Poly hive musings.

[Lancs Lad]

I just used a fine toothed saw for the landing boards.
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[The Drone Ranger]

I'm surprised by the level of commitment there is to poly hives
Considering that very few of them are standard in any way
And of the ones which seem to be National size the suppliers don't have stock
And one of those Swienty is only national size on the outside
I would have liked to check one of those out but they are in short supply
The Lyson comes with one broodbox no others available
It looked promising but now I'm not sure

I bought one of the Maisemore ones to check it out
I dont want to end up with a hodge podge of stuff where broodboxes and supers are not interchengeable
Are the poly fans so blinded by the one thing, insulation that nothing else matters ?
Not trolling just asking as a potential customer... If there is poor availability, little price differentiation, no standardisation, do they really make any sense ?

[Mellifera Crofter]

...
And one of those Swienty is only national size on the outside
I would have liked to check one of those out but they are in short supply
...
I bought one of the Maisemore ones to check it out
I dont want to end up with a hodge podge of stuff
... If there is poor availability, little price differentiation, no standardisation, do they really make any sense ?

DR, it seems to me you are well on your way to getting that hodge podge of stuff!

I mentioned before: there are two sizes of National poly boxes: behemoths like the Maisemore National hive where the inside is the same size as a wooden national, but the outside is much larger (500x500mm); or small ones like Swienty where the outside is the same size as a wooden National (450x450mm), but the inside is smaller and take fewer frames.

The walls are 40mm thick, so either the insides match, or the outsides match. I prefer the small size National poly boxes like Swienty where the outsides match (but if you get a Swienty, ask for an old-style roof - the new roofs do not fit over wooden boxes!).

Kitta

[The Drone Ranger]

Thanks Kitta
The lysons ones are the same internal and external dimensions which sounds fine till you find out they have no spare broodboxes
I think they are all a bit overpriced I can buy a Smith broodbox for £30 for first quality
Thats cedar cut planed aged machined etc
Can't see how a dollup of polystyrene should cost nearly the same

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[madasafish]

Thanks Kitta
The lysons ones are the same internal and external dimensions which sounds fine till you find out they have no spare broodboxes
I think they are all a bit overpriced I can buy a Smith broodbox for £30 for first quality
Thats cedar cut planed aged machined etc
Can't see how a dollup of polystyrene should cost nearly the same

Sent from my S208 using Tapatalk

The UK's prices for beekeeping equipment are inflated 100% by its insistence on a hive standard unique in the world in its inefficiency and excess cost structure##. Coupled with only UK suppliers for decades and market decline, prices have been inflated. So to invest in tooling (£100k for a national poly?) you must charge higher prices as volumes are much lower than say Langs..

## long lugs and excess woodwork at top and bottom to accommodate them are the hallmark of adherence to a design outdated when it was first produced. A Langstroth is simpler and uses less wood and tooling, machining and assembly time..

[Mellifera Crofter]

...
I think they are all a bit overpriced I can buy a Smith broodbox for £30 for first quality
Thats cedar cut planed aged machined etc
Can't see how a dollup of polystyrene should cost nearly the same
...

You made me look at prices for wooden hives, DR. I did not realise Nationals are so much more expensive than Smiths! But I suppose it's understandable - as MaaF said, all that extra work involved in making Nationals.

Still - for you, maybe not that much cheaper, but the bees will be better off.

I've just now spoken to somebody at Abelo. He says they will get brood boxes in to sell on their own - perhaps July.

Kitta

[Kate Atchley]

... I've just now spoken to somebody at Abelo. He says they will get brood boxes in to sell on their own - perhaps July.

Kitta

I've just received two Lyson brood boxes from Abelo. I ordered these extra ones along with three hives in February and the hives came early April. So I guess I was some way up in the queue for the brood boxes once they came in. Surely they'll have have caught up with the back orders soon.

[The Drone Ranger]

The UK's prices for beekeeping equipment are inflated 100% by its insistence on a hive standard unique in the world in its inefficiency and excess cost structure##. Coupled with only UK suppliers for decades and market decline, prices have been inflated. So to invest in tooling (£100k for a national poly?) you must charge higher prices as volumes are much lower than say Langs..

## long lugs and excess woodwork at top and bottom to accommodate them are the hallmark of adherence to a design outdated when it was first produced. A Langstroth is simpler and uses less wood and tooling, machining and assembly time..

I think your right madasafish

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[greengumbo]

Well I got some bees into my lovely shiny and painted poly swienty langs last night Combination of splits, nucs and moving bees over from my wooden hives. Happy days !

Other than having a panic as a bit of a delay on Wilara sending frames over from Lithuania meaning I had to go to the ridiculously expensive local Thornes as a stop gap.

Had a bit of trouble figuring out the stupid frame runners in the brood boxes but to be honest that could have been my sleep deprived brain.

[fatshark]

What's the story on using varnish to paint (harden?) the interface between poly boxes? I've just ordered some Swienty poly broods which I'll be mix'n'matching with my homegrown wooden floors and crownboards.

What make of varnish? How many coats? Do you use vaseline?

I'm preparing for winter already ....