excellent look forward to seeing it when it's done ;)
Printable View
I've been playing around with a forced air design, a heated pan in a plastic clip box with a fan one end and a spout the other, it's not brilliant yet, it works for a few times but the heaters keep giving out. I'll try tinkering some more when time allows and possibly change from trying to use ptc heaters to something more reliable. I bought a gas and battery powered heat gun but it doesn't get up to subliming temperature on its own but it works well at forcing warm air through the box. It's all in a box in the cellar at the moment waiting for me to dig it out for those stoned r and d winter afternoons.
Im no expert and have NO knowledge of these kind of things BUT the one that you can buy in my 1st post heats it up and then the mist/smoke fills the hive, would it not be a good idea to use one of them but build a container around the base with a spout on the front and a cap on top so that the pressure builds up and the smoke is forced out the spout ??
Just an idea ?
My plan was to have a very mobile unit that could do lots of hives quickly, because diesel heater plugs (like the one you bought) need a fairly substancial housing for it, it will take time and battery to get going. I'm trying a very light pan that heats up very quickly without dumping the battery too much, I may have to go the way you suggest though if I cannot find a reliable lightweight heater. Also, forced air will be much quicker than vapour pressure alone.
Forced air may be quicker but I doubt it unless the air source was heated. We only need to get the vapour into the hive, the bees will fan it around. I think it would be over engineering a bit as sublimation has plenty energy of its own.
That said mine cost a fiver and took about 60secs to build and is probably the simplest way, but heh, it works.
please share then ? pictures and how you made itQuote:
That said mine cost a fiver and took about 60secs to build and is probably the simplest way, but heh, it works.
The lightest, cheapest (and effective) home-made job I have seen was a beer bottle top soldered onto a strip of copper piping heated by a salvaged car cigarette heater/lighter, powered by a 12v car battery.
£3.99 12v drinks heater with a copper end cap tapped through the coils(they spread nicely to fit). It cools enough between hives to reload it straight away. This is its 3rd winter and I use it on any swarms taken, so its holding up well.Attachment 2424
Thanks SDM, just wondering if it could be made into one of these http://www.icko-apiculture.com/en/sublimox.html
With the £250 you would have left over, you could put one in every hive .
I've not seen a Sublimox up close, but I doubt there is any way a heater and fan is £250 worth of anyone's money.