# Bee Cool Ventilators



## Boris (Jul 12, 2006)

Bee Cool Ventilators topic is here:
http://www.beebehavior.com/bee_cool_ventilators.php

As always, comments and questions are welcomed.

Boris


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## Ross (Apr 30, 2003)

A tremendous waste of money. Absolutely no way to verify any increased honey production as no two hives are the same. If your bees are clustering outside the hive, prop the lid open. That's all it takes. The bees have their own thermostat and their own fans. That's my two cents worth.


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## BigDaddyDS (Aug 28, 2007)

I can only offer my limited opinion on this one.

I feel that while there may be 'some' merit behind the product, it is over-priced technology that doesn't outweigh the alleged benefit. Especially when someone recently pointed out that the product claims 50% increase in production, but it costs more than a 3 pound package of bees, which would give you a 100% increase in production.

It's an interesting idea, but it's too expensive to try and not cost effective enough even if it works as advertised.

Sorry!
DS


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## Boris (Jul 12, 2006)

Ross said:


> ...The bees have their own thermostat and their own fans.


It's true, but nevertheless, if hive temperature rises above 91.4°F -- 97°F, it may cause the bee brood to overheat and die. Therefore bees have to use ENERGY (!!!) and water to prevent nest temperature from rising.

I'm sure, that additional hive ventilation will allow the bees to spend less time and energy to maintain hive temperature and therefore increase hive’s productivity.

The price of additional ventilation is only question.

Boris


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## Ross (Apr 30, 2003)

> I'm shure, that additional hive ventilation will allow the bees to spend less time and energy to maintain hive temperature and therefore increase hive’s productivity


Prove it. For 95% of the country, days over 97 degrees are rare. Even here in Texas, simply propping the lid a 1/4" keeps all the bees inside.


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## honeyman46408 (Feb 14, 2003)

I knew a guy once that had a couple of them and he spent more time working on them than they spent ventilating.


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## Boris (Jul 12, 2006)

Ross said:


> Prove it.


Prove #1:
“…After 50+ years of beekeeping I find I still learn something new about bees almost every day. This is not something that can be mastered over night, there will always be a challenge as hives change season by season…
Our Modification kit is an add-on for the standard hive, for the bee keeper with a number of hives who wishes to improve on the Langstroth or the standard North American hive. Independently tested, increases production and hive products by 85%.
We can only repeat our experience with our hives, to give you the increased poundage of honey production. In '92 a poor year locally, our provincial average was only 61 lbs per hive, we took fro m 2 hives 284lbs which was tested at 15.6% water. Also remember those were brand new hives that year and they had a lot of foundation to draw out. In '93 a good year locally, the provincial average was 115 lbs per hive, we took an incredible 613lbs from 2 hives. No that's not a misprint, it did read 613lbs tested out at 15.5% water. In '94 a very strange year, a dearth in July and August we have taken 190lbs per hive, we think the provincial average will be about 60-70lbs. “ From: http://www.beeworks.com/modkitdetails.html

Prove #2: With my THSCU I had increasing of honey production up to 60%, thanks to proper hive ventilation.

Boris


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## Jim Fischer (Jan 5, 2001)

Hold on guys... the number of bees forced to fan to keep temperatures
under control or to evaporate nectar to honey could be doing something
else if not for the need to fan.

One certainly can compare production, and one can swap queens and
venting scheme to make sure that one is being fair and objective.
Yes, passive venting (like propping up the cover a bit) certainly does 
help, but where it is both hot and muggy, some active venting is not a 
bad idea at all.

But solar panels? Fans with moving parts? Lame. Fragile.

Look up a "solar chimney", which heats air in a plexiglass or glass
"chimney" with a black north side, and causes the air to rise in
the chimney. Put one of these atop a hive, with some 6-mesh to
keep the bees out of the thing, and a zig-zag light-lock to keep
the sun from shining down into the hive, and you'd have more 
ventilation than any little fan could provide with _*no moving parts
at all*_.

But even passive venting added to hives in the form of old shallows
with mesh staped to the bottom, a zig-zag light lock, and vents
added to all four sides end up having the bottom mesh propolized 
by the bees within a few months, so perhaps the bees don't like 
so much breeze.


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## PDCambs (Mar 25, 2008)

I've seen similar claims for massive crops out of new hives, without the use of the electronic ventilator, that’s not to say that in this case the ventilator did not contribute to a large crop.

I do wonder if a screened roof hatch that works on the same principle as an automatically opening greenhouse window would not work as well and be much cheaper. Also, don't those fans produce vibration that might have adverse effects on colonies?

I doubt you'll get more take up on the idea than a few techies that wanna 'wire-up' their hives, unless there are independent trials done along the lines of those done by Randy Oliver.



As always...just my opinion !!!


Best regards

Peter
Cambridge UK


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## Boris (Jul 12, 2006)

PDCambs said:


> ...Also, don't those fans produce vibration that might have adverse effects on colonies?...


Peter,

Fan noise and electromagnetic field are also my concern. And I would like to trace these influences on the bees.

Boris


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## Ross (Apr 30, 2003)

A "test report" from someone selling them is hardly proof. Chevy says they have the world's best truck. So do Ford, Dodge, and Toyota. 

Did they test it against a top entrance hive? If they were having moisture problems in their other hives the answer is no. Propping the top or otherwise creating a top entrance allows moisture and heat to escape at the top where it naturally accumulates. You'll find the bees will propolize it if it creates too much ventilation. I did full attics with screened openings on my hives one year. The bees propolized the screened top into the attic to shut down the breeze. 

How much honey do those $100 tops represent? How many hives can you put together with that money? How long will they last? Oh, and the source you sited is for the DE kit which is a PASSIVE ventilation system, not a powered fan.


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## Boris (Jul 12, 2006)

Ross said:


> Oh, and the source you sited is for the DE kit which is a PASSIVE ventilation system, not a powered fan.


You quoted my statement: "I'm sure, that additional hive ventilation will allow the bees to spend less time and energy to maintain hive temperature and therefore increase hive’s productivity" 
and asked me to prove it. My statement was about additional ventilation in general, not about powerd fan.

All my hives have passive ventilation, but I would like to make my own decision about Bee Cool Ventilator

Boris


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## Ross (Apr 30, 2003)

Again, statements by people selling something should be taken with a grain of salt (or several pounds) and almost never constitute any type of emperical evidence.


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## Boris (Jul 12, 2006)

Ross said:


> Again, statements by people selling something should be taken with a grain of salt (or several pounds) and almost never constitute any type of emperical evidence.


I have full confidence in achievement of Canadian beekeeper (see post #7), because my own results are very close to his results.

Boris


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## BigDaddyDS (Aug 28, 2007)

Boris said:


> As always, comments and questions are welcomed.


(Why do I get the feeling that we've been baited into an argument?)

Boris, it seems like you already have your mind made up. If you already have evidence that proves (to you) that this piece of technology works, and you feel that it's a good value, why are you asking for opinions about the product? Perhaps I misunderstood your original posting and you are a salesman for Bee Cool? I'm not understanding where you're coming from (or what you're looking for), but I have a terrible feeling that our comments can only fall on your deaf ears.

Sorry. But, on this product, let's just agree to disagree, m'kay?

DS


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## Ross (Apr 30, 2003)

Does sound a bit like SPAM doesn't it. Since his original post links directly to a for sale page, maybe this should all be pulled.


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## Boris (Jul 12, 2006)

BigDaddyDS said:


> (Why do I get the feeling that we've been baited into an argument?)
> ...but I have a terrible feeling that our comments can only fall on your deaf ears.
> DS


I can teach my grandson how to be polite, but not adults like you - it’s too late.

Again, I am not a sales man of any products. 
I will be appreciated to any opinion about Bee cool ventilators from beekeepers with real experience in this issue.

Boris


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## Ross (Apr 30, 2003)

You heard mine and didn't like it. Simply prop up the top. Done.


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## Boris (Jul 12, 2006)

Ross said:


> You heard mine and didn't like it...


If you really tested Bee cool ventilators - please show us your
proof.

Boris


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## Joseph Clemens (Feb 12, 2005)

A concern I have, here in Tucson, is that once the bees have their internal temperature, where they want it, by air movement and evaporation, forcing outside air into the hive (outside air here in Tucson is regularly over 100F in the shade) could be catastrophic.


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## Ardilla (Jul 17, 2006)

While my location is not as hot as Joseph's, I would worry that it would force too much hot, dry air into the hive. Our weather is already too dry. I prefer to give the bees a water source close by. A $20, 3-gallon poultry waterer seemed to fit the bill. It is my guess that they need water for cooling more than air movement - at least in this climate. The water source also causes them to expend less energy by not having to fly far for water collection - if that is your goal.


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## Ross (Apr 30, 2003)

> If you really tested Bee cool ventilators - please show us your
> proof.


 Didn't, don't need to, don't want to, too expensive, not scientifically sound. 5 years of no chemicals and no hive losses is all the proof I need. Prop the top, the bees take care of the rest. I'm done with this thread as of now.


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## Boris (Jul 12, 2006)

Joseph Clemens said:


> ...outside air here in Tucson is regularly over 100F in the shade...


Joseph,

Did you ever monitor In-hive temperature?

Boris


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