Bees & bee hives | Independent and open-ended research

A bees diary

November 7, 2019September 19, 2019 by Roland Sachs

The Taglicht Media documentary follows the life of a single bee. The film team gives insights into the life of a single individual in the superorganism with unique shots. Individual shots were taken with my bees. And that gave me a small insight into the work of the film team. I think both are a … Read moreA bees diary

Bee hive Gruibert

March 21, 2019June 24, 2018 by Roland Sachs

The instructions for a new hive are now available under hive building: The Gruibert hive. The idea was born together with Gabi and Norbert Dorn. The goal was a hive with the following characteristics:

Thermal insulation comparable to tree cavities inhabited by bees
Entrance tunnel and volume of the brood chamber comparable to tree cavities inhabited by bees
Operation with top beams
Geometry based on tree cavities inhabited by bees higher than wide
Inserting of a common frame size possible
Access to the brood chamber from above and below possible
Hanging in the tree
Varroa screen board
Hive can be reconstructed with simple means and without special previous knowledge

Tom´s Tree

March 21, 2019April 22, 2018 by Roland Sachs

In the fall of 2017, I made Thomas Seeley an offer he couldn’t possibly refuse. I offered him 10 of my just finished Beeloggers to use in the Arnot Forest in the natural tree cavities he knows. I wrote him an e-mail with all the information about the data loggers and offered to climb into the trees with him. Thomas Seeley answered quickly and firmly: Unfortunately no time.

Straw bee hive with frames

June 13, 2018March 21, 2018 by Roland Sachs

Almost 100 years ago, straw hives with frames were already used for beekeeping. The hive has a wooden bottom, the entrance hole is only a small slit, the side walls are made of straw and the lid is a double-walled wooden construction with straw filling. In these hives there were no problems with mould and … Read moreStraw bee hive with frames

Treatment free beekeeping in Gwynedd, Wales

June 13, 2018March 8, 2018 by Roland Sachs

In Wales, there is a region where treatment against the Varroa mites has been successfully stopped. The interviews in the following video were made in 2015 for the film “Outside the box“, which will be finished in 2018.

Orientation of the entrances

March 21, 2019January 6, 2018 by Roland Sachs

In “The nest of the honeybee” in 1976, Tom Seeley describes a random alignment of the entrances in tree cavities inhabited by bees. Unfortunately, he does not give data on the alignment of uninhabited tree cavities in the region. It is therefore not possible to verify whether the bees prefer a certain direction for the entrances of their tree cavities or not.

Alignment of the cave openings — Orientation of entrances in “The nest of the honeybee”, 1976

Physical properties of propolis

November 17, 2018December 18, 2017 by Roland Sachs

The antiseptic function of propolis is generally known. This property slows down the development and spread of pathogenic germs in hives and tree hollows. However, propolis also fights condensation and mold in a different way, which is probably unknown to beekeepers. It is a simple physical effect: In the propolis layer there is no capillary condensation, propolis is not hygroscopic.

News on the Diffusion Lid, October 2017

March 21, 2019October 16, 2017 by Roland Sachs

The Diffusion lid works, but not as well as calculated:
The calculations for the diffusion lid are basing on approved calculation methods of building physics. The difference in the temperature, the thickness and the type of the material are decisive for the amount of water vapor diffusion.

Grooming bee

March 22, 2019September 20, 2017 by Roland Sachs

In the following video you can see a bee grooming 4 bees in a row. Obviously, there are bees that have exactly this job. The behaviour is therefore apparently not only triggered by the perception of pollen remnants or parasites on other bees. Well, I guess there are real “Grooming bees”. More Videos here.

News on the diffusion lid, September 2017

February 17, 2018September 20, 2017 by Roland Sachs

Unfortunately, sheep’s wool in the form of insulation mats is usually treated with moth repellents. Please do not use this for the Diffusion lid! It is also best to buy untreated sheep’s wool directly from the shepherd or farm. Hemp insulation wool is also permeable and can be used as an alternative. The insulation properties are, however, slightly worse.