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Phillips Urban Behive concept (for the rich?)

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Matrix4b

NewBee
Registered Member
Dec 17, 2008
335
2
0
Denver Colorado
I don't know if anyone has seen this:

http://www.gizmag.com/philips-beehive-concept/20412/

But wow, this is bound to make a few bee keepers' angry.

I especially like the "..You can even pull a cord and inject a little smoke to calm the bees down.." Mentioned if you wanted to try your hand at collection of honey.

But I know that smoke doesn't calm down bees it simply kills them.

I may be very wrong on this but, It looks like a proto type that I am not in favor of as it says nothing about a queen bee and it also says nothing about the care of bees and the like. Just a sort of put up this thing and have a cool looking hive if bees decide to be invited in and move. This sounds very silly.

Now the idea is interesting and would be good but the implimentation is silly.

What do you all think?

Matrix
 

TheAlchemist

I am Meadlemania
GotMead Patron
Sep 9, 2010
2,464
8
0
near a lake
No, I'm pretty sure you don't kill bees by smoking them.
Bees like the dark, I'm not sure they'd be so keen on being watched all the time. Sure doesn't look like there are any bees in this prototype...
 

Vance G

NewBee
Registered Member
Aug 30, 2011
564
3
0
Great Falls Montana
That pseudohive was designed to sell a few thousand units at an exorbitant price. It certainly wasn't designed to keep bees in. It's shortcomings are too numerous to relate. Friends don't let friends buy one!
 

Echostatic

NewBee
Registered Member
Apr 5, 2011
468
1
0
Dallas, Tx
Interesting, I could see it fitting in one of those ultra expensive modern art-style homes. Too bad it's no good. Also, it looks like it is meant to be mounted indoors? And they are recommending to gas them with a bit of smoke and remove that glass shield? That sounds... dangerous. I don't like having even one bee loose inside.
 

Loadnabox

NewBee
Registered Member
Apr 17, 2011
849
3
0
Ohio
I'm no beekeeper, but this thing made no sense to me on many levels immediately.

How do you drill through the exterior window?
You have to open the hive INSIDE the house to collect the honey?! (there's a reason the other urban hives are all designed for back yards)
It's non-sustainable requiring you to give the bees nectar water, what's the point?


I did see a link to this from the same article though. I'd be curious if the other beekeepers here share the same concerns about plastic?
 

Matrix4b

NewBee
Registered Member
Dec 17, 2008
335
2
0
Denver Colorado
Looks more like an alien embryo from a bad B-grade SF movie than it does a hive, to me. :rolleyes:

Same here. The thing advertises that it has filters that allow only orange light to come in. This apparently is OK because bees can't see orange light. I don't think that they thought of a UV filter to add to that. I am not sure about the orange light thing but I know from my HS biology class long ago that Bees and other insects see into the UV range and use it more than other "visible light"

Yes, Not sustainable.

Cord looks like you can gas the bees at any time as it is not secured and just artistically hanging down.

I think that they do drill through the window as it also advertizes that one side is mounted outside the window with a single "Pollen filled Flower Pot" as an atractant. But looks like it is designed for skyscrapers too. Pity it's so dumb.

Now I am not a beekeeper but I am certian that they did not consult with Bee Keepers to come up with the design and make it feasable. I just saw it and thought, God that's so DUMB, and you would have to be dumb, not caring and rich to get one. It's the iBee for all those iPod and iPad crowd.

Luckly it's only a proto-type design. Most Prototype designs do not get out of the concept stage, and for good reason.

Matrix
 

jlerner

NewBee
Registered Member
Oct 22, 2011
61
1
0
www.tactics3d.com
Can bees even fly that high? Seems like it would be difficult for them to reach the upper floors of a skyscraper. Maybe they just take the elevator…
 

Echostatic

NewBee
Registered Member
Apr 5, 2011
468
1
0
Dallas, Tx
There is a hotel in Chicago I stayed at recently, I forget which one, but it was pretty darned tall and they had hives on the roof.

Some insects can't see red light, like ants. I don't know about bees. And I certainly don't know about orange... Bit too far down the wavelength I bet.
 

tweak'e

NewBee
Registered Member
Jan 31, 2011
396
1
0
NewZealand
looks nice :)

as mentioned on the web page its far to small.
the other thing is it would cook. very little ventilation and made of glass so very little insulation. it would overheat in summer and freeze in winter.
 

Boogaloo

Worker Bee
Registered Member
Sep 13, 2011
147
0
16
Silver Spring (right outside of DC)
Although this may seem like a joke to a bunch of beekeepers I have to applaud the inventor of this thing. His intentions are noble and great way to get modern urbanites into raising bees. Even if you don't harvest the honey I think I would have one if I lived in the city. To me, the more bees the better.

This design may be flawed but the more that people buy the larger the market will get and then competition will come then better designs then more bees then more honey then MORE MEAD!!! Drool......
 

Loadnabox

NewBee
Registered Member
Apr 17, 2011
849
3
0
Ohio
Although this may seem like a joke to a bunch of beekeepers I have to applaud the inventor of this thing. His intentions are noble and great way to get modern urbanites into raising bees. Even if you don't harvest the honey I think I would have one if I lived in the city. To me, the more bees the better.

This design may be flawed but the more that people buy the larger the market will get and then competition will come then better designs then more bees then more honey then MORE MEAD!!! Drool......

The other thing that makes professional beekeepers scared about stuff like this, is that there are serious infections that can be passed from hive to hive. Having a bunch of people not knowing what they're doing could potentially cost a professional keeper tens of thousands of dollars in hives they would need to set on fire to prevent spread of the disease.

These could actually do more harm than good to the bee population in the end.
 

Boogaloo

Worker Bee
Registered Member
Sep 13, 2011
147
0
16
Silver Spring (right outside of DC)
I understand the concern and I also believe something like this idea needs to be around. A quick question comes to mind: How come this idea hasn't been explored before? Not so much a fancy see through window and little cord with smoker but something like a compact hive you can attach to a building. Or even little hives you can just set out that you cannot pull honey from. Just to promote the population of bees.
 

Vance G

NewBee
Registered Member
Aug 30, 2011
564
3
0
Great Falls Montana
Been around for a long time. Commonly called the langstroth bee hive. Works well on strong roofs and could be kept in a building with an entrance thru the wall and a single window open to outside when working the bees. if you select docile bees and work them on warm sunny days, a completely enjoyable and relaxing process.
 

tweak'e

NewBee
Registered Member
Jan 31, 2011
396
1
0
NewZealand
nah its not the langstroth bee hive.
in some countries they have a wall of a house made of beehives with little doors that open into the room so they can be serviced from inside the building. i would have to research what they call them.

big problem with the idea of a nice small beehive is that its small. it would be over populated in a very short time and tend to swarm out completely (ie no bees left). really needs to be a decent size.
you can keep the normal langstroth on buildings easy enough so i don't really see the point of making anything smaller.
 
A

andrewschwab

Guest
Guest
There is a hotel in Chicago I stayed at recently, I forget which one, but it was pretty darned tall and they had hives on the roof.

Some insects can't see red light, like ants. I don't know about bees. And I certainly don't know about orange... Bit too far down the wavelength I bet.

Long time no post, it is true bees don't "see" red. Now that said, they see it but not well and it doesn't stand out to them. Red is actually a good color t-shirt to have on in the bee yard :icon_clown:
 
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