The answer is to use polyurethane sheets not polystyrene. These are much stronger have a thin metallic sheet on both sides. They can also be cut and routed with wood working tools, including those purchased form Lidl for £100 Finman!
If you search this thread for posts by Derekm you will find...
I suggest you look at some additives to help bind the mixture together. I know of three main ones:
Poly fibres are cheap but not that impressive.
Short twisted metal strands are used in mining when lining tunnels and have a good reputation.
Glass fibre strands are probably the best option but...
i have recently started making hives out of poly-uretane 50mm sheets. i had the idea and then came across derek's thread and used the info to improve my own version. very disappointingly he didn't answer my questions.
however i have sorted most of the teething problems out now and have bees in...
I agreew ith PH. A very experienced beek at our club (North Shrops) told me to use 'waller' which is old crumbly wood.
i have used it ever since with success. Also it is free if you keep your eyes open!
Mark
Sorry I should have made it clear that this was a mininuke so it had fondant and pollen supplement and three mini frames with strips of undrawn foundation.
No brood of any sort (apart form the queen cell obviously).
What I am perplexed is that they seem to be getting on well. They had started...
Eric
Because that is what Ron Brown recommends in his pamphlet 'Honey Moon flats for Honeybee Queens'.
Do you think he is wrong? I would be intersted to know why and what you think I should have done.
I have always thought of him as a very wise man as well as a particularly fine writer.
Mark
I set up my first nuke with queen cell (not that close to hatching on 9th May. Left them in a cool dark stable for 4 days and then put them out in a far corner of my paddock.I opened the door the next day.
To my delight the bees were coming and going and after a week late I opened up and saw...
i agree that positive thinking is part of the answer.
clive de bruyn states in one of his books that if you are struggling to find the queen you should make that your only job when opening the hive.
as a newby i failed the first few times and then tried this, combined with moving the brood box...
derek
have you glued correx sheet to the roof of your pir hives?
also i could you please expain how you made the floor grids out of pir and how it works?
thanks
mark
rosti
did the coke bottles have coke in them or something else? if so what?
also what is fondant protection?
i made some fondant using your recipe. it worked very well, thanks!
mark
****
i am puzzled why the initials of the shropshire beekeeping association are assumed to be a swear word but perhaps there is some past history with this forum of which i am unaware.
mark
I wish to clarify my comments as they may have been misunderstood!
i wanted to add fondant because when i moved 2 of the hives a few days before they felt rather light. WHILE i was adding the fondant i thought i would also have a look at them. this did not involve removing any frames!
to...