Cattle

Archive for December, 2011

If you have a pet pooch, you’re probably already familiar with the benefits of dog ownership. Owning a dog means that you get to form a loving relationship that will last for years to come. Dogs can enrich the lives of individuals and families alike, improving emotional and psychological health, as well as increasing overall happiness and satisfaction.

But did you know that pet ownership has been proven to have beneficial physical effects? One of the most appealing of these is that dogs can lead to lower blood pressure. Because the stress of a job can lead to high blood pressure, this effect can be a good way to reduce work-related stress. Many employers recognize this and are starting to allow their workers to bring their dogs to the office. Before you start, however, you should remember the following tips:

1. Your dog should be well-behaved and social. Bringing your dog to the office will only be successful if he gets along with people and other dogs. You’re still working, after all, so your pet can’t interfere with your business.

If your dog does start acting up, just take him for a walk. This will tire him out and calm him down. Try a long walk before work and a quick game of fetch at lunch. If you don’t have the time, hire someone who does. And remember: regular bathroom breaks are a must!

2. You need to bring the essentials. If you’re bringing your dog to the office, he’s going to need bowls for food and water, a few toys to keep him busy (avoid noisemakers), a blanket for napping, grooming tools, and a few treats. Don’t forget the gear to clean up accidents, just in case.

3. You need to set boundaries. Your dog needs to stay in your space. Some people are afraid of, allergic to, or dislike dogs, and especially in a business setting, you need to respect their rights. You could tie his leash to your desk, use a pet gate or kennel, or simply close your door.

Not everyone has the good fortune of being able to enjoy the workday in the company of their beloved pet, so if you’re one of the lucky ones, be thankful! You should also remember that your dog will need time to get used to the new situation. Allow for this so that you will both be able to enjoy your time together, and soon your dog will be loving the attention he gets from all his new friends at the office.

Reverend Lorenzo Langstroth, the man who pioneered modern day beehives, created his original beehive design based on the idea that bee products could be more easily harvested from a spatially constructed box with frames. Since that time in the mid 1800’s others have manipulated that thought into different versions of the original model.

But one model known as the top bar hive, is different. While still using Langstroth’s concept of ‘bee space’, it uses a frameless design that only makes use of it’s top bars – hence the name. Is this design better than the others? There are pros and cons to this type of hive which serious beekeepers need to know.

The design of the top bar is probably the most simple. It requires the least amount of evenly measured elements. In it’s most simplistic form it is a box with some top bars inserted at the top. It can be constructed from different types of materials, and can even use recycled elements.

Plans are available for the do-it-yourselfer who may wish to build one on their own. Alternatively, because of the easy design these hives can be found for purchase and are readily affordable to those on a modest budget. This makes this hive attractive to those who are just looking into beekeeping as a side hobby.

Top bar hives will allow you to collect the maximum amount of wax. Because the honeycombs hang loosely, the entire piece can be cut across and removed during a harvest without scraping. This makes for easy seasonal harvesting, and a lot of wax for consumables such as soaps, candles, cosmetics, and furniture polish.

Because so much effort is used by the bees to reconstruct the interior of the hives, the honey production takes a hit. Top bar hives will not yield the same amount of honey you can get with a design like the Langstroth.

Additionally, with no sides to the pull out frames the construction of the honeycombs can be unpredictable. Occasionally the bees will keep building and attach to the sides of the box. They may also create an interior hive that connects several bars together making it harder to pull up a single frame. This is known as cross combing.

Later revisions to the Top Bar beehives have worked to correct or minimize these downfalls, but the design is not completely free of this issue. Regular maintenance and supervision will be the best remedy to insure proper honeycomb formation before things get out of sync.

To recap, if you are new to beekeeping and working with a budget, top bar beekeeping may be the right place for you to start. You will get some honey, but also expect a hefty amount of wax as well. It may be a little more effort to keep the hives in proper working order, but in the end you can still enjoy all the honey and wax the hive has to offer.