Bloody hell....................no wonder you want to make your own. They are made in Eastern Europe and I suspect they cost about 3p to make over there. Full deep frames, made up, eyeletted, and ready wired are currently coming in at about 49p from these sources.Originally Posted by fatshark
Apideas cost around £30 , the EWK's cost around £26 for just one box and last for ever- maybe thats why they are the best
http://www.biredskapsfabriken.se/se/...sta.php&id=585
277kr = about £27
And thats just the inner box not the house (£57) to hold 2 of them - lot cheaper to make !
If you ever get to see one of these from sweden, the workmanship is surperb, I have one a friend sent me and its a work of art
You wont ever see these at thorneys - they cant make enough money out of them
Last edited by busybeephilip; 05-10-2017 at 10:19 AM.
I paid less than £15 for most of mine direct from Swienty (pre Brexit and better exchange rate) and that's without claiming back the VAT.
At 50p each I can grow my own trees, then cut, plane and shape the wood for less than that.
I seem to remember that to qualify for 49p/frame you need to be purchasing more than 10 at a time
If we're talking about daft prices for frames then it's worth looking at Thorne's foundationless V-shaped top bar frames ... 10, ready assembled for £34.
I suspect that's part of the catalogue you rarely visit
You might also find that after brexit, all that imported stuff will skyrocket in price Apidea £50 anyone?
Foundationless frame - small bit of thin ply and thats job done ........ did you not read that bit "By popular demand" ... first I've ever heard of these
Actually, jsut noticed Thorneys have now stopped selling apideas but do the plastic rainbow thing instead for £8.50 Looks like a small version of a picnic ice box (now there's a thought could this below be converted into a ... Nextgen mating hive? ..)
https://www.physique.co.uk/Hot-Cold-...fe&fo_s=gplauk
There were people using those rainbow units at Minnowburn and getting mated queens out of them last summer.
Jon - As you are well aware I was not at minnowburn last summer, However, there is little difference between rainbows and apideas, rainbows are less likely to be eaten by mice therefore will last longer but would be just as efficient rolewise for queen mating units compared to apideas, same size of frames. Personally I won't be buying anymore commercially made mating nucs - All DIY stuff for me, thats the fun in beekeeping
That's where we were heading....and where I will be heading again once I start restocking -but they won't, strictly, be 'mini' as such.Personally I won't be buying anymore commercially made mating nucs - All DIY stuff for me, thats the fun in beekeeping
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