# Branding?



## kyfarmer (Feb 4, 2008)

I was reading about stolen hives in another thread. I am not concerned about mine being stolen, but the discussion of branding leads me to ask if hive have to be branded with a name or something.

BTW I asked earlier about painting hives and it is clear you dont paint the inside, but two questions: What about the bottom board or at least the couple of inches that stick out? Secondly, if I get a little paint on the insides will it hurt the bees and should i sand off my drips, etc on the insides?


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## Jeffzhear (Dec 2, 2006)

kyfarmer said:


> I was reading about stolen hives in another thread. I am not concerned about mine being stolen, but the discussion of branding leads me to ask if hive have to be branded with a name or something.
> 
> BTW I asked earlier about painting hives and it is clear you dont paint the inside, but two questions: What about the bottom board or at least the couple of inches that stick out? Secondly, if I get a little paint on the insides will it hurt the bees and should i sand off my drips, etc on the insides?


I am not aware of branding being a requirement anywhere, and not in PA or NY. I do brand all my new unpainted equipment.

I paint my bottom boards, all but the part that is inside the hive. And a little paint on the inside doesn't matter to my honeybees. Plus I splatter paint all the time. However, I am going to dip a boat-load of equipment this spring that I have built over the winter in a heated mixture of Parafin and gum rosin. You can search on the this site and find out much about that treatment...


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## Michael Palmer (Dec 29, 2006)

Jeffzhear said:


> I am not aware of branding being a requirement anywhere, and not in PA or NY. I do brand all my new unpainted equipment.
> 
> I paint my bottom boards, all but the part that is inside the hive. And a little paint on the inside doesn't matter to my honeybees. Plus I splatter paint all the time. However, I am going to dip a boat-load of equipment this spring that I have built over the winter in a heated mixture of Parafin and gum rosin. You can search on the this site and find out much about that treatment...


Wasn't branding required in Florida? At least painting on your ID number? I sent a load to Florida in '98, and was questioned on not having my registration number on the hives. Never went back, so didn't bother.

You could dip your bottoms in copper napthenate solution.


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## tecumseh (Apr 26, 2005)

I brand my hives with my initials for identification purposes. This protects me as much from some land owner claiming the hives are theirs as much (if not more) as it does from theives. Secondly (and since the state bee inspector is local) anyone that should ask about who a particular set of hives belongs to gets direct to me in a fairly straight forward fashion.


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## Tim Hall (Sep 14, 2007)

My understanding is in Texas if you have a certain number of hives in one place (I think 6 or more) that constitutes an ‘apiary,’ and technically it’s all supposed to be registered with the state apiarist and branded according to specific guidelines for identification.

The people to check with are your state agricultural/apiarist department to see what's required. What can functionally be regulated is another matter.


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## Panhandle Bee man (Oct 22, 2003)

Each state has different rules on branding/marking. Many of the rules are not enforced though. 

Painting I completely paint tops and bottoms with several coats of paint. Don't worry about paint that gets inside of boxes. It wont be an issue with the bees.


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## Grant (Jun 12, 2004)

Branding, whether required or not, used to be quite popular. I've been fortunate enough to buy up retired beekeeper's equipment and also find quite a bit at estate sales. Much of this stuff is branded, even the top bars on the frames. 

I have just about every beekeeper's stuff from the previous generation. Anyone entering my storage shed might think I'm nothing but a hive rustler.

Every so often a young person tells me how his grandfather used to keep bees locally and his name was _________. 

And sure enough, I've got his old boxes. I wish those brands could tell their stories.

Grant
Jackson, MO http://www.25hives.homestead.com


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## Flyman (Jun 11, 2007)

I received my branding iron today and have started branding before I paint this years boxes. It would be pretty cool to see all the different brands (or collect them) like cattle brands over the centuries.


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## Michael Bush (Aug 2, 2002)

I brand the boxes and the frames. For one thing it's good insurance in the outyards in case some old farmer dies and the kids say "Those are our Grandpa's bees!". Funny how he branded every box and frame with my name?!

http://www.bushfarms.com/images/FeederApartmentsEntrances.jpg


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## Jeffzhear (Dec 2, 2006)

Michael Bush said:


> I brand the boxes and the frames. For one thing it's good insurance in the outyards in case some old farmer dies and the kids say "Those are our Grandpa's bees!". Funny how he branded every box and frame with my name?!


I thought about branding my frames, but that sure seems like a lot of extra work...I'll have to give it more thought.


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## odfrank (May 13, 2002)

but that sure seems like a lot of extra work...[/QUOTE said:


> Yeah, at least 15 seconds a brand - whew !!! exhausting!!! hot and smoky too....
> 
> Between those who can't heft a deep, can't take the time to wire a frame or embed wax, and those who don't have the time too differentiate their bee equipment from the tens of millions of identical pieces in the country.... beekeepers on this site sound more like a bunch of weakling weenies every day. No wonder America is falling behind the rest of the world.
> 
> I am riddled with MS, but still wire, embed, and brand a few hundred frames a year. I heft deeps too. Must be my recent European heritage.


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## Michael Bush (Aug 2, 2002)

If you line a bunch of boxes with frames up along the ground you can brand every frame in no time flat. It only takes about two or three seconds a frame...


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## odfrank (May 13, 2002)

[QUOTE It only takes about two or three seconds a frame...[/QUOTE]

When doing time and motion studies always take into consideration related times in completing the task. A few days ago I branded 100 new frames and it must have taken me at least half an hour or more TOTAL. I take into consideration the time to roll the stacks of boxes closer to my brander, unstack the boxes, re-stack them, light the brander, wait for it to warm up, potty break etc. I bet closer to half a minute per brand all inclusive.

I also brand in the year of manufacture, which usually also is the year they are drawn out. So not only do I have to change the numerals on the brander, and swap heads on the brander, I have to repeat the branding process. Well worth the time spent in the rainy winter, and we don't get that much rain out here.


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## peggjam (Mar 4, 2005)

What branders do you guys like and use? A link to a website would be awesome....hint, hint......


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## Jeffzhear (Dec 2, 2006)

peggjam said:


> What branders do you guys like and use? A link to a website would be awesome....hint, hint......


I have an everhot, but they went out of business a few years back...
I needed a few parts last year and this outfit carried them, and after looking at the propane branding irons at the site below, I would buy one from them. The parts I ordered were shipped quick, prices were fine and these guys advertise in the bee mags...

http://www.brandnew.net/


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## Michael Bush (Aug 2, 2002)

>What branders do you guys like and use?

I bought mine from Mann Lake.


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## odfrank (May 13, 2002)

*Official Time And Motion Study Free to BeeSource*

I branded the year into 135 frames in 56 minutes this afternoon, that is 24.88 seconds a frame. That includes swapping the head on my brander, but not swapping the numerals in the head, rolling three piles of boxes 15 feet, and a slow start on the branding because it was not fully hot. I unstacked the boxes as I branded, and rolled them back into place. So figure 15-20 seconds each commercial speed, 30 second each old dude casual speed. See picture.

I first branded a N for NEW, then switched to R for Renovated, the eventually bought numerals and now use '07, '08 etc. Old Everhot from Kelly.


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