Abelo Poly Hives - - Problem with old deep brood fitting new Poly hive & Abelo Eke fitting new standard hive.

[highgate]

Hi All,

Wondering if I may have done something wrong.

I am using a mixture of older deep brood frames and brand new Abelo 14 by 12 deep national frames.

I have tried putting a Mark 1 Abelo deep Green brood box (frames don't fit) and a standard new brood box with Eke (to my novice eye) eke felt small and frames fitted slots but eke too short.

What have I done wrong?

Fortunately I had a ceder standard brood box and eke to hand so me ladies are OK - I hope!

Please help as it is driving me bonkers.

Eke is tiny though!

 

[Jimmy]

I think you have a brood chamber designed for standard national frames (14 × 8.5) with deep national (14×12) frames.
There's no agreed terminology for the different frame sizes unfortunately.

Dave Cushman's site has a good diagram, herehttp://www.dave-cushman.net/bee/bsframedimensions.html

 

[Angry_Mob]

The new hives aren't available in 14x12; only the old one: https://www.abelo.co.uk/shop/poly-hives-national/national-poly-hive-14-x-12-with-super-pre-orders/ or https://www.abelo.co.uk/shop/poly-hives-national/new-national-poly-14-x-12-brood-box-pre-orders/

As a stop gap you could use a super on top of the standard national.


Your mk1 14x12 brood looks to be upside down.

Also no need for the roof vent, plug it.

 

[highgate]

I think you have a brood chamber designed for standard national frames (14 × 8.5) with deep national (14×12) frames.
There's no agreed terminology for the different frame sizes unfortunately.

Dave Cushman's site has a good diagram, herehttp://www.dave-cushman.net/bee/bsframedimensions.html

Hi Jimmy,

You're right. I had bought a wooden eke from them, but it is about half the size of what I expected it to be hence why it is too small. Double checked and should be the eke to convert a standard to a deep national box.

 

[highgate]

The new hives aren't available in 14x12; only the old one: https://www.abelo.co.uk/shop/poly-hives-national/national-poly-hive-14-x-12-with-super-pre-orders/ or https://www.abelo.co.uk/shop/poly-hives-national/new-national-poly-14-x-12-brood-box-pre-orders/

As a stop gap you could use a super on top of the standard national.


Your mk1 14x12 brood looks to be upside down.

Also no need for the roof vent, plug it.

Thanks Angry mob that makes sense. Hadn't thought to think that they fit differently upside down from right way up.


I guess that resolves the MK1 deep standard, however they must have sent me the wrong eke to convert the standard into a deep national.

 

[highgate]

Also no need for the roof vent, plug it.

New to the Poly's so worried about them getting cold hence why only opened 1 vent. Should i open All the roof vents?

 

[Angry_Mob]

They only seem to sell one eke and its not a 14x12 converter eke; would need someting like this https://bee-equipment.co.uk/products/14-x-12-eke-flat-cedar or https://www.thorne.co.uk/index.php?route=product/product&product_id=2064

Keep the roof vents closed and the crown boards too; you'll find they will propolise the grids in the crown board also.

 

[highgate]

They only seem to sell one eke and its not a 14x12 converter eke; would need someting like this https://bee-equipment.co.uk/products/14-x-12-eke-flat-cedar or https://www.thorne.co.uk/index.php?route=product/product&product_id=2064

Keep the roof vents closed and the crown boards too; you'll find they will propolise the grids in the crown board also.

Agh that explains it. Sadly my ceder eke (BN std conversion to 14 by 12) didn't work so i bought that one after explaining what I wanted it for.

Thanks for the heads up on the vent. Will close them up.

So fae my ceder hives are winning hands down (excluding extra weight!).

 

[Angry_Mob]

Maybe they meant to use it in conjunction with your existing eke, in what way did it not work?

 

[highgate]

Their eke was too short, and my eke, did not allow the brood box to sit flush within. I have subsequently used that for a standard national brood box and released the deep brood box to use on this hive.

However, I do highly rate their roof, it is excellent and well designed, especially the bee friendly feeder as sadlyI lost 10's of bees in the Maismore 6 frame Poly feeder.

Guess you learn every day in bee keeping; hopefully I have not killed the queen in this Palaver!