Yes you could use vasaline. I have not used it on my polyhive brood boxes but have used it on my apidea's which is made of the same material. The reason for using it on apidea's is keep the moving parts from being propolised
Yes you could use vasaline. I have not used it on my polyhive brood boxes but have used it on my apidea's which is made of the same material. The reason for using it on apidea's is keep the moving parts from being propolised
My guess is there are two benefits from the application of Vaseline. Firstly that it reduces or prevents the adhesion of propolis to the surfaces it is applied and secondly that it fills the small gaps that, in the judgement of the bees, would need to be propolised.
Conflicting comments from my local BKA about vaseline, which I have used within the hive without any problems. Some say it's potentially poisonous to bees but don't offer any proof. Any idea where they get this from?
Ingestion of large quantities can cause diarrhoea in humans and application to the inside of the nose is not recommended. Why bees would want to eat it I don’t know but if you do have concerns over petrochemicals there are alternatives. Try melting beeswax and mix with 1/2 cup of olive oil for each 1 oz of beeswax but again, ingesting large amounts of olive oil can cause diarrhoea in humans.
That's what I thought, to be honest. But it's one of those tales that might grow legs and become true.
Thanks for the idea. I'm not really concerned about petrochemicals used in the right place, it would be a bit hypocritical with my poly hives, but the comments were enough to make me stop and think, and ask.
I just ordered over 60 of the Payne poly nucs for members of my association and a neighbouring one.
If you buy more than 30 the price is reduced from £39 to £22.08 in the sale (which ends tomorrow)
I even ordered 2 for myself so I can compare them to my 50p correx nucs
http://www.paynesbeefarm.co.uk/nuc-m...x12-jumbo-eke/
Be interested to hear what you make of them. I'm not desperately impressed with the full size hive at the moment, but fir £30 a pop I nearly bought a couple of the Nucs.
Actually they worked out at £20.50 in the end including the eke. Due to be delivered on Monday, 63 of them, and 3 of the full size poly hives.
I am only taking 2 nucs out of that lot.
I have seen the nucs already and they look ok.
Ok deep breath time...
I agree Paynes material is not or at the beginning may not have been dense enough, in "proper" poly bees should not be able to chew it and if they can it is "not fit for purpose" and complain to the vendor. Simple.
Design is another matter and I think based on over 20 years of poly usage, Paynes have dropped the proverbial on a number of issues most of which are highlighted in the thread esp these two, it is very difficult to fit a mouseguard, and why have such deep hand holds? I have until now never needed a mouse guard on a poly hive as the entrance was designed to keep vermin out and in my experience has never failed.
Castellations.. shudders... canna be doing eith the abominations.
Runners. Have never used them with poly and never had an issue so look to your strain. Some bees just love to propolise everything and others use very little. This is under your control if you so wish it.
Feeding. When desperate? Dodgy tatics in my view. I like mine to have stores left over. To that end at Christmass or so I put on a chunk of fondant, and by that I mean a good four or five kilos of, and in Spring what is left over I melt down to make syrup for feeding then. No wastage. I feed in an empty poly super and that works very well or an upturned poly feeder.
The simpler you keep things the more efficient it is for you and the bees, and please remember bees love warmth. In sub zero temps in polys the bees are barely clustered, there is no need and isolation starvation is rare to say the least.
Put prejudice aside and enjoy the benefits.
PH
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