Chris Gray

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since Jan 28, 2014
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Recent posts by Chris Gray

Michael Cox wrote:I too was going to ask what value you see in making it skidable, as opposed to a static structure. The old adage in beekeeping is you either move the hive 3ft or 3 miles. Anything in between and the bees can get lost, the fly off foraging and return to the old site rather than the new.

I would think you could get the same benefits (animal protection, security in winter, multiple sites for bee fodder) by moving the hives themselves through a series of structures - moving that huge structure, even on skids looks like a mammoth task, especially if there is any slope involved! That said, I'd love to be proved wrong when you do come to move it. Make sure you get good videos!

I do see the logic in the heavy duty critter protection where you are - I'm quite glad we don't have to contend with bears over here in the UK.



There are ways to get around the 3 ft or 3 miles rule (or 2 ft 2 miles). You move at night when they are all inside the hive. During the night, once all the bees are inside the hive, you put some kind of obstruction (usually a leafy branch) in front of their entrance so that when they leave the hive, they re-orient themselves and can come back with little to no issues.

Moving beehives more than 2 feet and less than 2 miles

This is a subject apparently full of controversy. There is an old saying that you move a hive 2 feet or two miles. I often need to move them 100 yards more or less. I've never seen that it was a problem. I move hives as seldom as I need to because anytime you move a hive even two feet, it disrupts the hive for a day. But if I need to, I move them. I didn't invent all of the concepts here, but some of them I refined for my uses. Here is my technique.

It occurs to me that a lot of detail that is intuitively obvious to me may not be to a newbie. So here is a detailed description of how I usually move hives single handedly. This is assuming the hive is too heavy to move in one piece or I lack the help to do so. But it works so well, I don't even think about using other methods. But if you have help and can lift it, you can block the entrance and move it all at once at night and put a branch in front. I know every time I tell any version of this method, someone quotes the "2 feet or 2 miles" rule and says you can't do it and you can only move them two feet or you'll lose all your bees. I've done this many times with no noticeable loss of workforce and no bees clustering at the old location by the next night.



Practical Beekeeper - Michael Bush

10 years ago

Cj Verde wrote:Three questions:
3: It could be an illusion but it looks like a wind could whip up and catch under the roof and flip it. Is it not really that way or will it be tied/anchored down?



Even though it looks like it could be a little top heavy, if you know how heavy logs that size are, you will realize that that thing isn't going anywhere unless a tornado picks it up! The roof will come off first!

I would think that monster would be hard to move even with the skids!
10 years ago

Ben Morris wrote:Will there be anything on hook knives or trying to sharpen similar curvature?



This would be really nice!
10 years ago
I'm in! I want the DVD on this one!
10 years ago
I'm not sure if this is the best place to post this, so Moderators, if there is a better place, please move the thread.

I was wondering, for those of us that like to use twitter, what are some of your favorite twitter handles that you like to follow. Here are a few that I was able to find. I would like to have more. I know many of the people in the permaculture/homesteading world may not use Twitter.

I will say that most of these are ones I just found, so I can't vouch for how much valuable information is given on these twitter feeds. If you list one and have been following it, please let us know how valuable that particular can be.

@paulwheaton - Paul Wheaton
@PRIaustralia - PRI Institute in Australia
@GeoffLawton_ - pay attention to the underscore at the end of his name - Geoff Lawton's twitter
@JoelSalatin - Joel Salatin
@WestonAPrice - Weston A Price Foundation
@MotherEarthNews - Mother Earth News
@backwoodshome - Self Reliance/Homesteading Information - Backwoods Home Magazine




I'll try to keep a running list here at the top.
10 years ago
Me too. I am starting chapter 4.
10 years ago
Victoria,

I was just about to post a similar question, so I'll be watching this with interest. My question was what meat birds do you most recommend?
10 years ago
Any ideas for something that is reliable and won't break the bank?
10 years ago
Bill,

I don't think most of us mind being patient. Since we haven't had an email saying when the PODS would be released, some are concerned that they missed it. Personally I don't mind if it takes several weeks for the PODS to be released as long as I am kept in the loop about when they will come out.


We were told by Paul that the actual videos wouldn't be available for several months, and that is fine. I know that I have to wait.

Ben,

I am on the "Secret Inner Circle" now, but I haven' seen anything on the podcasts yet either.