Bee Gymn

[sherwood]

I am testing this device in 4 of my hives having seen a presentation from the designer and some anecdotal test results from other beekeepers including some bee inspectors that that this device seems to aid the bees in dislodging the mites from both their backs and there underbellies. Anybody else out there tried it. Those not in the know can google "bee gymn"

 

[Robbo8916]

Certainly looks interesting. And a decent price, i dont see how it could do any harm?

 

[pargyle]

Yes .. Me...

http://www.beekeepingforum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=31816

I think it actually works at a low level - It's just one thing that may or may not help control varroa - certainly does not do any harm.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

got a nice line in beotards, sweatbands and leg warmers if you're interested

 

[Robbo8916]

Yes .. Me...

http://www.beekeepingforum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=31816

I think it actually works at a low level - It's just one thing that may or may not help control varroa - certainly does not do any harm.

How did you find the bees approached the 'foreign body' within their domain? Just curious

 

[sherwood]

How did you find the bees approached the 'foreign body' within their domain? Just curious

They seem to accept it with no problems what so ever but I did do a floor change at the same time. This floor change was a scheduled task and not done for any reason other than spring hygene I will be doing the other 7 hives that remain with clean floors when I get another warm day, these will not be getting a bee gymn.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

spring won't be here for a while yet - leave the bees in peace

 

[kazmcc]

spring won't be here for a while yet - leave the bees in peace

I am seeing loads of people tinkering already, explaining that it was a sunny day that day, t-shirt weather so they had a look. Yes, it might be t-shirt weather that day, but your just cranked open all of their hard done sealing and now it's brassic again, at least it is here anyway.

 

[nantmoel]

got a nice line in beotards, sweatbands and leg warmers if you're interested

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

I am seeing loads of people tinkering already, explaining that it was a sunny day that day, t-shirt weather so they had a look. Yes, it might be t-shirt weather that day, but your just cranked open all of their hard done sealing and now it's brassic again, at least it is here anyway.

Although it was dull and damp - pottered around in the garden yesterday for quarter of an hour in T shirt - today on the way to work, high winds (a colleague following me over the mountain half an hour behind me was overtaken by a flying galvanised drinking trough!!) sleet then snow then more high winds. Spring! my.................. we're now at the time of year when we usually get snow.

 

[kazmcc]

Although it was dull and damp - pottered around in the garden yesterday for quarter of an hour in T shirt - today on the way to work, high winds (a colleague following me over the mountain half an hour behind me was overtaken by a flying galvanised drinking trough!!) sleet then snow then more high winds. Spring! my.................. we're now at the time of year when we usually get snow.

I was berated by a bee keeper who had much more experience than me for asking him why he was going in so early. I should just keep my trap shut lol

I understand the urge after a long winter, wanting to know how they are going, I really do, but just no. Anyway, sorry for sidetracking the thread. I shall do as suggested above from now on

 

[Dusty Rhodes]

I was berated by a bee keeper who had much more experience than me for asking him why he was going in so early.

Not me, I hasten to add!
Kazmcc started beekeeping before me!

Dusty.

P.s. Can't wait to start again, though, Kaz. Is Arran just as keen? A.

 

[charlievictorbravo]

I am seeing loads of people tinkering already, explaining that it was a sunny day that day, t-shirt weather so they had a look. Yes, it might be t-shirt weather that day, but your just cranked open all of their hard done sealing and now it's brassic again, at least it is here anyway.

Kazza

You really are going to have to study rhyming slang. Brassic (Boracic) means short of money [boracic lint = skint]. What you're trying to tell us is that, right now, it's taters [potatoes in the mould = cold]. What sort of education system have you got up in Manchester?

CVB

 

[pargyle]

Yes ... you see as a good Yorkshire lad I too would refer to the weather as being Brassic ... I think it's a northern corruption of the naval/military expression . ... "cold enough to freeze the balls off a brass monkey" .. (and there's nothing rude in this - comes from the days of cannonballs when a ready use stand for them was termed a 'brass monkey' and the cold shrunk the cannonballs sufficiently for them to fall through the rings which the balls sat in.)

 

[pargyle]

How did you find the bees approached the 'foreign body' within their domain? Just curious

No problem ... the only thing I found was that they kept breaking the plastic tapes .. but if you send the gym off he will replace them with the new style tapes which don't break.

I have mesh floors and I often see a pattern of dead varroa around the shape of the been gym on my inspection boards.

I dispensed with JBM's beotards and leg warmers and my heavily insulated hives are warm enough for them to scratch naked and at JBM's prices I couldn't afford to clad all of them and a bit of jealousy crept in.

 

[kazmcc]

Kazza

You really are going to have to study rhyming slang. Brassic (Boracic) means short of money [boracic lint = skint]. What you're trying to tell us is that, right now, it's taters [potatoes in the mould = cold]. What sort of education system have you got up in Manchester?

CVB

I have this problem with my American friends, I forget that terms differ just as much here. I'm glad Pargyle is familiar with the term, and I've not been walking around telling everyone I'm skint whenever it's cold, even if it be true Thanks Pargyle, I didn't know where the term came from. Very interesting.

Dusty, we are poised and ready! Arran is very much looking forward for the year to begin. He turned 10 this week, so can now start lugging boxes for us I reckon He has lots to tell you both.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

(and there's nothing rude in this - comes from the days of cannonballs when a ready use stand for them was termed a 'brass monkey' and the cold shrunk the cannonballs sufficiently for them to fall through the rings which the balls sat in.)

Ah! that's the strange thing - a myth perpetrated on a surmise - looked into this some time ago. And that tale was just made up to keep the strait laced crowd happy:
There is not (and never has been) such a thing as a 'brass monkey' to keep 'cannon balls' tidy - cannon balls as the great unwashed term them were actually called Shot in the navy and they were stopped from rolling around by being housed in a long shallow wooden tray called a shot garland (bit akin to the racks that bowling balls are kept in) naval historians have done some in depth research into the term and they have concluded that the term means it was cold enough to freeze the testicles off a simian creature made of a copper and zinc alloy. They still have no idea who or what that simian creature was.
- or whether actually it originated as a naval term

 

[kazmcc]

Ah! that's the strange thing - a myth perpetrated on a surmise - looked into this some time ago. And that tale was just made up to keep the strait laced crowd happy:
There is not (and never has been) such a thing as a 'brass monkey' to keep 'cannon balls' tidy - cannon balls as the great unwashed term them were actually called Shot in the navy and they were stopped from rolling around by being housed in a long shallow wooden tray called a shot garland (bit akin to the racks that bowling balls are kept in) naval historians have done some in depth research into the term and they have concluded that the term means it was cold enough to freeze the testicles off a simian creature made of a copper and zinc alloy. They still have no idea who or what that simian creature was.
- or whether actually it originated as a naval term

And here's me thinking brassic had something to do with cabbages

 

[pargyle]

Ah! that's the strange thing - a myth perpetrated on a surmise - looked into this some time ago. And that tale was just made up to keep the strait laced crowd happy........
............They still have no idea who or what that simian creature was.
- or whether actually it originated as a naval term

Having done the tour of HMS Victory a good few times .. the guides on board have been perpetuating this myth as the tale is included as part of their 'patter' and they point to the square of nine brass circles which keep the base of a pyramid of shot in place on the deck. I must admit that I rather doubted this explanation as I could not see a pyramid of cannon balls being the ideal way of storing ammunition when the ship was in action ! But ... the senior service is full of myths ... so I stand corrected.

My grandfather used the expression frequently (he was a builder and outside a lot of the time) and he had a set of three cast brass monkeys on the mantlepiece - see no evil, hear no evil etc. and I would not be surprised if these ornaments, which were sold in huge numbers, were the originators of the expression.

 

[Ely]

I am seeing loads of people tinkering already, explaining that it was a sunny day that day, t-shirt weather so they had a look. Yes, it might be t-shirt weather that day, but your just cranked open all of their hard done sealing and now it's brassic again, at least it is here anyway.

Also, fine weather alone isn't a good enough reason to open a hive.