Gidday folks. Mum and Dad sent me this yt clip. Well done. I'd never seen or considered a Top Bar hive. Our son had a similar hive but has gone to a Langsroth . From one hive from our son, I have 2 splits one last year and a nuc I gave to him a few weeks ago. I agree...fascinating to see the pollen colour, even red pollen; watching new bees emerging from their cells, and yes, that amazing honey. Thanks for an awesome video..intererestng and yes, we're helping food production with our bees.
@@martinandleesmith9609 thanks Martin, glad you enjoyed the vid. Yeah I really like the top-bar, both for it’s bee-centric approach (I really believe it makes for calmer bees) and ergonomics - no bending, no heavy lifting. I must try a Langstroth at some stage to understand why they’re so popular, I suspect it’s the ease of frame management and honey extraction. I’ve seen a ‘Long Langstroth’ I’d consider building. Somewhat of a hybrid between the two. It’s on legs, so no bending, and it holds about 3-4x the amount of frames as a standard Langstroth box.
What a fantastic explanation of bee life. We have a lovely peaceful hive in our suburban back garden that is cared for by someone else. I understand it so much better because of your video. Thank you.
Hi I'm a new beekeeper, flow hive and built horizontal hive 470mmx450mmx1680mm allows Room at bottom to put separated from bees dry sand with diatomaceous Earth mix for mites control l put 50mm sawdust on top of the sand to keep bees separated from the diatomaceous earth Bees are restricted to standard brood frames width you are correct there but not restricted with the honey frames width try winder honey frames width 63mm Also researching found out that the Old beekeepers in the 80s used powdered sugar cived onto the top of the hive directly on the bees getting them to start grooming each other and mites fall to the separated observation medical bottom tray of the hive onto the diatomaceous earth Cheers 🍷🥂 🍻
Nice video. At one point you said you were letting light and warmth INTO the hive. Light yes but you are actually letting warmth OUT of the hive when you open it up
Regan, this is absolutely fascinating and amazing the way you keep your bee's. I shall definitely have a look at your videos on beekeeping. Once I finish up here in the UK i will be relocating to the Philippines which is where my wife is from, hoping within the next 5 years and then a new chapter in my life begins.
@reganperry it's definitely a beautiful place and very peaceful where I am, am really looking forward to the challenge not quite on the scale you're doing though, but the bee's are a definite must.
Hi, I’m assuming you are referring to flow hives when you talk about set and forget which they certainly do not promote themselves as. If you look at their TH-cam page they reiterate that you need to maintain the brood like any other hive and it is only a different harvesting method. Also I don’t know if any other hive manufacturer that has more information regarding beekeeping and does a weekly live video where they go over a certain beekeeping thing each week and have it open for questions that they answer on the spot. We have 3 flow hives and they are amazing. Still have all the maintenance you need to do with the brood but the harvesting is so easy and doesn’t disturb the bees at all, there is no taking comb so they have to expend all the energy and resources making more and there is no work staring the comb inside the house and filtering the honey, it’s all done at the hive and you bring back lovely clear jars of honey. Have a look at their channel and see how they promote themselves as these set and forget views are perpetrated by old school beekeepers that don’t like to embrace change. I do love your hive and the harmonious way you tend to it but it’s still the same bee husbandry as any other hive out there 🐝🐝
You’re definitely not wrong about old school beekeepers. And I sure hope I don’t come across as change averse. I know they (FH) do a lot of work in educating so that is good. My only (I’ll admit, anecdotal) experience has been I’ve had 3 friends now call me out to help with their flow hives because they were under the impression that they wouldn’t need to do any of the “traditional work”. I also had a neighbour who installed one and then abandoned it (guessing for the same reason) and that upset me because we obviously don’t want to be promoting feral colonies. And then on the couple of occasions I’ve had to help resurrect one I found the bees to be quite aggressive. Coincidence, maybe, but it did make me wonder how much the bees like the plastic environment? Just food for thought. As for not having to remake comb, you’re right, that definitely needs to be a consideration with this method and if I was wanting to produce a lot more I’d probably go langstroth or warre design instead.
We actually have a property out your way and love watching your channel as it’s very relevant to us. Thank you for replying to my comment and look forward to watching more content from you
@@reganperrythanks for another great video. I have just got into beekeeping and have gone down the langstroth path of hive. I bought my bees from someone also selling fh. I attended a beekeeping day with others that were going on the fh direction. Although the instructor did go through all the activities you need to go through with that type of hive I think people only hear what they want to hear and by the end of the day all some could talk about was going to the hive to refill their jars when they run out of honey. I look at fh as a gateway drug into beekeeping, if more people start caring for bee population and having stronger healthier hives that’s good right? Anyway that is my total noob perspective.
@@reganperry Hello! Thanks for your interesting vid. I'm a new beekeeper with Warre hives, which can have either foundation-less frames or top bars so also need crushing rather than spinning to extract honey. Warre's approach was closer to a natural beekeeping style rather than geared toward honey production, so new comb every time which is more hygienic anyway :)
Hey guys great great channel I’m loving it and have binged most of them !!! So watching the vids and thinking I know there’s guys but couldn’t put finger on it and was online looking for a camp site for Australia Day long weekend and bingo !! You guys from hosanna farm ! We love it there and have been visiting since you took over and have been watch the awesome changes and improvements etc !! We are in bruns so we go there every second month cuz kids love it ! Anyway big congrats on your block and the channel ❤ Richo
Raven, I’ve undertaken some research to help you.I’ve come across an interesting Utube channel:From Scratch Farmstead. They use: Three sister planting method-corn, climbing beans (on each corn tree) & pumpkin. Time saving strategy for shelling beans-pillow method then using container & electric fan to rid of debris etc. then stored into huge containers with oxogen tablets to dry up any moisture. Corn chuffing also sped up the corn removal from cob. I hope you enjoy their channel. However not all vids are about vegetables some are about cooking.
Having had Langstroth hives and worked with friends on their Kenyan-style top bar hives I certainly enjoyed more the Kenyan work than the Lang work. Langs are popular because its a darn sight easier to bee a migratory beekeeper when you have rectangular hives that stack on a pallet on your truck. Cheaper to get the hives and frames etc, cheaper to process standard frames, a bit more of a yield from a 'standard' hive (I believe), less manual labour involved (labour costs$$$$)
I would have loved to have had a hive or 2 but given I am in the middle of Potato Country and they spray the crops regularly through out the season ( I don't know what each grower sprays) November through to July. So I am not willing to take risk losing bees to sprays. On the other side there are a number of local honey sellers who sell a large variety of "different flavors", which I don't mind as you can certainly taste the differences in the different flowers. Again a great informative video.
@@reganperry In all honesty I hardly notice them except for the helicopter which I go out to watch. Its no wonder their life expectancy is not very long given how they fly around obstacles. Usually it is very still with no drift, however given I have no control over what they spray I just decided not to risk any hives as it would be very devastating if they died.
I can do you one better.. If you check out this video we made a couple of months ago you'll get to see how we built it, and in the description of the video I've provided a link to the plans. th-cam.com/video/NC7Gk0_y1mI/w-d-xo.html Sorry, they are in mm, but you should be easily able to convert them.
@@stevenjettner8980 we sure do! Salves, ointments, candles, beeswax wraps, the whole deal. Didn’t have time in this video, but I basically render it in boiling water (it floats), scrape off the scum, then melt it into silicone molds until I’m ready to use it.
my understanding was the standard honey bee is not under threat* but all the wild ones are. *Australia now has Varroa Mites imported - its expected to wipe out around 80-90% of Australian Honey Bees, supposed to not affect the wild ones, but its going to be carnage. Honey Bees are usually highly managed people like The Bush Bee Man www.youtube.com/@TheBushBeeMan has many hundred of hives.
@@rw-xf4cb the biggest threat by far is glyphosate and monocrop agriculture, try searching “colony collapse”, it’s going to get worse and worse. Varroa is nasty, but definitely won’t wipe out 90% of hives. Bees have a few natural defences against it, but the only real challenge is when colonies are vulnerable (e.g., winter). And besides, just because they ‘detected’ it here a couple of years ago. Doesn’t mean that’s when it got here. There’s a fair possibility we’ve been living with it for a while. The rest of the world has been living with Varroa forever, we were just the last bastion of the unaffected due to being an island. Luckily our Australian native bees are unsuitable hosts for varroa, so who knows, the future of beekeeping may just be the mighty Tetragonula & Astroplebeia
Oh wow what an informative video! I love how you consider it a relationship. Something I’ve never looked into- lovely watch.
It’s honestly such a mindful practise - I love it.
Gidday folks. Mum and Dad sent me this yt clip. Well done. I'd never seen or considered a Top Bar hive. Our son had a similar hive but has gone to a Langsroth . From one hive from our son, I have 2 splits one last year and a nuc I gave to him a few weeks ago. I agree...fascinating to see the pollen colour, even red pollen; watching new bees emerging from their cells, and yes, that amazing honey. Thanks for an awesome video..intererestng and yes, we're helping food production with our bees.
@@martinandleesmith9609 thanks Martin, glad you enjoyed the vid. Yeah I really like the top-bar, both for it’s bee-centric approach (I really believe it makes for calmer bees) and ergonomics - no bending, no heavy lifting. I must try a Langstroth at some stage to understand why they’re so popular, I suspect it’s the ease of frame management and honey extraction. I’ve seen a ‘Long Langstroth’ I’d consider building. Somewhat of a hybrid between the two. It’s on legs, so no bending, and it holds about 3-4x the amount of frames as a standard Langstroth box.
What a fantastic explanation of bee life. We have a lovely peaceful hive in our suburban back garden that is cared for by someone else. I understand it so much better because of your video. Thank you.
@@jacquihart24 oh that’s awesome, you’re so welcome ☺️
Hi I'm a new beekeeper, flow hive and built horizontal hive 470mmx450mmx1680mm allows Room at bottom to put separated from bees dry sand with diatomaceous Earth mix for mites control l put 50mm sawdust on top of the sand to keep bees separated from the diatomaceous earth
Bees are restricted to standard brood frames width you are correct there but not restricted with the honey frames width try winder honey frames width 63mm
Also researching found out that the Old beekeepers in the 80s used powdered sugar cived onto the top of the hive directly on the bees getting them to start grooming each other and mites fall to the separated observation medical bottom tray of the hive onto the diatomaceous earth Cheers 🍷🥂 🍻
Great video! What a really good presentation of “bee facts” such an interesting subject. ❤
This was a very good video guys! I really enjoyed watching and learning about the bees! Thank you.
Nice video. At one point you said you were letting light and warmth INTO the hive. Light yes but you are actually letting warmth OUT of the hive when you open it up
Bees are fascinating. Great video!
Thank you!
Regan, this is absolutely fascinating and amazing the way you keep your bee's. I shall definitely have a look at your videos on beekeeping. Once I finish up here in the UK i will be relocating to the Philippines which is where my wife is from, hoping within the next 5 years and then a new chapter in my life begins.
Thanks Adrian! Wow, the Philippines is beautiful, what I wouldn’t give to have a Veggie garden in that climate!
@reganperry it's definitely a beautiful place and very peaceful where I am, am really looking forward to the challenge not quite on the scale you're doing though, but the bee's are a definite must.
Hi, I’m assuming you are referring to flow hives when you talk about set and forget which they certainly do not promote themselves as. If you look at their TH-cam page they reiterate that you need to maintain the brood like any other hive and it is only a different harvesting method. Also I don’t know if any other hive manufacturer that has more information regarding beekeeping and does a weekly live video where they go over a certain beekeeping thing each week and have it open for questions that they answer on the spot. We have 3 flow hives and they are amazing. Still have all the maintenance you need to do with the brood but the harvesting is so easy and doesn’t disturb the bees at all, there is no taking comb so they have to expend all the energy and resources making more and there is no work staring the comb inside the house and filtering the honey, it’s all done at the hive and you bring back lovely clear jars of honey. Have a look at their channel and see how they promote themselves as these set and forget views are perpetrated by old school beekeepers that don’t like to embrace change. I do love your hive and the harmonious way you tend to it but it’s still the same bee husbandry as any other hive out there 🐝🐝
You’re definitely not wrong about old school beekeepers. And I sure hope I don’t come across as change averse. I know they (FH) do a lot of work in educating so that is good. My only (I’ll admit, anecdotal) experience has been I’ve had 3 friends now call me out to help with their flow hives because they were under the impression that they wouldn’t need to do any of the “traditional work”. I also had a neighbour who installed one and then abandoned it (guessing for the same reason) and that upset me because we obviously don’t want to be promoting feral colonies. And then on the couple of occasions I’ve had to help resurrect one I found the bees to be quite aggressive. Coincidence, maybe, but it did make me wonder how much the bees like the plastic environment? Just food for thought.
As for not having to remake comb, you’re right, that definitely needs to be a consideration with this method and if I was wanting to produce a lot more I’d probably go langstroth or warre design instead.
We actually have a property out your way and love watching your channel as it’s very relevant to us. Thank you for replying to my comment and look forward to watching more content from you
@@reganperrythanks for another great video. I have just got into beekeeping and have gone down the langstroth path of hive. I bought my bees from someone also selling fh. I attended a beekeeping day with others that were going on the fh direction. Although the instructor did go through all the activities you need to go through with that type of hive I think people only hear what they want to hear and by the end of the day all some could talk about was going to the hive to refill their jars when they run out of honey. I look at fh as a gateway drug into beekeeping, if more people start caring for bee population and having stronger healthier hives that’s good right? Anyway that is my total noob perspective.
@@reganperry Hello! Thanks for your interesting vid. I'm a new beekeeper with Warre hives, which can have either foundation-less frames or top bars so also need crushing rather than spinning to extract honey. Warre's approach was closer to a natural beekeeping style rather than geared toward honey production, so new comb every time which is more hygienic anyway :)
Hey guys great great channel I’m loving it and have binged most of them !!! So watching the vids and thinking I know there’s guys but couldn’t put finger on it and was online looking for a camp site for Australia Day long weekend and bingo !! You guys from hosanna farm ! We love it there and have been visiting since you took over and have been watch the awesome changes and improvements etc !! We are in bruns so we go there every second month cuz kids love it ! Anyway big congrats on your block and the channel ❤ Richo
Great video guys! Best bee vid I’ve seen yet ❤
Oh wow, thanks!
Very interesting ❤
👍😁
Awesome Video thanks
Cheers, glad you enjoyed it!
Raven, I’ve undertaken some research to help you.I’ve come across an interesting Utube channel:From Scratch Farmstead. They use: Three sister planting method-corn, climbing beans (on each corn tree) & pumpkin. Time saving strategy for shelling beans-pillow method then using container & electric fan to rid of debris etc. then stored into huge containers with oxogen tablets to dry up any moisture. Corn chuffing also sped up the corn removal from cob. I hope you enjoy their channel. However not all vids are about vegetables some are about cooking.
Love this!
I’d love to know your thoughts on flow hives?? 😊
Having had Langstroth hives and worked with friends on their Kenyan-style top bar hives I certainly enjoyed more the Kenyan work than the Lang work. Langs are popular because its a darn sight easier to bee a migratory beekeeper when you have rectangular hives that stack on a pallet on your truck. Cheaper to get the hives and frames etc, cheaper to process standard frames, a bit more of a yield from a 'standard' hive (I believe), less manual labour involved (labour costs$$$$)
I would have loved to have had a hive or 2 but given I am in the middle of Potato Country and they spray the crops regularly through out the season ( I don't know what each grower sprays) November through to July. So I am not willing to take risk losing bees to sprays. On the other side there are a number of local honey sellers who sell a large variety of "different flavors", which I don't mind as you can certainly taste the differences in the different flowers. Again a great informative video.
Oh that’s horrible. Do you find the sprays affect you personally? Well, at least you’re supporting local beekeepers still.
@@reganperry In all honesty I hardly notice them except for the helicopter which I go out to watch. Its no wonder their life expectancy is not very long given how they fly around obstacles. Usually it is very still with no drift, however given I have no control over what they spray I just decided not to risk any hives as it would be very devastating if they died.
Good to see the bees doing so well.
🍯 🐝 😁
thanks for sharing, cheers
You’re most welcome 😁
This was so interesting! I love honey ❤
It’s SO good! Thanks for watching 😁
My favorite day of the week
😁
Really enjoyed this
Thanks!
Can you give measurements in inches to your box
I can do you one better.. If you check out this video we made a couple of months ago you'll get to see how we built it, and in the description of the video I've provided a link to the plans.
th-cam.com/video/NC7Gk0_y1mI/w-d-xo.html
Sorry, they are in mm, but you should be easily able to convert them.
Such a great video - keen to try that honey too at some point :D
Mate! I reckon there’s some mead in my near future!
@@reganperry Now you're talking.
Love your videos , can you use the wax , after you extract in the press ?
@@stevenjettner8980 we sure do! Salves, ointments, candles, beeswax wraps, the whole deal. Didn’t have time in this video, but I basically render it in boiling water (it floats), scrape off the scum, then melt it into silicone molds until I’m ready to use it.
Have you got native bees 🐝 as well??
@@treeman3663 not yet. I’ve kept them before and I’m keen to get them again. That said, we have them naturally - they’ve been all over our sunflowers!
🤙
You’re definitely bee keeping age
Hahaha - that's a thing right!
my understanding was the standard honey bee is not under threat* but all the wild ones are. *Australia now has Varroa Mites imported - its expected to wipe out around 80-90% of Australian Honey Bees, supposed to not affect the wild ones, but its going to be carnage. Honey Bees are usually highly managed people like The Bush Bee Man www.youtube.com/@TheBushBeeMan has many hundred of hives.
@@rw-xf4cb the biggest threat by far is glyphosate and monocrop agriculture, try searching “colony collapse”, it’s going to get worse and worse. Varroa is nasty, but definitely won’t wipe out 90% of hives. Bees have a few natural defences against it, but the only real challenge is when colonies are vulnerable (e.g., winter). And besides, just because they ‘detected’ it here a couple of years ago. Doesn’t mean that’s when it got here. There’s a fair possibility we’ve been living with it for a while. The rest of the world has been living with Varroa forever, we were just the last bastion of the unaffected due to being an island. Luckily our Australian native bees are unsuitable hosts for varroa, so who knows, the future of beekeeping may just be the mighty Tetragonula & Astroplebeia