Unfortunately we can't confirm our views by 1 hive alone (although plenty of beekeepers have done that). It would be good to see a real trial of, say 10 hives in cedar and 10 hives in poly. (Bro Adam rekoned that you needed 20 hives of each for a thorough experiment I recall).Originally Posted by nemphlar
Comparing timber versus poly hives,I've just Oxalic Acid drenched my bees.The bees in wooden hives were totally comatose and didn't stir a wing,but, all the bees in the poly hives were alert and the odd one flew up when the hives were opened.Obviously the bees in the poly hives can maintain a higher temperature than those in the cedar hives.With regard to the top beespace/bottom beespace incompatability,the MOD Beekeeping hives are top beespace so you realy need to use a top framed Q excluder to maintain the beespace.The excluders supplied by MB are plastic,cut down externally to fit the dimensions across the top of their brood box and need framing on the "top side" to a)Stiffen them to stop sagging on to the B.box frame tops and b) to maintain the bee space above the excluder.I was very dissappointed at their incompatability with my existing wooden equipment so had to make some special adaptors to be able to interchange units.However ,as a self contained system,the Modern Beekeeping hives are excellant and well made.As stated previously I can fortunately separate the two types of hive into two separate systems so in future won't suffer from any incompatability problems - I will use my wooden bits with Murrays plastic nationals and MB bits and pieces as a unique self contained system.
my two bits.
Yes they seem warmer in Polys this may be a bad thing - if a small brood nest is kept going for longer during the winter this helps the varroa more than the bees. I worry that may be the case where the bees have less problem keeping warm.
For the OS treatment the bees need to be tightly bunched for best treatment effect - that way they get better a covering (according to the German treatment handbooks) and they should be brood free.
I don't worry myself about a lower or higher consumption of winter feed - I usually have spare frames, but reduced varroa and better treatment effectiveness I do like.
Woodpeckers get through poly hives like its butter, but they can get into wooden ones with a bit of effort too...
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I don't know about brood box on top of another, but the space between the frames of two medium boxes is about 1cm (using MB wooden frames). I took the measurement from two medium frame nucleus boxes - but I suppose the space between two normal medium boxes will be the same. I hadn't noticed any squashing of bees between the frames, Adam.
Yes, MB hives are top bee space - but not if you use their wooden frames. I attach a picture.
I agree with Grizzly about the quality of the MB hives. I also like the raised lip on the edge of the box. I suppose that is one of the issues affecting compatibility, but I think it helps to exclude drafts through the hive - particularly on our windy hill.
Kitta
Another one-hive (or three-hive) observation, Adam: Two days ago - a nice windless, sunny but frosty day - I looked at the hives. Three of them were in the sun: one wooden hive and two poly hives. Of those three the bees in the wooden hive were flying about outside. Could it be that they were more aware of the sun heating their hive and so made use of it for some cleansing flights?
Kitta
Those frame top bars don't look like standard design to me M C. Use proper "standard " top bars and throw the ones you've got away and the hives WILL revert to top bee space.Who supplied the ones shown on your photo ?.
I agree with Grizzly the lugs are too thick
Yes, they're not the usual kind. They're sold by Modern Beekeeping (Langstroth medium frames in my case), and this is what they say about them:
"These frames have a top bar which is the same thickness all along its length. This gives great strength but it does lift the frame up, reducing the top bee space, although this is countered by a corresponding increase in bottom space. They can be mixed with conventional frames with thin lugs but some beekeepers may prefer to keep them separate. This type of frame design is now very common in some European countries."
I didn't notice that bit about the thickness of the top bar when I ordered them.
I bought too many of them to throw away, Grizzly - but I'll have a good think about them before I order some more.
Kitta
And Abelo (Łysoń ) poly National - inadequate. I pointed out the other day that their advertised "Commercial" nucs were in fact Langstroths (bit of detective work on the catalogue number). I did tell them nicely but they do not seem to want to reply
Kitta, I'm referring to the National MB hive. As you refer to mediums I guess you have the Langstroth flavour.
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