Poly hive musings.

[fatshark]

Spent much of yesterday painting Swienty hives. It takes a while!

Consider a paint gun for poly painting Kate. Makes light work of a dull task ... and decorates large parts of your garden on a breezy day. I've used mine with masonry paint which needed thinning, but it works a treat on those poly boxes with loads of nooks and crannies moulded (molded?) into the design.

[The Drone Ranger]

Anyone selling queens surely waits for the brood to be sealed to ensure it is not a DLQ?

I would wait for a good amount of brood even if I was giving her away otherwise it's a pig in a poke
Maybe in better climates open mating is more reliable
If you are using them yourself then you can take a chance

Of the 14 keilers I took into Winter I lost most but still had 3 left when I needed replacement queens so not a complete waste of time

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[The Drone Ranger]

I'm not sure if its a beehive or a compost bin


Chalkbrood is also available in the environment wonder if anyone's mentioned that to him

Still the principle is sound
Everyone knows that cavemen were much more healthy than modern humans (not)
So that must apply to bees as well

[fatshark]

Damn ... now I realise that all of that time I spent scraping and blowtorching the floor of my hives this spring was a wasted effort. If I'd only just chucked in a few handfuls of leaf litter and Garrotta my strong double brooded colonies might be filling their third super by now ... what? they are? Fourth then.

I've spent the Spring training a woodpecker to prepare cavities in trees for my natural beekeeping. It's been tricky getting Woody to keep the cavity size small enough to provide natural Varroa tolerance - see http://journals.plos.org/plosone/art...l.pone.0150362

Actually ... ignore my comments above but do read the paper, it's interesting.

[The Drone Ranger]

No worries got the info now

[The Drone Ranger]

Spoke too soon
OK here's the questions all concerning Abelo Lyson hives

1) Are these actually national size hives or some hacked up dadant or something ?
Reason for the question being I looked at their Website (Lyson) and don't see a national in their product range

2) Do these hives have frame rails or not
Unsurprisingly some would say I haven't seen any mention of them on either Abelo or Lyson websites

3) Is the normal method of finding out about the "features" of a poly hive simply to buy one and hope there is a pig in the poke
Lots of info about insulation etc very little about the basics only stuff on extra (unnecessary ) holes and entrances etc

I wondered why everyone using poly hives seems to have a pick and mix of lots of different types
Lacking the gamblers spirit I like to know what I am buying before I buy it (weird really)
Perhaps it's my suspicious nature but when I see Lyson's UK stockist is out of stock of brood boxes I get worried

Most of this thread seems to consist of marvelous and ingenious ways to adapt these poly boxes into something useable
Am I expecting too much should I learn to appreciate their quirky nature and start my own collection of ornamental but flawed examples of out there design
I admire both the patience and the optimism of the early adopters and their skill with a paint brush

Frustrated, F.....ed off, fed up and confused and that goes for Tapatalk as well




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[mbc]

DR, seems you've got your knockers in a twist, the new abelo nationals are good to go out of the box, compatible with other standard national gear and have a hard plastic frame rail which looks like it will last indefinitely. My only gripe is that they should be around 30% cheaper.

[The Drone Ranger]

Thanks mbc
Can you fix Tapatalk now ?

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[The Drone Ranger]

ordered half a dozen to see what they are like
should get one free thats the offer on the website
Once they arrive we'll see whether to get any more or not
No broodboxes available though and double brood is a necessity a lot of the time


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[Kate Atchley]

Will do my best to answer DR ...

Spoke too soon
OK here's the questions all concerning Abelo Lyson hives

1) Are these actually national size hives or some hacked up dadant or something ?
Reason for the question being I looked at their Website (Lyson) and don't see a national in their product range National, interchangeable with other boxes.

2) Do these hives have frame rails or not
Unsurprisingly some would say I haven't seen any mention of them on either Abelo or Lyson websites. Yes, built in. The pics on the Abelo website were apparently taken of the bottom on the boxes! The national ones are new, I believe, and perhaps not in demand on continental Europe which might explain why you don't find them on the Lyson site? They're also being sold in Ireland by beekeeping equipment folk I saw at BBKA Convention

3) Is the normal method of finding out about the "features" of a poly hive simply to buy one and hope there is a pig in the poke
Lots of info about insulation etc very little about the basics only stuff on extra (unnecessary ) holes and entrances etc. If you email Abelo from their site, Damien usually answers quickly and/or will probably be happy to talk on the phone. I found him very helpful.

I wondered why everyone using poly hives seems to have a pick and mix of lots of different types
Lacking the gamblers spirit I like to know what I am buying before I buy it (weird really)
Perhaps it's my suspicious nature but when I see Lyson's UK stockist is out of stock of brood boxes I get worried Yes I agree, I'm waiting for some extra brood boxes. Hope they come soon. Demand higher than expected perhaps? Stock due but not sure when.

Most of this thread seems to consist of marvelous and ingenious ways to adapt these poly boxes into something useable The Swienty and Lyson hives seem straightforward enough and can be pressed into service on arrival ... or rather once you've painted them for the Swienty boxes. I'm trying both as I think they each have merits.
Am I expecting too much should I learn to appreciate their quirky nature and start my own collection of ornamental but flawed examples of out there design
I admire both the patience and the optimism of the early adopters and their skill with a paint brush

Frustrated, F.....ed off, fed up and confused and that goes for Tapatalk as well

Sent from my LIFETAB_S1034X using Tapatalk

Wish someone would post a simple formula showing the insulation comparison between the Swienty 100g/lt v Lyson 160g/lt. The Lyson lids have thicker poly (as well as deeper surrounds). Is that needed to achieve the equivalent insulation I wonder? They also have thick crown boards (with holes for feeding or ventilation if preferred). Again, does this provide extra insulation when the holes are plugged with the poly bungs, or not?

Seems I should be in touch with Damien myself ... but hey ho ... loads of stuff to do and queens to rear ...