Langstroth and Plastic

Hello, I'm brand new to all this and am currently on a basic course. Hopefully to get some bees in the very near future.
Living on the West Coast of the Highlands we do get a lot of rain, so poly or plastic hives to me seems the obvious choice, especially as they also give great insulation, which the benefits that can bring. So my question is about that. Does anyone use Apimaye Thermo Beehives?
They seem a good idea and appear well made. The few reviews I can find are positive. However all the hives around here are national and the Apimaye are Langstroth, which would seem to be a problem with sharing with others using national hives. Any thoughts?


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Originally Posted by chrispaulmorgan

sharing with others using national hives. Any thoughts?

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Hi there - that hive looks a lot more complicated, with lots of bits to lose, compared to National or Smith hives. Both of which are available in poly. When I was looking into things and asking experienced keepers about the different hive types the question of colony size came up and on Tayside, the Langstroth may be just a bit too big. After keeping my own now I would urge you to keep it as simple as possible and make sure all your components are compatible. You are not really going to be sharing hive bits with others; this could increase the risk of disease transmission. The only issue is the frames that you get your bees on.

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Originally Posted by chrispaulmorgan

Apimaye are Langstroth, which would seem to be a problem with sharing with others using national hives. Any thoughts?

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Hi, I've no experience of Apimaye hives (and can't imagine that changing) but I would dismiss any concerns about not being able to share equipment with other people. I often see the ability to 'borrow' combs of eggs/young brood presented as a good reason to buy into the national hive design. But really? Get two colonies then you can borrow from yourself. The Swienty polystyrene langstroths (or their national offering if you prefer) might be good choices for you to consider.

edit: and good luck with the bees!

National into Langstroth does go, but not vice versa.
greengumbo on here has just bought a load of poly Langstroth boxes ... he chose Swienty, which seem universally liked by those who use them.

And if you choose National - for convenience and compatibility and size - the Swienty boxes are compatible with cedar Nationals. This is more than can be said for a number of alternative poly hives including the Apimaye Thermo Beehives which - with 23 separate pieces in their exploded diagram - appears to have about 16 bits too many for convenience and sanity ...

Floor, brood box, queen excluder, super, crownboard, roof, frames = 7

I run jumbo brood box Langs with one poly (MB) and three wooden (with insulated enveloping cosies) occupied. Little to choose between the overwintering performance.

I hate lifting heavy weights do double brood is a no-go. We are 600 feet above sealevel and on the edge of the Peak District and windy wet winters.

I have seen Apimaye hives in shows. Expensive and LOTS of bits - so a recipe for expensive losing bits or standing on them...

£270 for a full hive is exorbitant - buy 2.5 Swienty poly Langs.. (I was educated in Aberdeen to be mean)

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Originally Posted by chrispaulmorgan

Hello, I'm brand new to all this and am currently on a basic course. Hopefully to get some bees in the very near future.
Living on the West Coast of the Highlands we do get a lot of rain, so poly or plastic hives to me seems the obvious choice, especially as they also give great insulation, which the benefits that can bring. So my question is about that. Does anyone use Apimaye Thermo Beehives?
They seem a good idea and appear well made. The few reviews I can find are positive. However all the hives around here are national and the Apimaye are Langstroth, which would seem to be a problem with sharing with others using national hives. Any thoughts?

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Good to see you here Chris and thoughtful feedback. I'll be interested to see what you decide on in the end. We have Swienty polyhives at Glenborrodale. Why not come and see some of the those in action soon?

I don't know anything about the Apimaye hives except the pictures and the price. The price put me off, but I'd try one if somebody gave me one, same as I'd try a Beehaus if I could get one for a fiver at an auction. There is a much cheaper twin walled plastic Langstroth on the market, but I've never seen one so can't say what it's like. http://honeybeeproducts.co.uk/

I've got Swienty poly Langstroths and wouldn't swap them. Mine came from Paynes but they don't sell nucs http://www.paynesbeefarm.co.uk/polys...ngstroth-hive/ My nucs came from Modern Beekeeping http://www.modernbeekeeping.co.uk/Nucleus-Hives

Poly hives do need painting, on the outside only.

I wouldn't share any of my equipment with anybody else, and wouldn't ask anybody to share their equipment with me except for a spare suit or a clean hive tool.

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Originally Posted by fatshark

National into Langstroth does go, but not vice versa.
greengumbo on here has just bought a load of poly Langstroth boxes ... he chose Swienty, which seem universally liked by those who use them.

And if you choose National - for convenience and compatibility and size - the Swienty boxes are compatible with cedar Nationals. This is more than can be said for a number of alternative poly hives including the Apimaye Thermo Beehives which - with 23 separate pieces in their exploded diagram - appears to have about 16 bits too many for convenience and sanity ...

Floor, brood box, queen excluder, super, crownboard, roof, frames = 7

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I can't comment on the Swienty ones yet.....arriving thursday (excited much?!). I do like using poly though and currently have 4 modernbeekeeping langstroth polys. Can be heavy but very insulating and the bees take off very well in Spring and overwinter nice and cosy.

One gripe would be the entrances to the MB hives - not a great design.

Nationals are useful when you start as you can get eggs / brood etc from other beeks easily.

Have had 3 Apimayes and 3 Nationals in my average sized Glasgow suburbian garden for the last 5 years. Apimayes for me provide better aesthetics when sited in the back garden. Easy to fit major parts together employing the 'clip' system. No need for a smoker when liquid/solid feeding the bees since bees are not exposed. Entrance can be reduced by reversing the slotted strip to better guard the entrance. No worries about accidental tipping over (resulting in losing bees) because the hive when clipped is a 'whole'. Weatheproof except for designed ventilation slots. Easy to disassemble and assemble frames to accommodate foundation. No worry with broken comb after spinning in extractor since honey frames have intermediate vertical styles that make exposed comb smaller therefore able to withstand high forces of centrifigation.

Welcome to the forum stndlovu ...

I never expected to read the words 'Apimaye' and 'aesthetics' in the same sentence. Pleased they work for you.

I wonder what the OP finally ended up with?

Welcome from me too.
How well do you like them compared to the Nationals you have - do the bees overwinter any better for example?

Although being of 'insulated' plastic construction, I do not take chances when over wintering my colonies. I treat my Apimayes and Nationals the same by 'jacketing' them all with hot water cylinder insulation quilt. So far seems to do exactly what it says it does. Comparison to date has not been seriously considered as I feel over wintering success might depend on other factors such as colony strength when getting into winter rather than hive type.