Bee-O-Pack

[Shizzell]

Interesting. I'm thinking about using these when i start harvesting my honey next year or so. Tell me what you think about it. Any past experiences?

http://www.beeosphere.com/Default.aspx?tabid=229

http://www.beeosphere.com/

[amymcg]

I have not used them, but I have heard some people have issues with acceptance.  

You have to have alot of bees to make comb honey.

[Michael Bush]

Like any section (cassete or whatever) comb honey you have to crowd the bees up into the supers.  A cutdown split is the best way to accomplish that.  If you just want an easy way to get some comb honey, you can just put on some frames of thin surplus or foundationless and do cut comb.  This usually doesn't require the crowding up that comb sections require.

[amymcg]

I think the biggest issue most beeks have with the bee-o-pac is that it is more expensive than other comb honey systems. With bee-o-pac the frames are disposable so they have to be replaced every year. With other systems, The most initial outlay is in the first year, with bee-o-pac, it's every year. . .

[Michael Bush]

On the other hand, Bee-o-pacs fit in a standard medium super and you don't have to buy a special super.

[DBoire]

Does anyone have any suggestions on how to keep the darn thing together?  I attempted to put one together and had a difficult time, no, impossible time making the components connect.  I went as far as squeezing around the each  :shock: interlocking "bubble" thing to no avail.  I tried using masking tape :?  Nothing.   I produced a good 30# of comb honey using thin foundation  - beginners luck, but really well received by friends and family.  However, I now have this thing that I would like to use.

[randydrivesabus]

i would contact the manufacturer and ask for help from them

[thomashton]

I'm reopening this thread. Anyone used Bee-o-Pac last year?

I bought one medium full for this year to give it a try. Should arrive soon. My bees are bursting at the seams in two of my hives, and I think I have a good chace to get it to work here soon. It is hard to pass up the lure of 128 4oz comb honey sections from one super. Pluse Better Bee had them on sale.

[Brian D. Bray]

I've found it best, when planning comb honey, to wait until I have at least 1 full super of honey.  I then move that above the comb honey super and put an excluder beneath it--1 of the few times I use an excluder.  Getting the bees to work comb honey squares can be hard and frustrating.  baiting them to move up by moving a full super of honey above the comb honey super will help.  If possible, have the comb honey super sandwiched between 2 honey supers.

Comb honey demands a high population of forager bees.  Spray the comb foundations with sugar syrup to help bring them up into it and to get them to work on it.  The bees hate crawling around all those particians--it is very unnatural for them.

[thomashton]

Great advice Brian. They are 4 mediums stuffed to the gills. I just put a super on them Friday as they were stuffed to capacity and bearding like crazy in 5pm 75 degree weather. Just checked on them now--11pm. There is still a small group a couple hundred strong at the entrance.

I am waiting for the Bee O Pac to arrive and while I do I will let them work that super that is partially drawn out from last year. They should be all over that. I have an excluder gathering dust that could use a little service. I'll try your trick. I think I can stick that Bee O Pac super between boxes 4 and 5 and spray it with syrup.

This is my first try at comb honey. I'm looking forward to it. Thanks for the advice.

[buzzbee]

Brian
When you put on the excluder,will it go below the very top super of honey and above the comb super or below the comb honey super?

[imabkpr]

When you all add anythying to a honey super [in this case sugar syrup] you no longer have pure honey. If you are selling or giving away you should let the person receiving it know that it is almost pure honey.
                                                                   Charlie

[Brian D. Bray]

I don't use excluders, I prefer slatted racks instead.  It gives a deeper space for the queen to cross and if there is a honey barrier at the top of the frames it is usually enough to keep the queen down.  But then I also use 4 mediums as brood chambers so that the queen has plenty of space and builds a strong hive.

Imabkpr:  The syrup is a lure, the bees will consume it or turn it to wax in the comb partions--the honey remains pure.  If you can induce one hive to draw comb honey you can use that same hive to so year after year.  The major obsticle is getting the bees to draw the small pockets of comb required in comb honey the 1st time.  After that, the more they do it the more willing they are to drawn comb honey.  If you wish to split hairs about pure honey then dilute honey with water and spray that on the comb, or just paint honey on the comb.

thomasthon: If you have 4 supers of honey now, put the comb honey in the middle, 2 supers above and 2 supers below.  This will have more of a tendency to force the bees onto the comb honey.  Just remember that some hives would rather swarm than produce comb honey.  If the hive(s) you have selected for comb honey begin to swarm then try different hives.