Bee hives

[bogmer]

Yes, the insanity over $$ is correct. But equally onerous is the observation that along with 'most everything else, the shelves are bare. The ripple effect of this virus business has devastated the supply chains in most every aspect/commodity.

I literally bought pine from a sawmill two weeks ago. They are anything but bare. The sawmill itself wasn't sawing any lumber because their stocks where full. I wonder if this pandemic isn't being used by lumber yards as a way to gauge people out of their money.

Where I live here in Ottawa,

I buy a 2x6 8 feet long in white cedar from a saw mill for 13 dollars... I looked up the price at home depot and a 2x6x10 is 14 dollars in construction grade SPF lumber...

If you drive an hour out of the city.... And I shouldn't be sharing the price I got at the sawmill... Because they don't advertise it... Let's just say that it cost less than a dollar a board foot for what ever you want in 16 feet lengths and if you don't mind planning it or having boards that are between 4 and 6 feet long then the price drops substantially.

[Woodwreck]

Where I live I can get a 1x12 from my current supplier for around 6$. From a home depot type of store then yeah around 20$ is the cost... Just shows you the markup that these companies put on wood. That is insane in my book.

Yes, the insanity over $$ is correct. But equally onerous is the observation that along with 'most everything else, the shelves are bare. The ripple effect of this virus business has devastated the supply chains in most every aspect/commodity.

[bogmer]

1x12x8 Pine Board , $15.53 . Cape Breton Island . Langstroth Deep Super purchased $15.95 . We purchase them now instead of making .

Where I live I can get a 1x12 from my current supplier for around 6$. From a home depot type of store then yeah around 20$ is the cost... Just shows you the markup that these companies put on wood. That is insane in my book.

[Harold , Cape Breton]

1x12x8 Pine Board , $15.53 . Cape Breton Island . Langstroth Deep Super purchased $15.95 . We purchase them now instead of making .

[woody820]

The most important thing, IMO, is the right dimensions. There is something known as "bee space." Too much space between parts and they'll fill with wax comb; too little and they will fill with propolis. This is known as "bee glue" and creates a sticky mess. I started beekeeping in 1982.

[bogmer]

I am not selling used equipment or selling bees themselves. I should be fine. but I will read up on it some more.

[John Bartley]

When it comes to bees in Ontario, there isn't a hobby.  There is a bee keeper, and a government that involves itself in every aspect of people's lives including bee keeping.  Look into it, ignorance isn't an appropriate legal defense should they decide to investigate you.

I'm not sure what level of oversight you are referring to, but the Ontario Gov't site doesn't seem to indicate anything super serious.

Here's the link :

http://www.omafra.gov.on.ca/english/...egulations.htm

After a quick read through, my impression is that it's no more onerous than any other regulated business or hobby.

[Wood Grower]

It's a hobby today that many people are getting into.

When it comes to bees in Ontario, there isn't a hobby.  There is a bee keeper, and a government that involves itself in every aspect of people's lives including bee keeping.  Look into it, ignorance isn't an appropriate legal defense should they decide to investigate you.

[Woodwreck]

I haven't thoroughly read all the replies here, so my apologies if I repeat something.

BUT, Google "bee keeping forums" and you will get a list of forums, like this one that will cover everything about the art.!

There is a forum for everything in today's social media world.

[bogmer]

I think you need a license or something for manufacturing bee keeping boxes. You need another license for keeping bees I think. Look it up it might save you getting into trouble!

It's a hobby today that many people are getting into.

[Frank D.]

In Quebec, no licence needed to make hives. To keep bees you’re supposed to register your hives, but there are zero consequences for not doing it unless you’re a professional beekeeper (farmer).

[Wood Grower]

I think you need a license or something for manufacturing bee keeping boxes.  You need another license for keeping bees I think.  Look it up it might save you getting into trouble!

[Frank D.]

I believe a lot of manufactures now use heat treated wood, is that so in Canada?

In Quebec it doesn't seem so. The standard is pine, either natural (unfinished), painted, or with paraffin (soaked in liquid paraffin). Don't see why they couldn't use heat treat, I imagine it could become more popular.

For Bogmer:

Here's a catalogue of one of the biggest suppliers in Eastern Canada:

https://www.propolis-etc.ca/Propolis_Catalogue-WEB.pdf

High-tech is not wood, but styrofoam or plastic. Most people still use wood.

[bkrits]

I believe a lot of manufactures now use heat treated wood, is that so in Canada?

[Frank D.]

I keep bees too and don’t make my own hives. It’s not worth it. Most beekeepers just want a hive that works. All parts of a hive are made to work together, so there are standard measurements of height, length, depth and thickness. You have the supers which are the big boxes and the frames which hold the honeycomb inside. There are other parts like lids, doors, queen separators, excluders, feeders, etc. There are a few different designs but it’s not as if you’re going to change or improve them because this is one of the worlds oldest industries and everything has pretty much been thought out. If you sell a hive that isn’t Langstroth, Warre, top hive or bar hive or flow hive, it will be hard to sell (you’ll have to know what you’re doing and devote your life to spreading your idea). And even then, 100% of the beekeepers I know (quite a few) use only Langstroth hives, which have specific dimensions. Because of the fixed dimensions, there is little to no difference between manufacturers. Most of the time beekeepers will buy the parts and assemble themselves; otherwise people with less time will buy assembled.

it’s a low-margin operation which is why I buy them instead of making them from scratch (doesn’t cost a lot more than the wood). Most of them are made with cnc’s because it’s boring, low-skill repetitive woodworking. Another thing to think about is distribution. Beekeepers usually buy their supplies from one or two places. If you’re going to be an extra stop for them, then you have to be worth it. It won’t be easy taking a bite out of the market of existing retailers.