Omlet Beehaus is a plastic beehive for the urban conservationist
By Vlad Savov 
posted August 6th 2009 3:12PM
posted August 6th 2009 3:12PM
[Via PhysOrg]
posted August 6th 2009 3:12PM
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The way the bee population has been dying off, maybe we need all the bee keepers we can get.
Agreed. We actually just did a big garden down one side of our house specifically for drawing bees in. I was surprised to see that yes, it in fact did make more bees appear. Not good if they are pissed but they need the helping hand.
The article makes light of it but this is actually a serious topic. If I had a garden rather than a small terrace for an apartment then I would certainly want to "do my bit". What I do note, however, is that the hive doesn't actually come with the most valuable component - bees. Bees are not cheap (oddly, they tend to be imported from places like Australia) and theft of hives is actually a bit of a problem these days because they are actually quite valuable. Suffice to say that your actual cost to start beekeeping will likely be considerably more than the price being asked for this hive.
Yes, I heard this on the radio recently...
@Kelmon:
Yeah they have the bees on as part of the order, basically you pre-pay for them through Omlet and they source them locally to you - 10,000 workers, a queen and a bunch of unhatched bees too.
I was going to get some for one of my enemies and have them post them to him.
The thought of someone getting a box of bees, shaking it up and down excitedly like a kid at Christmas that just got a big present from his rich uncle, listening for a tell-tale sign of it being something expensive (could it be that I won that PS3 in the competition I entered??). The gleeful urgency of ripping off of the wrapping, the premise of what lies beneath that covering of brown paper. The blood curdling scream of terror as his entire lounge is enveloped in a black and yellow buzzing swarm of fury as it is released from it's cardboard tomb.
Joy.
if bees enter your house, go for the windex
That's dumb. You can get a "super" (your standard wooden bee-box) for ~$100 and a quarter-million bees plus a queen for ~$80.
So.... $180 for a fully functional delivered-to-your-doorstep hive (some assembly required) or several times that for the cute plastic version that looks like it would be outgrown by a colony in short order anyhow.
Are you... a
... Bee geek?
Thank you for telling us completely USELESS information about prices in the US.
This product is sold in the UK, where a completely different currency makes your comparisons worthless. Furthermore the price levels and typical incomes are also very different.
GAH!
@Andrew
Are you serious? I've heard some stupid things before, but your statement is so stupid that I'm more inclined to believe that you're a troll.
Andrew, maybe you could relax on the anger there. That information was helpful to those in the States who would want to get bees.
@Andrew
Is there really that big of a price discrepancy between US and Englands currency? I mean what... 1 pound to 1.67 US? You bring up a good point, but still... $180 to $790 is a little steep of a comparison. Especially to compare w/ "price levels and typical incomes." I guess if you do want to pay 465 for a plastic bee container compared to 107 for a wood bee box, then that is your choice.
its all about andrew.
I hate to mention this but the US is not the UK. Simple currency conversions do not apply here. Does the US have a current shortage of bees? Because the UK does and that's why it is expensive here (i.e. simple supply and demand).
This is a thoughtful concept with a stupid implementation. A plastic beehive is less environmentally friendly than a fuel guzzling SUV. Stick to the old wooden beehive and you will be doing nature a favor. The concern being here that after you dispose of the hive (and you will) it will end up in a dump decomposing into harmful chemicals for millions of years. Even wooden Christmas trees are better than their plastic/artificial counterparts for the same reason, which is still valid even if you use the artificial tree for many years.
I don't see how this thing can possibly cost $790.
Omlet is owned by Apple.
That explains it!. Does that mean they decide which bees are allowed in the hive?
You cant eat the honey unless your spoon meets the license agreement.
Dude, don't bait Chapel, he'll squat on this thread like so many others. Just mock this thing silently without mentioning fruit.
I would bet money that sales spiked shortly after your comment.
WTF? Why is it so expensive?
It looks like a mailbox.
I want to put these in front of the house now and see if the mailman gets all pissed at me. Or maybe I can just buy a bunch of bees and put them in a normal mailbox? Either way, I think this is going to be hilarious...
Paul Chapel is a Beehaus!
And you're in love with him. He is your one love.
Killer Bees in Croydon... Journalists need to refresh their geography of England.
OMG BEES...F'N BEES! RUN! Not in my city!
agreed, i will stab anyone that puts an effin hive on the roof of my apt building
Bees are completely docile ... as long as you don't tick them off. You can stand right next to a hive and just watch them come and go peacefully.
not nyc bees, they sting first, ask questions later
and take your wallet.
Sadly, the plastics used to make this otherwise great product will do harm in their production and destruction. Why didn't they make it from wood or other natural material? And why the high price?
And if it was an Apple product, would be be talking iBees? iBee over priced? Boom tush...
They would probably eat through it in a matter of days...
HOLY SHIT, that is high. My wife got into bee keeping, I am helping her. A beehive us under $100 and bees are like $60 for a starter set. This is price gouging and for plastic? Just use the original wood, water seal the wood, done. Yes, we do need more bees. We plan to go from one hive, to 3 or more hives next year. The bees do pollinate alot of stuff. To the guy that said Windex, most honey bees aren't aggressive. Killing the bee is dumb.
question: would having a hive of honey bees in the area drive out the nastier wasps and such?
$790 for this plastic thing is stupid, this must be for the super vain who would torch it if they ever got stung......
I am putting my money on bee clothes!
http://farm1.static.flickr.com/25/63982702_26a3b30408.jpg
The fact that he's not using a mask or gloves while handling that hive makes me absolutely cringe.
Naw, those are trained stunt bees. He's fine.
I keep a bee.
Just doing my bit.
There was a bee house like this on the news today, and I was thinking it looked very cool for a beehouse. Then I saw it on here and I was like omg wow!
Does your neighbor play music too loud at 3am? Are they allergic to bee's? Well we have the answer!
As a wildlife conservationist with 6 years practical experience I think this is awesome! My issue is the price as I can get a wooden beehive for £200 ($335) which would be larger and be able to support a bigger colony.
I'm really interested in trying to start bee keeping and thought 'wow' when I saw this on TV last night. Sadly at £495, there's no way I'll be starting out using the beehaus :-|
While a hive this small might survive winters in England, it is a bit small for most places. For half the price (in the UK) you can get a gorgeous, high end wooden hives tart kit that would look good anywhere. Bees are kept in a lot of places where people wouldn't expect it. I know there are quite a few in New York City on apartment balconies. Bees are not aggressive unless you bother the hive itself. I watch mine for relaxation and one of the cats has learned to watch and not touch.
beekeepers beware! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bMNPJzwSrTI
You mean "Omlet Beehaus is a plastic beehive for the urban apiculturist"?
The cost in Chile of a beehive langstroth wood with bees is U$ 65.
It costs so much he couldn't afford any gloves!
So... let's say, just for the sake of argument - no matter what my girlfriend tells you, that I am lazy.
If I get a bee hive (a cheaper regular wooden bee hive) and do not harvest the honey then all is fine, right?
I mean... this seems like a silly question but I don't know....
The bees don't need me to clean out their hive and most of their food right?
What if I just want one slab of the honey part?
Also.. how much money and how involved are those spinner things to centrifuge the honey out of the slabs and whatnot?
Any bee geeks still lurking about want to clue me in?
Thanks...