3 simple steps
1 Install
3 Swarm moves in
2 Lure Bees in
Once your ECO-BEEHIVE arrives.
You can then assemble.
This only takes about 20 minutes.
After that just place in your garden. Simply follow the instructions as to where.
Any time of the year is the best time.
2 Lure Bees in
3 Swarm moves in
2 Lure Bees in
The supplied Lure and symbiotic bead make it smell like a tree that has had bees in successfully before.
This attracts a colony to move in.
3 Swarm moves in
3 Swarm moves in
3 Swarm moves in
Then , the exciting part, How quick before bees move in? Spring and summer is when it all happens.
OK so how long will it take?
I say "two weeks to two years", on average, sometimes quicker sometimes longer. But more often than not , bees will move in, in the first few years.
Or you can just put a swarm in
Then what?
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3 Swarm moves in
Bees move in. Then what?
Well nothing! You in effect have a tree with a nest of bees. Honeybees are quite adept at looking after themselves. And for many years to come. As they have for thousands of years.
Only a small percentage of honey bees in the UK are kept by beekeepers. The rest are all free, wild honeybees. But this number is dwindling, not so much from diseases and predators but from lack of accommodation!
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A more genteel system.
The ECO-BEEHIVE is fairly new in the market, but not new. I have been making these hives for over four decades. Just for my own edification and amusement.
Log hives have been used for thousands of years and this is the same idea, Just a natural home for Honeybees.
My friends are always amazed!! Yours will be to.
Honey? Honey!
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What if I WANT Honey?
Something totally unique to the
ECO-BEEHIVE
Here you have a choice..
1: ANNE-X honey box- Here you can opt for a totally non intrusive self regulating system for a full description of how this works click HERE
2: S-CUBED honey box - This is the SUPPER SMALL SUPPER honey box.
This is for people who just have to have honey but don't want conventional beehives, so its not as big a shock to a colony as placing supers directly on top of the brood area.
Anne-x Honey Box
How the Anne-x honey box is different to conventional beekeeping
Conventional beekeeping changes the honeybees brood area, volume. (the Space where they will over winter and have babies)
They do this by adding boxes above or below the brood area, or in the case of Top Bar hives to the side.
This then puts the bees into a panic survival mode. They have to fill this space before winter! This is especially prevalent in the case where space is added above the brood. That is because hot air rises and for the bees to survive winter they need to occupy this area. Beekeepers of old understood this and the result was the framed box hive, that is a very good farming machine for making honey.
But the downside is, this puts the bees under great stress.
Now with the bees constantly in panic mode, year after year. This makes them sick and susceptible to getting diseases and over run by pests.
That is only one of a number of problems arising from changing the brood area volume.
My system is totally different taking advantage of a completely different quirk.
We NEVER change the brood area volume!
This results is no stress to the bees from you, the beekeeper. This then allowed them to be stronger and healthier.
So how do we get Honey if we do not change the brood area ??!!
This is how:
Bees though summer will squirrel way honey in all the side nooks and crannies, inside a trees stump.
This is not the quirk I take advantage of but this is part of the story.
The quirk is this. In winter they will not retrieve this honey no matter how desperate they may become . I know weird, and because of this and only this strange behaviour and the fact that removing this honey has absolutely not impact on their ability to over winter. This is the only reason I advocate my completely unique honey harvesting system. the ANNE-X HONEY BOX.
Studies have show they will not retrieve honey inside the nest regardless how desperate they may become.
Yes , honey production from this system is unreliable, but that is not the point, it’s just a cool, funky thing to do, that has little to no impact on the bees.
Because of this little odd quirk that bees have , you and I can now enjoy honey, knowing full well, you did not create any havoc or disruption in the lives of your colony of bees .
They are free to come and go if they choose, and they choose you. That is so special.
This is a truly unique system of beekeeping. Derived from my unique exposure and study of honey bees. Studying them in their natural setting. I have done this, all over the world. From Cuba to Poland, from Switzerland to Africa, from Africa to Essex.
These are My bee ethics and My story, but most importantly of all my GARDENERS BEEHIVE. ECO-BEEHIVE
This is the only system that I know of or have ever heard of that uses the NOOK AND CRANNY system to harvest honey. With the ANNE-X HONEY BOX on the side. The premise is this: in the wild, a tree stump is never perfect but always has little hide holes. So bees will allocate an area for winter honey , and area for rearing babies and then all the other spaces as honey buffer areas. We take advantage of this natural function, and then uniquely. Removing this buffer honey. This then has no impact on the winter stock of honey. This makes this completely self regulating! and is totally remarkable and unique to the Gardeners Beehive, ECO-BEEHIVE.
So the back story. I had a colony that dies over winter , well it was in spring really.. it had been a long winter, and then a wet spring and there were few flying days and as the cavity in the tree was quite small to start with, and they died. This was very sad, but on investigating I found that there was still honey in all the nooks and crannie, This raised alarm bells as I thought this wild colony had died from disease.. But a friend in Canada said this was common and sent me some research. The research showed that bees will not retrieve honey that is off to the side or below even as close as 2 1/2" !! This set the wheel in motion as I then started investigating how I could take advantage of this quirk without taking advantage of the bees. From this and after many years and many trials I have developed the Nook and Cranny honey harvesting system.
These are only a few of the most obvious differences between my system of "hosting" bees and all other systems of "beekeeping".
flowhive
gardenersbeehive
omlet beehaus
omlet beehaus green
selecting your hive
Basic kit
Tree Hive Kit
Tree Hive Kit
ECO-BEEHIVE.
This is the basics, and all you need to get started.
Hive body
Felt roof
Legs
Instructions (everything you need to know in one ezze to understand booklet.)
lure and bio bead for the bottom.
Tree Hive Kit
Tree Hive Kit
Tree Hive Kit
ECO-BEEHIVE tree Kit
This is the same basic kit but instead of legs it has two bars so it can be mounted on a wall or gazebo, or up in a tree.
It also has a stubby roof to fit flush in a tree or on a wall.
Widow Hive
Tree Hive Kit
Basic Honey Box
Window ECO-BEEHIVE
This is the basics you need to get started.
Hive body
Felt roof
Legs
Instructions (everything you need to know in one ezze to understand booklet.)
lure and bio bead for the bottom.
Basic Honey Box
Honey box with window
Basic Honey Box
ANNE-X
Only if you would like to have a go at getting some honey, you can add up to three honey boxes in spring.
Honey box with window
Honey box with window
Honey box with window
A normal ANNE-X box but with a door and window so you can open and see the bees progress.
American Ceder Roof
Honey box with window
Honey box with window
Makes your Hive look Fantastic
Not only beautiful but functional to.
Keep the bees cool in summer and warmer in winter.
This is an optional extra to make your hive yours.
As this is American Ceder no two roof are ever the same .
Then for the more discerning
Then for the more discerning
Then for the more discerning
Then for the more discerning
Then for the more discerning
Honeybee Cote'
Then for the more discerning
Honeybee Cote'
Really want to make a statement!?
With a positive impact.
With a custom installation service, you enjoy the splendor without the faff.
Dove Cote's are a statement , but a HONEYBEE COTE' is a regal statement.
Absolutely everything you need, except bees
Almost all singing all dancing
Almost all singing all dancing
Almost all singing all dancing
This is the ECO-HIVE
But you also get:
Three honey boxes
A bee jacket
and a
Clinker roof
All singing all dancing
Almost all singing all dancing
Almost all singing all dancing
This is a window ECO-HIVE
But you also get
Three honey boxes
A bee jacket
and a
Clinker roof
HOW TO: every thing else
Questions & Answers
AM I DYSLEXIC?
Yes
Is this real beekeeping?
Yes this is only for honey bees, ( Apis mellifera ) There is only one honey bee in the UK, but over 300 different bumble bees. BUT its more beekeeping as a host, like having wild birds in a bird box, rather than chickens.
Can the ECO-BEEHIVE be inspected?:
Yes, if it needs to be inspected by a bee inspector a side panel can be removed. Here you will find the brood area and a sample can be removes for testing.
What makes this so special ?
This is the only beehive and beekeeping system that conforms with every permaculture ethic! Just this one statement is astounding!
But there is much more.
This is the only beekeeping system that relies completely on bees just moving in on their own! (This is in-part because of three things. A: mechanically it is what they are looking for. B: biologically it is what they are looking for. C: The lure sent is part of a natural cycle in bees colony life cycle and that is why it works like no other.
But there is even more! Gardeners Beehive honey harvesting is the only system that is completely self regulating! That is incredible and remarkable! But completely unique to Gardeners Beehive!
Where is the best place to put it?
There is only one "must have" and that is:
There has to be an open area in front of the hive of 3 to 5 metres (16 feet) before any hedges or big bushes.
You can have a look at some of the photos on the photo page.
Then there are a number of "nice to haves" this is more to encourage them to move in, and stay. These are:
1: South facing , well from East round to West but Southern aspect.
2: Think tree-stump not beehive, so under a tree or in a hedge or bush.
3: Winter sun and summer shade, under a deciduous trees will give you this.
4: As the Gardeners Beehive are not frost tolerant, precautions need to be taken to prevent the hive getting to cold. If it is going to get frost or snow, you will require the Fiberglass roof.
5: Having a bird bath with fresh water is also welcomed.
6: In not to exposed an area, so protected from wind and driving rain.
7: Not facing prevailing wind.
8: Higher aspect in the garden.
That is all really , then its just a matter of luck, leave for January till Jun in one spot, then turn it 20 degrees or move over a few feet, every month until bees move in or end of swarm season , the end of August.
Loads of purple flowers in the vicinity will encourage foraging bees as well as scout bees.
But also a little commonsense is required as this is going to be a box filled with 40 000 stinging insects.
Is it Guaranteed to get bees move in?
No. Like a bird box, some times they fight over it sometimes they don't.
Is it well made? :
Built tough to last for many, many years.
The hive body is 2 X as thick as normal hives, and only A graded timber is used, screwed AND glued.
Only top quality out door screws
Hive body is raw (it has to be) the legs are pressure treated.
The roof is now covered with a felt, with a 5 to 10 year life.
Why so big and HOW BIG IS IT? : This is natural beekeeping, the ideal size from my research. The bees need enough space to store Honey for winter (top) and space to make babies (Bottom).
Foot print: 2' X 2' or 60 cm X 60 cm
Height: 4' 5" 130 cm
How much does it cost? : Gardeners Beehives are £265.00 + (p&p £35.00) This is for everything you need to get started.
Compared to:
Flow Hive at £699.00 + £ bees
Top bar Hive be very careful when buying these as there are a lot of very cheap and nasty products out there TBH £499.00 + £ bees or from Omlet the Beehaus for £529.00 for their starter set.
Do I have to get honey? : NO you don't. In the second year you can install “honey boxes” these attach to the sides and that is how we collect the honey, but only if you want to.
How many honey boxes do I need? : You only need if you would like honey, and you can put one, two or three on.
When is the best time to put one in? : Anytime of the year, because it ideally needs to weather in a little, to be more appealing. But before spring is best.
How long will it take to get bees? : two weeks to two years , give or take, and a little luck.
How big must my garden be? : From a balcony in London, a terrace garden to a stately home (The only prerequisite is a clearing of 3 to 5 metres in front of the Hive.)
How much honey will I get? : This is the only completely self-regulating honey harvesting system. So sometimes a few jars, other years nothing. This is completely at the mercy of what is happening in the environment as they will prioritise their winter stock of honey before putting in the honey boxes.
Other interesting portals.
http://www.nationalbeeunit.com/
Can you buy one directly from me without carriage charge? : Yes, you can pick up just
call first. 0127 9814 301 we are in Stansted in Essex.
Will They swarm?
So a few things,, that are slightly misunderstood by people who go on beekeeping courses. Though no fault of their own.
No hive is an island.
So the mother ( the queen) is always trying to leave. It's not because the hive is full this can be seen in hives that swarm that are in large cavities like walls and roof spaced, where they don't actually fill the entire space, but still swarm. Thus they are called beekeepers as they cut the queens wings off to keep her from flying off, swarming.
Now that we understand that the queen has an urge to find a new home so that they can spread this genetics and propagate. The hive that is left with half the bees will make a new mother, and she will want to leave as soon as she can, to. With a little luck every gardeners beehive will swarm once or twice in a season. And have loads and loads of drones. AAAAaaaaa!! I hear every one say.. here is the thing though. the swarm emerging from a Gardeners beehive is small in comparison to a conventional box hive as the space is the ideal size to defend the hive once the hive swarms. the hive I have in the front garden has had bees in for at least 10 years continuously and in all that time it has swarmed twice a year every year ( I know because I track the weight of the hive) but in all that time have never seen one emerge only one flying off.
So yes, they will swarm , But if you are not there for the 20 minutes when it is happening you will miss .the entire event. And no you will not be terrorising people a few houses down from you , and no I have never in all my years seen bees in a chimney, I have seen two in cavity's in the side of chimneys but never one in the actual chimney. So there you have my abbreviated response 🙂
Another thing you can reassure your readers with are these things. Most bee's colonies in the UK are wild , and not kept bees. So you will not be steeling another beekeepers' bees. when they swarm you will not lose all your bees, only half the siters will leave with their mother. what you might like to say is why I am doing this. So from my research I have deduced that nests of bees are all inter dependant on all the colony's around them. they need each other for dieses and pest control and for genetic diversity.
The problem now is there are many high concentrated apiaries, but they are not linked with a network of wild bees. This is resulted from habitat destruction. I am trying with the help of everyone to rectify this.
So this is more that just allowing people to help one wild honey bee colony. ( that are actually less wild and feral than kept bees.) More that helping people have their own natural honey from their own garden, with all the health benefits of honey and everything it brings especially local to you honey. We are actually collectively helping strengthen honey bees so they can deal with everything the modern world can throw at them. Now and in the futcher. Thank you again for the great question, and please if this has led to even more confusion just ask and Ill do my best to send you another short and concise answer.
Who are concerned about bees?
3: Scarlet Johanson
4: Steve Vai is best known for his guitar work and associations with artists and bands like Frank Zappa, David Lee Roth, and Whitesnake
5: Morgan Freeman
6: Flea from the Red Hot Chili Peppers
7: The Queen of England
8: Leonardo DiCaprio
9: Bill Turnbull
10: YOU??
Natural Beehive...
What you get when you BUY an ECO-Beehive?
Saving the Honey bee by simply giving them a home.
This is a natural beehive, a natural bee nest, a Honey Bee Home a LOG HIVE.
Bee's face many challenges, from climate changed , mono cropping, pesticides and herbicides, to name but a few.
But one of the easiest problems we can all help fix, is "extermination though deprivation of habitat". Bees live in TREE STUMPS not in beekeepers beehives. Give them a MOCK TREE-STUMP, give them a ECO-BEEHIVE
So consider the picture above:
Here we have a Gardeners Beehive and a tree stump. and a comparison.
This is what you get when you buy a
Gardeners Beehive kit:
1: You Get a "Gardeners Beehive" hive body legs and roof.
2: You get the live Biomass that is put in the bottom.
3: Lure to entice the bees into your Gardeners Beehive
4: Comprehensive instruction on what is the best location, how to set it up and how to manage your bees once they have moved in, and some other interesting tit-bits, just for fun and interest.
What you can add to your kit:
1: American Cedar or Pine clinker roof
2: Honey boxes
_________________________
Once bees move into your ECO -BEEHIVE you can then consider the HONEY BOXES. If you would perhaps like a little honey. This is the only completely self regulating honey harvesting system in the world. We take advantage a quirk that honey bees have in that they squirrel honey in all the little side cavities, in our case the "honey boxes". But will never be used this honey as winter stock. (This has been shown in research where they will not retrieve honey if to the side or below the allocated winter food honey.) This has no affect on their winter stock prioritised inside the hive. No other system uses this system of unobtrusive honey harvesting! You can buy one , two or three Honey Boxes per Gardeners Beehive. You can expect anything up to two litres of Honey from a hive.
_________________________
Fiberglass roof:
Then lastly you can buy a fiberglass roof to provide extra protection from the cold in winter. Recommended if you expect frost and snow.
picture above legend.
A: Roof and hive body
B: Live Biomass
C: Honey for winter
D: Comb where babies bee grow
E: Entrance
F: Honey Box (side cavity )
G: Buffer honey stock for summer only.
H: Small entrance to nook and cranny
I: Tree Stump
Plant Flowers!
Don't use pesticides
Honey bees live in tree stumps, they thrive in tree stumps. Albert Einstein said we would all be dead in five years after the last honey bee died!
GARDENERS BEEHIVE !
Bees are under threat from all sides, but the most basic thing we can all do is just give them a home! A safe place for bees to do what bees do best! Make more bees! If we let them.
No Time like the present!
We do our very best
We Truly Care
Yes care about honey bees the environment and people. Yes this is to help honey bees but not to the detriment of others or the environment. So all the wood we use is certified from ethical harvesting. All wood is A graded and to BS standard. Screws and studs are made in Germany and Italy. The roof is engineered wood and has a felt covering. I could go on but you get my picture, robust quality.
Customer Satisfaction
Yes this is a little rough and ready, that is the idea. It is built tough and simple, but clever. There are lots of design aspects and features built into this hive to mimic a honey bees natural nest environment. I try to dispatch as soon as possible and keep everyone informed with tracking numbers. I love speaking to our customers so if you have any queries, want more information or just want to have a chat about the bees, please drop me a line. For payments I use Pay Pal and stripe as they are world renowned, not cheap to me but safe for you.
Also see our independent customer reviews!