a surface, my pool runs off 3 external power points and when the pump wouldn't run it was discovered that they had built their hive in the 3 connected points.
We couldn't find a solvent to clean them up so new ones were the only way out.
I've just counted 8 entrances into our walls and one aluminium sliding window assembly is welded in place.

[b0son]

Heat gun. You need to melt the wax, mp is around 60-65deg

[Geez Louise]

I had a look at these a while back. Apparently a lot of people are having great success with them.

http://www.honeyflow.com.au/

Cheers
Col

[Boosted8]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VaOebmy1Kk0#t=3.679886

Check out these frames

[hawkgirl]

Originally Posted by 1TUFFUTE

advising all the newbies to try them in colder climates maybe isn't the best idea.

why not? Do your research, have the optimum hive site - easy as. Even in "warmer" places its recommended to put a foam box on your hive for insulation, heat will kill them just as well as cold. (I dont have a box on mine though).

http://www.zabel.com.au/information-factsheet.htm

Sadly they are becoming trendy and the price of a hive is attractive to the scum who steal and flog other peoples stuff, hive theft is on the increase.

[1TUFFUTE]

Originally Posted by hawkgirl

why not? Do your research, have the optimum hive site - easy as. Even in "warmer" places its recommended to put a foam box on your hive for insulation, heat will kill them just as well as cold. (I dont have a box on mine though).

http://www.zabel.com.au/information-factsheet.htm

Sadly they are becoming trendy and the price of a hive is attractive to the scum who steal and flog other peoples stuff, hive theft is on the increase.

So would you recommend a newbie to get one of Australia's stingless breeds and try them in southern parts of Australia where it's cold?......where they aren't even found naturally..... Bar the breed you mentioned but even that's still rare I thought.
And yes I've also been told they need FULL shade!

[hawkgirl]

Originally Posted by 1TUFFUTE

So would you recommend a newbie to get one of Australia's stingless breeds and try them in southern parts of Australia where it's cold?

yup, within reason - I did. *Quality* research is your friend.

Originally Posted by 1TUFFUTE

......where they aren't even found naturally..... Bar the breed you mentioned but even that's still rare I thought.

Its species, not breed and not as uncommon as you seem to think. If you read the factsheet (from probably the biggest sugarbag bee supplier in aus) you will see they have been found naturally occuring as far south as Bega in nsw. Bega is not a very warm place in winter.

Originally Posted by 1TUFFUTE

And yes I've also been told they need FULL shade!

Nope. Facing north east & morning sun until about mid morning IN SUMMER. See Below -
c. The hive must face between North and east to get the morning sun.
d. Locate the star picket so that the hive will be in the shade from 10 a.m. in the summer. Please remember to keep cobwebs out of their flight path.


Mine have heavy dappled shade in summer but in winter there are no leaves on the mulberry tree & on nice sunny winter days the bees will be seen doing "housework". Way cool

[1TUFFUTE]

Originally Posted by hawkgirl

yup, within reason - I did. *Quality* research is your friend.





Its species, not breed and not as uncommon as you seem to think. If you read the factsheet (from probably the biggest sugarbag bee supplier in aus) you will see they have been found naturally occuring as far south as Bega in nsw. Bega is not a very warm place in winter.



Nope. Facing north east & morning sun until about mid morning IN SUMMER. See Below -
c. The hive must face between North and east to get the morning sun.
d. Locate the star picket so that the hive will be in the shade from 10 a.m. in the summer. Please remember to keep cobwebs out of their flight path.


Mine have heavy dappled shade in summer but in winter there are no leaves on the mulberry tree & on nice sunny winter days the bees will be seen doing "housework". Way cool

Thanks for that....man they're fun little creatures. The more I learn the more I'm convinced of getting some!
Edit.....the first couple of paragraphs of that article say that the 3main species are very hard to keep in colder climates. So which stingless species suit the colder Aus conditions then! ( not that it bothers me in qld, but I'm sure many members are from SA,VIC,TAS and so on)Carbonaria perhaps?

[Boosted8]

Originally Posted by 1TUFFUTE

Thanks for that....man they're fun little creatures. The more I learn the more I'm convinced of getting some!
Edit.....the first couple of paragraphs of that article say that the 3main species are very hard to keep in colder climates. So which stingless species suit the colder Aus conditions then! ( not that it bothers me in qld, but I'm sure many members are from SA,VIC,TAS and so on)Carbonaria perhaps?

Tetragonula carbonaria can thrive in cooler climates.