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Propolised mesh? And a lump of dog sh*t at the bottom right corner?

That's pretty much how I do it. I use the J end though. Inserted in the space between the lugs, lever the frames apart on both sides then lift smoothly and gently with the fingers. I don't think I've ever inserted a hive tool under a lug before. I could foresee problems with the durability...

Will you can tell I'm not the most adept with the table saw can't you?! A sliding fence would be a better way to do it of course. And Peter you may have a point. I just think it's a bit neater with slots. Plus you don't have to drill/screw into the end grain of 6mm ply with the risk of...

Table saw sounds maybe a better option. It's a pain moving the rip fence over a little at a time but it's only for a few cuts so I'll live with it. Gerry

Is that me you mean? Don't think I said that - you're putting words in my mouth now aren't you? All I said was (to paraphrase) if they don't know how to do it they should be shown. Doesn't strike me as patronising at all. Especially when some of them are doing it wrong and it's costing you...

ITLD - Interesting info on the joys or not of a commercial outfit. Sounds like a training need has been identified if your junior staff don't know how to extract a frame from a hive without damaging the frame or the bees. Lifting the lug of the frame up with the end of the hive tool sounds...

Sounds like it'll be a go-er then. That's a relief. As to making a jig all I was planning to do was clamp a straight edge to the piece and run the router along it. Thanks for the info Hombre. Much appreciated.

Maybe I've just never had bees that propolise that heavily. The only problem I can see with using a J tool and applying leverage with it would be if the lugs/top bars were rotten and liable to break. In which case they should have been taken out of service long before. Otherwise I'm not...

PH - what's the problem with the J type?

I seem to be asking a lot of questions about all things poly at the moment as I'm tentatively thinking of converting over from all my wood kit. It seems to make good sense for the bees given where I live. Dipped my toe in the water by buying 4 pa*nes poly nationals in their christmas sale...

One other obvious thing that occurs to me about the design is what to do about putting mouseguards on them. I use castellated mouseguards drawing-pinned on for the winter. But with the Pay*es design instead of there being a long flat area above the entrance there are two massive cutouts. I...

I'll be using Pa*nes bottom bee space Nationals so sagging shouldn't be an issue. I'm tempted to try the Thor*es XP plastic excluder as it says it's based on the Herzog wire excluder and at £2.50 a pop there's not much to lose. When I started beekeeping though all I had were perforated zinc...

PH - do you frame your plastic ones?

Thanks for the replies - much appreciated. Nic - I see what you're saying about using one for honey production even though I'm of a mind to do so. But I'd most certainly need one for the manipulations associated with queen rearing (using the Cook method). Gerry

Just wondering what the experienced poly hive users do. Do you use a framed wire excluder? Perforated zinc sheet? Or just the wired excluder unframed? Just starting this season with poly hives so would like to get it right. Gerry

It's probably a mistake but I'm lined up to sit modules 1 and 2 of the SBA/BBKA exams in March. Needless to say I haven't been able to get hold of a copy of Yates to study. I have the notes produced by (I think) Mid-Bucks beekeeping association which seem pretty comprehensive. I think I'm...

Can I suggest Cook's "Queen Rearing Simplified". Pretty much an id*ot proof method (well maybe with the exception of having to do a bit of grafting!).

:iagree: Best insert for an OMF I've seen. Not so sure about the little lugs which connect the floor to the BB. I'm bound to break them off at some point. And what's with the bevels on the top surfaces of the boxes? Not sure what the point of them is when a flat join would have served...

This winter zero weeks Finman. But the previous two winters we've had months with snow on the ground - up to 70-80cm at times where my hives are positioned. A typical winter here in Speyside would be some weeks with snow cover, some weeks of frost and temps down to -20C and the rest relatively...