Using the new polynucs

[Kate Atchley]

The four polynucs I've used for mating colonies have worked well ... four queen-right starter colonies; no dead bees in the feeding frames (syrup was fed); and the unpainted ones showing no signs of deterioration, yet.

I'm thinking of using two for overwintering, so will raise them and close off the passage through to the feeder once they are sufficiently fed.

I reckon it's worth gluing plastic frame runners on all of these nucs ... one national runner cuts into two for one polynuc ... perfetto!

Their integral feeder has made me long for frame feeders in all my wooden nucs! Anyone got a few spares!?

It's been a rewarding beekeeping spell despite broken wrist (escaping attack by a ferocious broody!): saw queen returning from mating flight for first time about two weeks ago; then heard virgin(s?) piping their eagerness to emerge in a colony superseding; and yesterday I collected my largest swarm yet. The placid bees had built exquisite drifts of comb, full of brood, in a compost bin over four weeks. Their comb almost filled a brood box. Now they are confronting the drizzle and strange surroundings with hesitation!

... and there's honey to harvest ... mouth watering!

Kate

[fatshark]

Some scrap 20mm makes a perfectly functional eke for Apiguard treatment ... at quite a saving from the Paynes prices There's a gap once the lid is fitted, but the strap holds everything secure.



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fatshark

[GRIZZLY]

Some scrap 20mm makes a perfectly functional eke for Apiguard treatment ... at quite a saving from the Paynes prices There's a gap once the lid is fitted, but the strap holds everything secure.



.fatshark

The Paynes lek is some 3 inches deep-enough to get slabs of poly insulation for overwintering bees in safety.

[Kate Atchley]

Some scrap 20mm makes a perfectly functional eke for Apiguard treatment ... at quite a saving from the Paynes prices There's a gap once the lid is fitted, but the strap holds everything secure.

fatshark

I don't know the contents of Apiguard ... any camphor in it? See entry 25 ... may be wise to talk with Paynes about possible damage to the polystyrene.

Kate

[fatshark]

My understanding is that Apiguard contains Thymol (25% w/v) only, in a food-grade gel. There is no mention of camphor in the literature from Vita.

Furthermore the nuc box appears to still be intact ...

[Adam]

My nucs are intact too. No problems with the thymol. I have a crown board with feeder on top and wooden eke so I can monitor feeding. The MB Poly nationals are made from stronger stuff... On the BBKA site I have made some comments about them. In the intermediate & advanced section. (Well someone has to post there!)

http://www.bbka.org.uk/members/forum...=4&t=5420&pg=0

Has anyone here seen them in the flesh?

[fatshark]

I have two MB National hives waiting to be painted in the garage. First impressions are that the poly is very dense and that the hive parts fit together extremely well. The poly seems much denser than the Paynes nucs, but it's worth noting that they have much thicker walls so it might just reflect the additional material. The (horribly coloured) frame runners fit well and provide protection to the most vulnerable parts of the brood box/supers. I have Denrose/Sweinty poly supers for comparison which lack this and needed modifying with castellated spacers. I prefer castellations in supers and I think it will be harder to modify the MB ones.

So, first impressions are good, but the proof of the pudding is how well a colony copes over the season.

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fatshark

[gavin]

Has anyone here seen them in the flesh?

What, the posts on the BBKA forum?!

Used to be there all the time. I've given up on it, just like most of the folk who used to post there.

G.

[gavin]

We're going to have a Varroa session this Saturday at the association apiary. I may try Apiguard on the sheet that you get with the buckets of Apiguard (we had an Awards for All grant, remember) directly on the top bars (in the Paynes polynucs) without an eke. The advantage of the tray-less application straight onto these sheets that look like Chinese carry-out lids is their low profile.

[Jon]

sheets that look like Chinese carry-out lids is their low profile.

That's what I use but with a shallow 1" eke. If you have a crown board or a framed excluder it should leave enough space.

The 3k tub cost £92 from Thorne and that will treat 30 full sized colonies.