bee ball
do we need a new one
Type of beekeeping?
do we need a new one
Type of beekeeping?
Bees have been kept in square magazine hives around the world for many decades and no one has complained about them, right?
Well, if the bees could communicate, they probably would. Historically, bees have lived naturally in tree hollows for many millions of years. These were perfectly insulated and open to diffusion. While today's magazine hives cause numerous problems.
The bee ball is the next logical step in the evolution of beekeeping. So let's implement the Bienenkugel®evolution together!
Origin and development of the bee ball
The aim of the bee ball movement is to enable the bee to have a bee-friendly dwelling and to enable sustainable, ergonomic and lucrative beekeeping for humans.
The classic bee ball has been used successfully around the world since 2012 and has been continuously improved and developed over the past nine years thanks to the experience gained in beekeeping. It has been shown that the breeding space of 33 l can be too small for some bee colonies and bee races. In some cases, the outer small frames were not completely removed and creating an offshoot with five different frame sizes can be a bit more difficult and time-consuming.
Based on these observations and the results of various computer simulations, the bee ball was optimized in such a way that an even better indoor climate can be created in the hive.
Many problems could be solved with the Beesball OVOID and the Beesball-PRO . The brood chamber in the form of a cylinder with rounded corners has the same physical advantages for the bees as in the original bee ball due to its geometric properties. Here, too, the bees are more peaceful, they consume less food and the quality of the honey can also be increased significantly by optimizing the indoor climate.
Another advantage of this new hive is that the frames are all the same size, which makes beekeeping and colonization even easier. Thanks to the further development, the bee ball can also be mass-produced inexpensively.
The aim of the bee ball movement is to enable the bee to have a bee-friendly dwelling and to enable sustainable, ergonomic and lucrative beekeeping for humans.
The aim of the bee ball movement is to enable the bee to have a bee-friendly dwelling and to enable sustainable, ergonomic and lucrative beekeeping for humans.
The aim of the bee ball movement is to enable the bee to have a bee-friendly dwelling and to enable sustainable, ergonomic and lucrative beekeeping for humans.
The aim of the bee ball movement is to enable the bee to have a bee-friendly dwelling and to enable sustainable, ergonomic and lucrative beekeeping for humans.
The aim of the bee ball movement is to enable the bee to have a bee-friendly dwelling and to enable sustainable, ergonomic and lucrative beekeeping for humans.
Bee ball PRO
The newly developed Beehive-PRO is a one-room hive (brood chamber and honey chamber can be separated by a queen's separation), in which beekeeping becomes even easier and more time-saving. The hive offers many advantages for you as a beekeeper as well as for your bees. Due to the round shape inside the bee ball, the bees can work together even more efficiently and thus produce more high-quality honey.
Suitable for the production of centrifuged honey, honeycomb honey and viking honey
very good honey quality and high yield
19 frames of equal size
70 l volume
Back-friendly and time-saving
Easy to use (even for beginner beekeepers)
Separable honey room with queen's room
Incubator guidance with heat separator
improved humidity regulation
Varroa treatment option
easy swarm control
Good view of the opened bee ball (due to the round frames)
High energy efficiency, little feed consumption
Healthy bee colonies
Reduced varroad pressure thanks to constant heat and regulated humidity
Possibility of queen control
Simple branch formation and honeycomb renewal
The frames of the Bienenkugel-PRO can also be flung. (The slingshot must be designed for honeycomb sizes 37cm x 40 cm). To do this, the frames in the honey room must be draped and provided with central walls. Otherwise the honeycomb will break during spinning.
In addition to centrifuged honey, very high-quality honeycomb honey and viking honey can also be harvested from the Bienenkugel-PRO.
Honeycomb honey: 1kg 30-50 €
Viking honey: 1kg has a retail value above the honeycomb honey (due to the bee bread)
In order to reduce the acquisition costs of the Bienenkugel-PRO, only the essential components are supplied. In addition, only a few wooden boards are required (can be purchased cheaply in the hardware store), which can be sawn and assembled by yourself. Step-by-step assembly instructions are also included.
On request, the bee ball PRO can also be delivered fully assembled (not included in the price).
Bee ball OVOID
The bee ball OVOID consists of 11 frames of equal size (42 l volume) and thus offers space for a colony's brood chamber. Depending on the season, this can be increased or decreased with a slider. For honey extraction, honey chambers of all common dimensions can be placed on top of the OVOID.
This way, the bees and their brood can enjoy the benefits of the bee ball in the OVOID. At the same time, honey can traditionally be harvested from the honey chambers. So it can be kept as with magazine hives.
The disadvantage compared to the Bienenkugel-PRO is that putting honey chambers on and off is cumbersome and exhausting. Also in summer, as with magazine hives, all honey spaces must first be set down before a look into the beehive in the OVOID can be taken.
Worldwide field research
Use of the bee ball in over 20 countries and exchange with many experienced beekeepers.
Investigation of wild bee colonies in tree hollows (since 2013)
Discovery of dead wood and its impact on bees
Is deadwood the new / old natural penicillin for bees?
Deadwood research at the University of Würzburg
Material research
Influence of materials on the indoor climate and the well-being of the bees
Use of sustainable, environmentally friendly raw materials
Development tools
Use of modern computer-aided design and simulation programs
Use of the most modern measuring technology
manufacturing engineering
Use of modern production technology (CNC and 3-D printing)
Development of new manufacturing methods for cost-effective large-scale production
Financing and implementation
Independent of government or other organizations
Donations are declined
Agricultural research area (edible bee forest)
Practical tests of different beehives in the edible bee forest
Increasing the yield of fruit with decentralized bees and protection against
Pests and late frost from pollination.
Goal: Integration of the bee into agriculture
Energy balance in the bee ball
The Agricultural University of Triesdorf carried out studies with Dadant hives and bee balls as early as 2013/14. Both the theoretical test without bees and tests with bees showed that bees in the bee ball have to heat about 45-50% less. In the Bienenkugel pro, the energy efficiency can be increased by adjusting the brood chamber.
Interdisciplinary team
consisting of the faculties of bee research, agriculture / permaculture, craftsmen, construction industry, electrical engineering, historical research, space travel, mechanical engineering, nutritional science
Literature:
Beekeepers with the bee ball
Authors: Andreas Heidinger Dr. Christian Kuhn
Beehive ball adventure
Author: Undine Westphal
The ball of bees in the hands of the students
Author: Undine Westphal
Media:
Reports in ARD and Bavarian radio
Lectures / Workshops:
At beekeeping associations, universities and colleges and associations
