Beehive construction

[gavin]

Yup, full time. I'nt it great?! About 70 colonies over the coming winter plus extra nucs.

Gavin, don't you find that the frame lugs get propolised to the box above causing havoc when trying to lift a box? I now trim the lug rails by 2mm, and now I'm happy. I mentioned this on the Poly Hive Musings thread (post 350).

Kitta

Yes, I remember that and you are right about the issue. I also get bridging across the boxes in my wooden Nationals, often central rather than the lugs, so the issue of sticking boxes and frames isn't just the Swienties - even though the bee space in a wooden one is better respected. The other thing you highlighted was the likelihood of squashing bees on the frame lugs. Needs a bit extra care when putting boxes back together. One day I'll try your solution of trimming a piece off the rails.

Ideally Swienty would have provided a recess under base of the side panels to preserve the bottom space ... but then that would provide a hiding place for shy queens.

G.

[nemphlar]

Any of the single walled hives are cheap and easy to make from marine ply, I've still got the smiths I made 30 years ago, although I struggle to lift them when pressed into use
I just got 6 national polly broods from C Wynne £20.50ea today, they fit the smiths outside sizes perfectly

[mbc]

Yup, full time. I'nt it great?!

G.

That's one description Gav, ff'in scary is another when you rely on an income entirely at the whim of the weather.

[busybeephilip]

That's one description Gav, ff'in scary is another when you rely on an income entirely at the whim of the weather.

I wouldent want to be depending on the honey yield from 70 hive to keep me going for the next 12 months..... pulled 15 supers on Monday which are just going straight into storage all nice and dry, just like the extractor

[mbc]

I was up till 2am spinning the liquid gold, skirrics in the corners of some frames was all there was in some supers, averaging about 10 lb / super and that's not counting the completely dry ones, disheartening to say the least, luckily there's still enough 2014 in storage to see me through, but things will be tight if there's no early 2016 honey to extract.
Sorry to sidetrack the thread, feel free to delete