# 90 year old beekeeper.



## little_john (Aug 4, 2014)

In demonstrating that age needn't present a barrier (with the right hives), that video does it's job well - thanks Greg - but I would have loved to hear what that old guy was speaking about. But - sadly, no subs or translation.

I don't know how it is that some videos have this facility and some don't - presumably it's an option the video author selects at the time of uploading ? Is there a financial consideration involved ?

Thinks ... if this is a free service, would it be possible for someone else to simply copy that video, then select the subtitle/ translation option when posting the copy ? Totally out of my depth here ...
LJ


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## GregB (Dec 26, 2017)

little_john said:


> In demonstrating that age needn't present a barrier (with the right hives), that video does it's job well - thanks Greg - but I would have loved to hear what that old guy was speaking about. But - sadly, no subs or translation.
> 
> I don't know how it is that some videos have this facility and some don't - presumably it's an option the video author selects at the time of uploading ? Is there a financial consideration involved ?
> 
> ...


Hey @little_john,
I entertain this idea of translating some Russian/Ukrainian videos of my own selection (and interests, initially) for the English audience.
Something to do for the winter.
Will see if this happens and where it may take us.


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## Litsinger (Jun 14, 2018)

He looks to be in really good rig- I imagine beekeeping has contributed to his longevity.


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## Vance G (Jan 6, 2011)

One of my early heroes was an 88 year old mennonite who was still keeping bees in langstroth equipment. Mr Black would not have thought much of long hives for his migratory commercial operation. God grant me another year of lifitng medium supers!


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## little_john (Aug 4, 2014)

Greg has been talking about these styles of hive and the frames they use for a while now, and so I thought I'd search out some background to them ... Here are two links which came up immediately (I'm sure there are many more):




__





Features of the Ukrainian beehive, handmade. DIY Ukrainian beehive on a high frame






johar.ru




https://logsamp.ru/konstrukcii-ramok-dlya-ukrainskogo-ulya-kak-pereselit-pchel-s.html 
(You'll need to employ Google's 'translate' function for that second link)

So - a bit of history, and building instructions too.  If I lived in a more challenging environment, then I'd certainly be giving this type of hive some serious consideration. It would appear that these hives are ideal for such a hobbyist with a static apiary, or perhaps has limited time in which to work bees.
'best
LJ


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## psm1212 (Feb 9, 2016)

The Alabama Beekeepers Association named Carlton Bearden as the 2021 Alabama Beekeeper of the Year. Mr. Bearden is 100 years old, still keeps bees and does not miss an ABA meeting.


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## GregB (Dec 26, 2017)

Another very mature beekeeper with his long hives (copy/paste the URL - would not play directly)
"



"


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## Litsinger (Jun 14, 2018)

GregV said:


> Another very mature beekeeper with his long hives...


Nice- and no veil to boot.


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## GregB (Dec 26, 2017)

This video I double-post from the "guys-on-the-wheels" talk, but it is relevant in the "90-year-old-guys" too.
So might as well - I like this episode so much.

We have the road-crossings all setup for the disabled/elder people (at much expense too) - and yet the lowly beekeeping is not getting even a fraction of similar attention.


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## Wil-7 (Sep 4, 2021)

psm1212 said:


> The Alabama Beekeepers Association named Carlton Bearden as the 2021 Alabama Beekeeper of the Year. Mr. Bearden is 100 years old, still keeps bees and does not miss an ABA meeting.
> 
> View attachment 66236


I'd like to fix him up with my mother who turned 100 years old last March.


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## Mikro (9 mo ago)

GregB said:


> Running Ukrainian and Levitsky hives.
> Here you go.
> If he can do it, anyone can - but takes a right hive, the long hive!


Nice video. Besides youtube what websites have information on the hives? What website has the plans to build them? Any books you recommend?


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## ursa_minor (Feb 13, 2020)

Mikro said:


> Any books you recommend?


I too love books, but for these Ukrainian style hives BS is the best info for that. It will take some searching as the info is sometimes imbedded in threads about different topics but if you look on the Top Bar forum and skim thru or fully read all the posts you will glean some helpful info.

The fact that some topics move off into the management of deep or Ukrainian hives makes it hard for us to help pinpoint the exact discussion some of these videos, or helpful information is in.


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## FavRoman (Dec 13, 2020)

Просмотрев именно это видео, я решил отправиться в путешествие за ульями. Проехал за 2 дня 2000км и теперь я счастливый обладатель 10 ульев Левитского. На одном из них стояла дата 1953!!.
Надеюсь, что я буду водить пчел в них и в 90 лет, а потом они достанутся моим детям.
View attachment 71929


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## GregB (Dec 26, 2017)

FavRoman said:


> Просмотрев именно это видео, я решил отправиться в путешествие за ульями. Проехал за 2 дня 2000км и теперь я счастливый обладатель 10 ульев Левитского. На одном из них стояла дата 1953!!.
> Надеюсь, что я буду водить пчел в них и в 90 лет, а потом они достанутся моим детям.
> View attachment 71929


Roman says:

After watching this exact video (GV: the top link, I assume), I took a trip to get some hives.
Drove 2000 km in 2 days and now I am a happy owner of 10 Levitsky hives.
One of them was dated 1953!
I hope to still be using them when I am 90, and then my kids will get them.


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## FavRoman (Dec 13, 2020)

GregB said:


> Roman says:
> 
> After watching this exact video (GV: the top link, I assume), I took a trip to get some hives.
> Drove 2000 km in 2 days and now I am a happy owner of 10 Levitsky hives.
> ...


GregB Спасибо, я думал у всех есть автопереводчик? Я не знаю стоит ли писать на русском, как ты думаешь?

Вот моя Коллекция.


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## Knoxville1 (8 mo ago)

What was that cloth bucket thing in the first video?


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## GregB (Dec 26, 2017)

FavRoman said:


> GregB Спасибо, я думал у всех есть автопереводчик? Я не знаю стоит ли писать на русском, как ты думаешь?
> 
> Вот моя Коллекция.
> 
> View attachment 71931


Роман,

Тут очень много пользователей кто не умеют тривиально пользоваться Гуглом. 
Многие из них тихие читатели и никогда не прокомментируют.
Какие-нибудь там деревенские дедушки, например.
Писать лучше сразу по английски - т.к. этот ресурс по умолчанию англо-говорящий.

Ульи классные!
Поздравляю.
Надеюсь, цена была сходная.

Мне приходится все делать самому - вообще без вариантов. 
Я и не против делать, но и времени особо нет.


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## GregB (Dec 26, 2017)

Knoxville1 said:


> What was that cloth bucket thing in the first video?


Swarm collector (Роевня).


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## FavRoman (Dec 13, 2020)

GregB said:


> Роман,
> 
> Тут очень много пользователей кто не умеют тривиально пользоваться Гуглом.
> Многие из них тихие читатели и никогда не прокомментируют.
> ...


Ok, 
I will write in English

These Hives, fortunately, were presented to me, like those 20 Dadan hives in which I already have bees.
Doing it yourself is interesting, especially trying alternative technologies, such as straw hives.
I have mowed the reed and plan to try one this winter, and of course it will be hives with high frames


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## FavRoman (Dec 13, 2020)

Knoxville1 said:


> What was that cloth bucket thing in the first video?


this is a bucket for collecting a swarm, it can be lifted high on a pole, shake off the swarm and pull the rope to close


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## Litsinger (Jun 14, 2018)

@FavRoman:

Glad to have you posting on the site- welcome!


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## FavRoman (Dec 13, 2020)

An 80 year old beekeeper runs his grandfather's apiary. beehives and apiary exist since 1919
(and not only without a mask but also without pants))))
after watching this video a couple of years ago, I realized that beekeeping does not end on Dadan and Langsgrot, but only begins, and even built one such hive that opens from the side and not from the top, with one notch in the upper part and not in the bottom, and the frames are enormously long 480mm stand, but do not hang on hangers, and do not have a wire, that is, it is in everything opposite to the standards, but nevertheless it has existed for 100 years and not only bees live in it, but also pump out honey.


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## Knoxville1 (8 mo ago)

There are certainly a great variety of beekeepers.


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## GregB (Dec 26, 2017)

FavRoman said:


> but do not hang on hangers,


Free-standing frames, just what I am playing with. 
Iteration of a log hive.

Great video!
@little_john, you must see this.


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## little_john (Aug 4, 2014)

Absolutely brilliant - no top-bar lugs, no comb support ... and no clothes, let alone no PPE !! LOL

In the wrong sub-forum of course - if ever there was a well-proven compact vertical beehive, this must be one of them. 

I'm particularly pleased to have seen this video, as it puts one of my 'ghosts' to rest. For a long time now, I've been trying to find out more about what has become known as the Polish 'Sentry Box' beehive, built and used by Polish POW's (not all Poles were on the side of the Allies during WWII) somewhere in the North of England (Cumbria, I think):










But - despite numerous searches no further info has surfaced, and so it was assumed that the above must have been a 'one-off', using whatever materials the Polish POW's could scrounge around their camp. But not so it would seem.

So many details of these hives are identical - as far as I can make out they only differ in the method of supporting the frames - one standing, the other hanging - just about everything else appears identical.

Many thanks for posting.
LJ


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## GregB (Dec 26, 2017)

little_john said:


> In the wrong sub-forum of course - if ever there was a well-proven compact vertical beehive, this must be one of them.


Yeah.
This one has my head scratching.
But again, I myself have horizontal/vertical hives built around the same frame format - it works.
A long hive designed around a tall enough frame does it all - vertical and horizontal at once.
Hmm.

During my late autumn 2022 inspections I really appreciated the access afforded by the large frames arranged in a single tier - people are really missing out on this design.

To compare, with the compact vertical it is a hassle to inspect singular frames in precision-access fashion - it takes breaking the entire structure apart to check that one framelet #5 located in the box #2.
It is a messy-joke and not agreeable with feisty bees.
In that, this messed up access algorithm required with the CVH is not something I appreciate. 
At least these boxes are pretty light for the 50+ year old (unsure though about the 80–90-year-old).


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## ursa_minor (Feb 13, 2020)

Can you imagine hoisting those frames out if they were full of honey?


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## GregB (Dec 26, 2017)

ursa_minor said:


> Can you imagine hoisting those frames out if they were full of honey?



This setup is not what I would do - but 90-year-old grandpa does it.
That design comes from the historic log hive access design thru the side door.
They just copied that same approach into the modernized log hives - this is what we observe - an iteration of a vertical log hive.

The original hives in the #1 set above are more ergonomic and efficient (top access) - no doubt.


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## ursa_minor (Feb 13, 2020)

Sorry GregB my mistake, I was referring to LittleJohn's picture. I like the set up in that video.


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## GregB (Dec 26, 2017)

ursa_minor said:


> Sorry GregB my mistake, I was referring to LittleJohn's picture. I like the set up in that video.


Yes, I got that.
That was exactly my reaction too - pulling a heavy honey frame thru the side door is less than easy (not my cup of tea).
Totally.

But what we observe here is priceless in other respects - historic hive evolution is one.


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## FavRoman (Dec 13, 2020)

I am glad that you are interested in this video, I am ready to tell you everything that interests you about these hives and even more (shoot me if I can't stop)))) 
I was fascinated by the construction of this hive and tried to find as much information as possible. I am not a very experienced beekeeper, but I am a wealthy historian of beekeeping, besides I have unlimited access to the largest paper library in continental Europe .


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## FavRoman (Dec 13, 2020)

this hive is called Slavyansky, it really demonstrates the development of hives from a log hive, and is an improvement of the Dzerzon hive, and the brother of the Berlepsh hive.

The author of these changes was Theophilus Ciesielski (graduated from the University of Berlin, Ph.D. and Associate Professor of Botany at Lviv University, his work on roots was cited by Charles Darwin)



https://pl.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Teofil_Ciesielski



in 1875 ear 3000!!! members of the society of beekeepers of Galicia (Lviv region) voted for the introduction as a standard.

I thought that such a person, although he may be overly enthusiastic about his ideas, but such an education, the experience of a scientist will not allow him to fall into error. after reading his book, I have no doubts about his competence, although he admitted that there are more convenient hives for the beekeeper, but this one is the most convenient for bees.


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## FavRoman (Dec 13, 2020)

This beekeeper is not as old as the previous ones (his experience is 40 years). But it also works without protection (maybe it depends on the hive?). This "Swiss box" hive (schweizerkasten), developed in 1860, is also the grandchild of the log hive, surprisingly, together with the covered apiaries (BIenenhaus), remains the most massive hive in Switzerland. perhaps due to the harsh climate. (By the way, this is not visible on the video, but for the nest they use frames twice as deep as for honey)
this time I collected 36 kg from one family number 7, this is a leisurely job, sitting comfortably under the roof, sitting on a chair ....))))

link to full article
Adrian und sein "Honig-Flow" - EMME - Die Schweizer Küche


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## Knoxville1 (8 mo ago)

New Glarus , Wisconsin has a 'Bienenhaus' hive on display. Das Bienenhaus (The Bee House) at the Swiss Historical Village– Part I


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## GregB (Dec 26, 2017)

FavRoman said:


> besides I have unlimited access to the *largest paper library in continental Europe .*


Noted!


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## GregB (Dec 26, 2017)

Knoxville1 said:


> New Glarus , Wisconsin has a 'Bienenhaus' hive on display. Das Bienenhaus (The Bee House) at the Swiss Historical Village– Part I


Short drive away from me.
For shame, but I never been there yet.  
I should check it out and report back.


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## FavRoman (Dec 13, 2020)

GregB said:


> Noted!


at your service


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## FavRoman (Dec 13, 2020)

GregB you will like this beehive J. E. Hand (Birmingham Ohio) 1909,
the frame has no protrusions and stands on metal plates nailed to the bottom of the case


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## GregB (Dec 26, 2017)

FavRoman said:


> GregB you will like this beehive J. E. Hand (Birmingham Ohio) 1909,
> *the frame has no protrusions and stands *on metal plates nailed to the bottom of the case


Too complicated to my taste.

I have been working out a free-standing frame that can fit most (1) *any commodity container and *(2) has sizing suitable for most* any beekeeping application.*

This is mostly about finding an optimal frame sizing.
I am pretty sure I know now what it is - nominally ~1'x1' (~300mmx300mm) free-standing frame.

A typical use case - get a common storage container, drop few frames into it - you immediately have a functioning and portable beehive.

Review:
Standing Frames | Beesource Beekeeping Forums


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## FavRoman (Dec 13, 2020)

GregB said:


> Too complicated to my taste.
> 
> I have been working out a free-standing frame that can fit most (1) *any commodity container and *(2) has sizing suitable for most* any beekeeping application.*
> 
> ...


thank you for the link, I have something to say there, and here I will risk adding the video again, let's not forget about the beautiful ladies who are also (albeit rarely) engaged in beekeeping, and by the way, again a long hive with a high frame looks like the same requirements give rise to similar solutions


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## GregB (Dec 26, 2017)

FavRoman said:


> here I will risk adding the video again,


Roman, I appreciate your videos!
Keep them coming.

I am pretty good at digging up useful videos from Russian/Ukrainian beek-space.

But I am pretty helpless in other beek-spaces - Polish/German/Spanish/French.
For sure it takes more effort to find good materials.
There are tons of good materials out there to be seen and studied.


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## FavRoman (Dec 13, 2020)

I am happy to share my secret, to begin with, we translate the words into all beekeeping languages: beehive, apiary, beekeeping and ancient. then we hammer into the search engine in all possible combinations and look at the pictures (this is important, since a text search gives you 3-5 results in one minute, and 30-50 pictures) you can also find videos through pictures, and YouTube search is very bad. I also use pinterest all the time.
very useful just to look through about 400 descriptions of beehives on this polish website
Kategoria:Konstrukcje uli – ApisWiki.PL
we must pay tribute to the Poles, no other language has such a voluminous list

and also this e-library, it is advisable to look for books before 1941, then nothing new appeared


Internet Archive Search: Bee Culture


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## GregB (Dec 26, 2017)

FavRoman said:


> I am happy to share my secret, to begin with, we translate the words into all beekeeping languages: beehive, apiary, beekeeping and ancient. ..........


Makes sense.
I have done something of sorts - when looking for Spanish-language sources.


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## Knoxville1 (8 mo ago)

If you guys find something you're interested in Spanish, I can translate it for you.


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## FavRoman (Dec 13, 2020)

Knoxville1 said:


> If you guys find something you're interested in Spanish, I can translate it for you.


Thanks, great suggestion! I think that we all have a lot to learn from other nations. As an avid retro fan, I watch the channel Eugenio Monesema all the time (Spanish ethnographic filmmaker. Eugenio Monesma has made over 2800 documentaries, mostly . on topics such as lost crafts, folk festivals, traditional clothing, traditional recipes,)
and here is one video in Spanish that shows us an elderly couple and their traditional beekeeping technique.
Undoubtedly, this is hard and unproductive work.
and someone might say why should I look at this mammoth s*hit, but " He who does not remember his past is doomed to relive it again"




for everyone who is interested in videos in foreign languages, I recommend the Yandex browser, its neural networks translate the audio track in such a quality that it seems like magic)


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