Paradise beebox hive

[Emma]

Don't be reassured that I'm trying it as well … there's any number of things I've tried which have been unmitigated failures. However, polythene crownboards isn't one of them. I use pretty thick polythene, perhaps 0.5mm. As I said earlier, the stuff they wrap new sofas in and that ignorant so and so's dump in lay-by's. Damp proof membrane is perhaps slightly thicker but just as good. None of mine have been chewed. They overhang the box by a couple of cm or so and so the bees don't have access to the edges.

They make short work of cling film, so I think even 'sturdy polythene bags' perhaps aren't robust enough to withstand their mandibles.

Your description of 'floating down' onto the bees is perfect. It's light enough that they're not crushed, but heavy enough that they eventually move … by which time you're about ready to put the roof on.

I've been noticing the 'floating down' thing ever since I started using towels as cover cloths. Sometimes I put them on just to encourage the bees to go down & clear the top bars so I can replace a crownboard or box safely. But plastic sheeting crownboards would cut out an entire stage of that process. They might just possibly be the clear-crownboard solution I've been looking for. Especially as I live somewhere that's likely to have bits of old polytunnel plastic knocking around :-)

The next thing I'll want to find out is whether plasticisers from polythene are likely to leach into propolis & wax. The latter are quite easy to harvest from clear crownboards, but I don't fancy chewing propolis mixed with plasticiser! Something to muse & google over in a less busy season, perhaps.

[The Drone Ranger]

My Paynes clear cover and lid were floating down 50 yards away till I gave up today.
Where is propolis when you need it

[gwizzie]

Well getting back on topic a bit, I thought it was me that was just having a few problems with the Beebox hive feeder with fatalities but I have now come across a video of someone saying the same thing but has an answer for the problem which I will try now again rather that butchering them for something else as they are a nice addon.

here is the video explaining the problem and how to get round it...

Fast forward to 2 min 12sec



SO its off to the beach to get some sand!!!

This video is for the Paradise Honey Nuc&Mate which is langstroff but someone is getting one and said they can easily convert to national (we will see)

As I have said before I have now checked all my other hives and the frames that I am using (uncut) are fitting no problem and there is play either side

[prakel]

Calum recommended the paint/sand combination to me a couple of years ago when some of my mini-plus boxes got wreaked by rodents -applied to the outside of course; (not) good for woodpeckers too, he said.

I've got photos somewhere of a couple of wooden feeders both of which have had wax steps built onto them by the colonies-a lovely in-house solution!

Another solution is to loosely fill the access area with wood shavings (the stuff they use for guinea pigs is ideal). The bees will work their way down through it right to the bottom without any fatalities.

[gwizzie]

Calum recommended the paint/sand combination to me a couple of years ago when some of my mini-plus boxes got wreaked by rodents -applied to the outside of course; (not) good for woodpeckers too, he said.

I've got photos somewhere of a couple of wooden feeders both of which have had wax steps built onto them by the colonies-a lovely in-house solution!

Another solution is to loosely fill the access area with wood shavings (the stuff they use for guinea pigs is ideal). The bees will work their way down through it right to the bottom without any fatalities.

Hi parkel, thanks for the reply. I am going to be repainting them and adding course sand to the newly painted slope then recoating again when dry, humm never thought of the wood shavings might be a tad difficult due to the design of the cover ? but will deff think of this if the sand mod dont work

would be nice to see the pics if you ever come across them

[prakel]

wood shavings might be a tad difficult due to the design of the cover ? but will deff think of this if the sand mod dont work

Good point (just looked again at your video link). Straw will do as well and may be a little easier to stuff into those covers as they're lowered. That said, your paint/sand solution will work anyway.

I'll search out the photos...

[fatshark]

This video is for the Paradise Honey Nuc&Mate which is langstroff but someone is getting one and said they can easily convert to national (we will see)

I've got half a dozen of those and have converted them all to take National frames … as have several others on here. They were in the sales one year at £sillymoney and a few of us splashed out

[gwizzie]

Good point (just looked again at your video link). Straw will do as well and may be a little easier to stuff into those covers as they're lowered. That said, your paint/sand solution will work anyway.

I'll search out the photos...

Thanks will try that if sand does not work that well, but I am confident it will fix my problem. I look forward to seeing them

[gwizzie]

I've got half a dozen of those and have converted them all to take National frames … as have several others on here. They were in the sales one year at £sillymoney and a few of us splashed out

Hi fatshark, would be interested to know what you did to convert them and any pictures you have on what they look like would be great

[fatshark]

Here you go