Poly hive musings.

[The Drone Ranger]

thanks Kate
im not sure single brood box is much use these days
Snelgrove, Demaree, Queen rearing you name it
They should know that

ps
I did ask a few questions via their "send us a message " bit on the website
No reply they probably dont read it


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[Kate Atchley]

thanks Kate
im not sure single brood box is much use these days
Snelgrove, Demaree, Queen rearing you name it
They should know that

ps
I did ask a few questions via their "send us a message " bit on the website
No reply they probably dont read it


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I agree about limitations of single brood box. Apparently Abelo have orders for 500 of these just now. Proof positive?

Sorry you didn't hear back from Abelo. Damien answered me within an hour this morning. Try emailing sales@abelo.co.uk for his attention?

[fatshark]

im not sure single brood box is much use these days
Snelgrove, Demaree, Queen rearing you name it

But all those are summer occupations when the benefits of poly are perhaps less critical. Furthermore, two supers - poly or otherwise - can always be pressed into service as the bottom 'box' .

I'll be very interested to hear of a side-by-side comparison of the Swienty vs Abelo offerings as I'm intending the buy some later in the season.

[The Drone Ranger]

But all those are summer occupations when the benefits of poly are perhaps less critical. Furthermore, two supers - poly or otherwise - can always be pressed into service as the bottom 'box' .

I'll be very interested to hear of a side-by-side comparison of the Swienty vs Abelo offerings as I'm intending the buy some later in the season.

That's true fatshark but isn't that the whole thing about using poly hives they always seem to involve some lash up or bodging
They seem to spend plenty time coming up with weird entrances and crown boards etc but there's no need for any of that
The Swienty ones look like anaemic fish boxes but no doubt have several unwanted additional features as well

I ordered a Maisemore one but that doesn't have frame rails because they are moulded in
They do sell a wooden crown board don't know how well it fits though

My friend has Payne's Nucs but they had to throw away the floppy plastic and make their own crown boards
Needless to say they look like a bodge up
Those hives do have metal frame rails though

I'm seriously just considering buying new floors roofs and crown boards for the Smiths
I have had those boxes for donkeys years they are still good and I don't need to paint or bodge just to use them

I will wait and see who knows I may be on the road to Damascus (Not sure if that's a good thing these days)
Raining here


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[Mellifera Crofter]

...
The Swienty ones look like anaemic fish boxes but no doubt have several unwanted additional features as well

I ordered a Maisemore one but that doesn't have frame rails because they are moulded in ...

I should decorate my Swienties with fish!

They don't have any fancy bits, but still not ideal. The only fiddle, I think, is to trim the lug risers by 2mm (and the old floor was better - just needed a tray) - but some people don't mind that.

If you do want a National poly, then decide whether you want a behemoth like Maisiemore or Paynes, or something smaller like Swienty or Abelo. I much prefer the smaller option.

Kitta

[fatshark]

I have a few Swienty poly supers and use them unmodified. They're robust enough to withstand some serious abuse.
All of the poly boxes I've butchered (er, modified ) have been nucs.
I use the poly supers with my standard QE's, brood boxes, CB's etc. I prefer my floors to commercially available ones and the CB's are already insulated.
Like Kitta, I'd prefer a compatible box rather than the offerings from Maisies or Paynes. The incompatible (full size) poly hives I own - all Paradise/ModernBeekeeping - are only now used as bait hives with bodged Correx floors and roofs and a simple sheet of thick polythene as a CB.

[Mellifera Crofter]

....

My friend has Payne's Nucs but they had to throw away the floppy plastic and make their own crown boards
Needless to say they look like a bodge up
...

Also, DR, I think some people just like to tinker and bodge. The floppy plastic works fine on a Paynes nuc. (The side feeder is stupid, but I leave it as it is. It's insulation.)
Kitta

[The Drone Ranger]

Also, DR, I think some people just like to tinker and bodge. The floppy plastic works fine on a Paynes nuc. (The side feeder is stupid, but I leave it as it is. It's insulation.)
Kitta

Oh no! I was ready to roll over and play dead till you mentioned those diabolical plastic crown boards
Now Kitta be honest how many times have you chased one down a field
How many hours have you spent flapping the stupid think trying to get bees from underneath
How many times just as you were about to put the lid on has the slightest touch made one corner drop in
How many hours have you spent trying to scrape wax of the bendy plastic
Shaking water off the underside as condensation forms
Keeping it miles away from your smoker

That's more akin to a kite than a crown board

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[drumgerry]

Ach DR they're alright really. Floppy isn't necessarily bad....ahem I love the Paynes nucs - make getting wee marginal units through the winter a piece of cake (usually). I can put up with their little foibles in exchange for that simple fact.

[madasafish]

That's true fatshark but isn't that the whole thing about using poly hives they always seem to involve some lash up or bodging



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I use my MB Lang poly with no alterations at all.. It's ideal for simple beekeepers..like me:-)