Abelo Poly Hives - Standard Practice

[boywonder]

Hi all, having run only cedar hives to the BS design up to now, I am this year also running some Abelo Poly hives.

So, just two quick questions for poly hive aficionados, please ...

1. Whilst a cedar box will take 12 frames (very, very snugly) - so would normally be run on 11+ a dummy board, the poly seems to take 11 (quite snugly, but not overly so).... So, would it be normal to run them with 11, or would most still make use of a dummy board (so 10+ dummy) ??

2. With frames in, they have some mass. Also, the roofs are pretty deep. So, whilst I do nothing to protect my wooden boxes from being blown off their stands in high winds, I am wondering whether or not that is too much of a risk for a poly hive. I get the impression that most might be weighting their hives with a block on the roof... or strapping them to their stands. What is normal practice here ?

Thanks in advance.



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[Angry_Mob]

I run the Abelos with 11 and no dummy, the Swienty was 10 and a dummy board though.

I strap and block in winter although during the summer the straps go by the wayside as less stormy days.

 

[ericbeaumont]

Same here: 11 frames and no dummy fit nicely by midsummer. Any initial slack best split evenly at either end to avoid wild comb. Definitely put blocks on roofs out of season: last autumn I forgot a block and returned to find the roof off; two weeks of rain had killed the colony.

 

[pargyle]

I use a dummy board in my Paynes polys .. it just makes life a lot easier to get that first frame out and then have space to manipulate the frames with comb. Saves rolling the bees or dragging the caps off stores as you start inspecting.

I can't think there are many disadvantages to having a dummy board in all brood boxes ?

 

[XYZ]

1 I run 11 frames in my Abelo poly boxes. They get snug after a few months with the propolis between frames. I'm thinking about dummying as I'm struggling to remove end frames without rolling bees sometimes.
2 I once found a deep Abelo poly roof had blown off one really windy night. Hive looked kinda sad with just the propolised crown board on top. I now strap all my hives to the stand they're on, just in case.

 

[Courty]

Hi,
Welcome to the wonderful world of Abelo polyhives. I have the slightly older version with five holes in the crown board.
I started off with 10+dummy until they filled the 10 and I added an 11th frame. I’ve also kept one with the dummy in, it helps making room for inspections. Other than it being a bit snug with 11 it doesn’t make a huge difference.
I strap the hives to the stand in winter and put a couple of stones on top for good measure as it can be windy in my apiary. The straps are now off and the stones remain over summer just in case.

I use the plastic grids in the crown board as they fill the gap with brace comb otherwise. I take them out where I put fondant over the cluster late winter. I use two frame nails pushed in to the poly circles to stop them falling off when looking under the board.

I’ve kept the inspection boards in all year round.

Good luck!

Courty

 

[ericbeaumont]

Other than it being a bit snug with 11 it doesn’t make a huge difference.

No dummy boards = less spend, less cleaning, less storage.

 

[thorn]

As everyone else here, eleven and no dummy, straps and a brick in winter and when windy weather is forecast.

 

[Poly Hive]

All my hives have a brick on top including the nucs. Yes it holds the roof in place which is task one but it also works as a status indicator. In line front to back all is well, in line side to side, dead. Upright needs close attention, see record card. I also have some painted bricks. Yellow indicates cells in super, blue virgins in cages, red grafts. Nice and simple. Highly effective and efficient.

PH

 

[Gunner]

I also use the older style Abelo hives and I think they are great. I am using 14x12 brood boxes and I have settled on 10 frames & a dummy board. I might go back to trying 11 frames in a couple of colonies but I was finding it difficult to remove the first frame without rolling bees. I tend to weight roofs down with bricks although at one apiary the local youths decided to use the bricks to throw at the hives.... I moved the hives to a more secluded apiary!

I have just purchased two of the newer style Abelo crownboards and roofs and I will have to use a hive strap year round to keep them secured down.

 

[boywonder]

Thanks all for the replies [emoji106] Really, really helpful.

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[Courty]

No dummy boards = less spend, less cleaning, less storage.

Hi Eric,
I see your point, although a dummy board can cost around the same as a frame and foundation, and for hobbyists they tend to come in packs of ten. And both need cleaning eventually. But an extra frame has more potential as a resource for bees, the dummy is more to help the beekeeper.
I’m sure we could debate this on and on.

For those who have tried both crownboards, is the new one better than the old?

Courty

 

[Angry_Mob]

For those who have tried both crownboards, is the new one better than the old?

The new crownboard is far superior IMO, only one vent hole and one long piece that lifts out and allows the feeder to be added which is the best part to me.

 

[Courty]

The new crownboard is far superior IMO, only one vent hole and one long piece that lifts out and allows the feeder to be added which is the best part to me.

Thanks Angry Mob, I’ve just had another look at Abelo’s site. It’s hard to see the shape with it all being white. Is there a rectangular recess with the round hole inside that? They say there are two plugs, is one for the round hole and the other for the rectangular feed station thing over the round plug?
I have a few of their round contact feeders, I presume they can still be used.

I suppose I may have to wait for normality to resume before I can find an excuse to visit their shop to have a good look for myself.

Sorry Boywonder for hijacking your thread somewhat.

Courty

 

[Angry_Mob]

Its moulded around, I dont think the round feeder will work but the new feeder is only £5.

Have a look at this video: https://youtu.be/6o4LS1JmLDg?t=184

 

[Madge]

Hi
2. With frames in, they have some mass. Also, the roofs are pretty deep. So, whilst I do nothing to protect my wooden boxes from being blown off their stands in high winds, I am wondering whether or not that is too much of a risk for a poly hive. ...

Every now and again we get posts or news about hives having been blown over - both wood and poly. I don’t understand why people are still debating whether to use a brick or a strap. *Always* use a strap. And strap the hive to the stand, and weigh the stand down (for example, with sandbags). Better safe than sorry.

 

[ericbeaumont]

1 I run 11 frames in my Abelo poly boxes. They get snug after a few months with the propolis between frames. I'm thinking about dummying as I'm struggling to remove end frames without rolling bees sometimes.

Courty, I agree that the cost of a board or frame is neither here nor there, but I reckon that the summer fit of 11 frames depends on whether the beekeeper closed the frames up tight in the preceding weeks. If this isn't done, propolis will build up on Hoffmans and make for a tight fit in an Abelo box.

Another factor: you'd think that by now DN frames would be dimensionally similar, but it's not so, and some manufacturers bevel the sharps on the Hoffmans. Result is that 11 frames will leave about 20mm space at the box end, enough for a dummy.

 

[Newbeeneil]

Another factor: you'd think that by now DN frames would be dimensionally similar, but it's not so, and some manufacturers bevel the sharps on the Hoffmans. Result is that 11 frames will leave about 20mm space at the box end, enough for a dummy.

Personally Eric I don’t want all DN frames to have Hoffman spacing as I use castellations in my brood boxes which are a pain with DN4’s.
In fact in my 14x12’s I run the side bars though my planer .

 

[Poly Hive]

I have never ever strapped a hive down apart from moving. Never had the need, and never had a poly blow over either. Admittedly the odd roof has blown off, or to be proper sucked off, but this is also where using solid crownboards comes in. No ingress for water.

Works for me and sod undoing and redoing strap after strap.

PH

 

[Jimmy]

Personally Eric I don’t want all DN frames to have Hoffman spacing as I use castellations in my brood boxes which are a pain with DN4’s.
In fact in my 14x12’s I run the side bars though my planer .

If you can recommend a castellation spacer that fits the Abelo boxes, please could you share?