Abelo 12 Frame to Langstroth

[user 23247]

I started out with 4x Abelo 12 Frame hives. This is my first season. Just thinking about more kit for next year and considered getting some poly langstroths for the increased brood box size (running brood and a half currently) but dismissed this as already pinned the colours to the mast with Abelo. Abelo have just put their prices up and an unpainted 12 frame hive Is now £220. I am sort of locked into this system and supplier as they are incompatible with anything else (if I stay with Nationals). Poly langs by Honey Paw and Paradise honey are around £140. I am planning to expand to 8 hives next year. Any advice whether to jump to poly langstroth now based on cost. Got myself quite confused. Thanks for any help.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

moving to Langs this early is a wise move, wish I'd done it way back when, as for the Abelo stuff, there's always some mu person around prepared to pay decent money for a second hand one

 

[Erichalfbee]

I would use langstroth if I had my time again

 

[markjadams]

I think langstroth is a better system if you live in an area where you get very large brood nests.

The big disadvantage on a larger scale is the costs of frames etc as I very rarely see seconds available.

 

[Gunner]

This season I have bought 200 Paradise Langstroth Professional 8 frame boxes and floors, roofs and have done Bailey comb changes from 14x12 to Langstroth. I like the hive design and the boxes actually take 9 frames without the need for dummy boards. I am using Langstroth deeps throughout for brood & honey. Really pleased with the hive design & the service from Paul at Modern Beekeeping. Wish I had started out with Langstroth 41 years ago rather than National

I got my Langstroth frames ready made & wired from Murray McGregor in bulk. They are top quality & the time saving not having to make them up justified the cost.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

I think langstroth is a better system if you live in an area where you get very large brood nests.

Which is any area if you have decent bees

The big disadvantage on a larger scale is the costs of frames etc as I very rarely see seconds available.

Maisies always have Langstroth seconds on sale

 

[Erichalfbee]

I am soooooooo tempted.
I wonder if Stan would notice a gradual replacement?

 

[JamezF]

I am soooooooo tempted.
I wonder if Stan would notice a gradual replacement?

He might when you tell him that you need a whole new batch of UFEs

James

 

[Rory Fields]

moving to Langs this early is a wise move, wish I'd done it way back when, as for the Abelo stuff, there's always some mu person around prepared to pay decent money for a second hand one

Usually me ;-)

 

[jarmo henttu]

I started out with 4x Abelo 12 Frame hives. This is my first season. Just thinking about more kit for next year and considered getting some poly langstroths for the increased brood box size (running brood and a half currently) but dismissed this as already pinned the colours to the mast with Abelo. Abelo have just put their prices up and an unpainted 12 frame hive Is now £220. I am sort of locked into this system and supplier as they are incompatible with anything else (if I stay with Nationals). Poly langs by Honey Paw and Paradise honey are around £140. I am planning to expand to 8 hives next year. Any advice whether to jump to poly langstroth now based on cost. Got myself quite confused. Thanks for any help.

10 frame Langstroth is heavy enough to lift. I cannot see any sense in 12 frame box. 10 frame box full of honey is about 30 kg. 2 frames more and it makes 5 kg more to lift.

 

[madasafish]

Langs are so much easier to handle.
14x12 frames feel unbalanced to me..
(But then my wife says I am unbalanced so WDIK.)

 

[FlamWellman]

I’m moving to Langstroth, luckily i only had a few nationals when we started but bought some Anels from

https://gwenyngruffydd.co.uk/collec...complete-langstroth-assembled-beehive-by-anel

which are proving brilliant and a few Lyson/Abelo 9 frames hives.

I would not go back to Nationals.

 

[Ely]

I get the rockbottom cedar Langstroths from Maismores. I keep eyeing up the Honey Paw langstroths but they are an extra £100 for a similar setup. Plus they do medium supers only where my rock bottoms are shallow supers so, it would be yet another frame type in the apiary. I love the look of wood. I stick insulation in the roof but the hive wall thickness does concern me. This will be my first winter using the cedar rock bottom hives. I'll eventually sell off my national equipment with colonies.

 

[holmbee]

I started with a Langstroth lent to me by our builder some years ago to help fruit pollination. I then moved to Paynes poly but changed these to pine Mann Lake when they had a UK branch. They have lasted surprisingly well as pine is not as good as cedar - just far cheaper! Would recommend Langstroth to any new beekeeper. So many are stuck with Nationals as these are used by most associations.