Poly hive musings.

[Bumble]

Standard roofs ... either homegrown or from Thornes or other suppliers fit the Swienty/Denrosa poly boxes sold by C Wynne Jones perfectly well (National size at least, which is what I've got).

Ah, that's the difference I think. Mine are Langs and my wooden roofs won't fit the poly

[nellyp]

Denrosa/Swienty broods arrived Tuesday 8th. Totally compatiable with all my cedar/deal components inc supers ,roofs and omf's etc. Ordered Sunday from C Wynne Jones and arrived Tuesday pm, service as usual from them 100%.

[prakel]

Do the Swienty/Denrosa Smiths share the same external footprint as their Nationals? I seem to remember reading a post by Murray McGreggor in which he said that the feeders were interchangeable which obviously suggests the same sizing; the idea of trying to search that comment out of his voluminous contributions to BKF is a little daunting....

[gavin]

Yes, we got a couple of Smiths by mistake in an order of Nationals. Same footprint and the only change is in the cut-out where the frames sit. The cut-out is narrower (for the shorter-lugged frames) and deeper (for the top bee space).

[Mellifera Crofter]

I just looked at a picture of the Swienty hive on the Wynne Jones website. It seems they come without frame runners. Are all the Swienty boxes without runners and do you have to order them separately?
Kitta

[prakel]

Thanks Gavin, the idea of the more robust end wall (narrower cut out) is quite enticing as is the possible interchange-ability with easily available National kit (if set up as top beespace) which I suppose could be adapted easily enough to take short lug frames.

[gavin]

They don't have frame runners and I don't think that there is enough clearance for them in a National (would be in the Smith). On Murray's advice I varnished the cut-outs and the rims of the boxes.

[GRIZZLY]

Like Gavin , I varnished the lug recesses with HARDCOAT varnish by Dulux. This is a polyurethane based varnish and dries to a very hard finish compared to ordinary varnish. Over 12 months of use there is no sign of damage. I notice the new Denrosa (Swienty) hives from C.Wynne Jones have a new narrower floor design incorporating lugs for the varroa monitoring tray.The old floors looked like an adaptation of the roof fitted with gauze but no tray lugs. I've had to order extra floors to adapt my existing Swienty hives.

[gavin]

The time when you might appreciate the advice is a year or more in when there is a build-up of propolis in some boxes and you want to attack it with a hive tool. Murray said also that some colonies see light through gaps at the top of the boxes and put special effort into chewing their way out, even in this dense poly. Varnish stops that.

I just used an exterior polyurethane varnish, don't remember the brand.

I was nervous of going without frame runners but you soon get used to it and I seldom squash a bee under them. We also have the earlier version of the Paynes nuc boxes which don't have runners (not sure if they do now!) and I varnished them too.

[gavin]

You might find this useful.

http://www.sbai.org.uk/sbai_forum/en...nty-Poly-Hives