Abelo. Another version

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Oh great another new hive design I wonder if the rebated edges will be compatible with last years design that let water in?
 
Oh great another new hive design I wonder if the rebated edges will be compatible with last years design that let water in?
I quite like the fact they're obviously trying to continuously improve, it must cost them a fair sum to retool each time yet here they are, the only company using this material technology to my knowledge, reinvesting and trying to get to the best possible product.
Saying this, no way am I going to start spending my money on another incompatible format.
 
I've been waiting all my beekeeping life for a poly top space National.
I have only a few of their boxes but even then, too many to replace, sadly
But for new beeks it might be just the thing.
 
Have they reduced the wall thickness to fit 12 frames to a national footprint or is this a completely new footprint I wonder?
 
Have they reduced the wall thickness to fit 12 frames to a national footprint or is this a completely new footprint I wonder?

It's a new footprint.

"This one is wider to accommodate 12 frames internally. We will still produce our previous designs that are compatible with the wooden national."
 
is this a completely new footprint
In the shaded box on the left is the dimension of 490mm, so perhaps ideal for beginners but incompatible with that shed load of standard National 460s.

Thing is that beginners won't have a clue how to differentiate between TBS, BBS and the variable and incompatible footprints of National 460, Maisemore, BHS, Paynes, Swienty and now Abelo.

Fragmentation of the market is no good for UK beekeeping and a better way forward would be to get the poly lot to work together and standardise. As they've each invested heavily in different moulds that's unlikely to happen, which is our loss and theirs, as smaller production quantities = reduced buying power.

I reckon it would be hard to improve on the new design 11-frame Abelo and I don't see that 12 frames will be of any real benefit. If space is needed then another box is the answer, and not one frame.
 
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It's a new footprint.

"This one is wider to accommodate 12 frames internally.
So apart from its ability to take DN frames - it's not really a 'National hive' in any way
 
I suppose there will be as many versions of the National as there are Langstroth
Well, we still stumble across the original National (compatible with the modified but a lot less fiddly to build), we have the 'modified national which has been the 'standard' since the war, and the two variants of that - , the Jumbo (14x12) and Top Beespace.
So what shall we call this one? i'm torn between the brexit and the abortion.
 
In the shaded box on the left is the dimension of 490mm, so useful for beginners but incompatible with standard National 460s.

Thing is that beginners won't have a clue how to differentiate between TBS, BBS and the variable and incompatible footprints of National 460, Maisemore, BHS, Paynes, Swienty and now Abelo.

Fragmentation of the market is no good for UK beekeeping and a better way forward would be to get the poly lot to work together and standardise. As they've each invested heavily in different moulds that's unlikely to happen, which is our loss - and theirs, as smaller production quantities = reduced buying power.

I reckon it would be hard to improve on the new design 11-frame Abelo and I don't see that 12 frames will be of any real benefit: if space is needed then another box is the answer, and not one frame.
I only went to a few Saturday apiary visits when I joined my (then) local association, but the one that sticks in the mind was when I overheard the derisory and critical comments of the Master Beekeepers (one of which was doing the starter training) when it was discovered the apiary owner had a mixture of top and bottom bee space boxes on one hive. I went to no more.
Two years later the apiary owner was taking the classes......:hairpull::hairpull::hairpull:
 
So apart from its ability to take DN frames - it's not really a 'National hive' in any way

It depends what the standard (if there is one) for national hives is. If the standard defines the internal space then I presume that is what they mean. It doesn't matter how thick the poly is on the outside so long as the hole in the middle is a standard size.
 
There is indeed one. The problem faced by the poly makers is that in order to keep the thermal efficiency the walls are a certain thickness. If you want o keep 11 frames then the external dimension is greater than standard. If you want to keep external dimension standard then the internal is reduced -10 frames
 
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