Abelo's new hive colours

[bee82]

I've been at Abelo shop and there's a new green colour looks a lot better than the original green, there's even a pink

 

[mpenn]

I’ve seen them on there website the green new looks Great

 

[Angry_Mob]

Poll to vote: https://www.abelo.co.uk/have-your-saying/

I only have the blue/yellow so far but I think that green/grey is more attractive than the current green hive. I wonder if they will bring it in the original hive design.

 

[Gilberdyke John]

I've been at Abelo shop and there's a new green colour looks a lot better than the original green, there's even a pink

Do the bees care?

 

[steve1958]

Do the bees care?

Mine do.
Maybe it's because they are all women.
The men bees aren't fussed, they will go in any coloured hive,
as long as there are females to provide for them.

 

[Swinton apiaries]

I would say it’s a good thing before you start saying about the bees caring it can be a good management tool for different boxes painted different colours like cut comb, heather etc

 

[bingevader]

Poll to vote: https://www.abelo.co.uk/have-your-saying/

Bit like the recent election, no, "None of the above." option!

 

[thorn]

Bit like the recent election, no, "None of the above." option!

Their new design is available unpainted.

 

[Swarm]

I think the same would apply.
Maybe a third option, keep the old design?

 

[Angry_Mob]

I think the same would apply.
Maybe a third option, keep the old design?

I sent an email a while back and they confirmed that both hives will be sold.

 

[Ian123]

Not having abelo poly what’s the difference. I’ve still got my old swienty/itld gear but would likely be looking this year for another batch. Must admit not really happy about future redesigns 1 good reason at least to stick with the main players there still likely to be around in 10 years time

 

[Swarm]

Swienty made a new design, which more or less was a slight reshape that removed poly and had a new roof without the overhang. Backward step.
This looks to be following suit, IMO.

 

[Ian123]

Swienty roof is the same as the old design I think, floor has changed and brood slightly different. Don’t really see the need for a poly floor though normally just make up a ply floor for them and you can make a few for £30. My problem is the poly price appears to creep up and given the price of seconds in cedar they really are on the edge of pricing themselves out of my equation.

 

[Angry_Mob]

Not having abelo poly what’s the difference. I’ve still got my old swienty/itld gear but would likely be looking this year for another batch. Must admit not really happy about future redesigns 1 good reason at least to stick with the main players there still likely to be around in 10 years time

The Abelo / Lyson hives are the most dense at 160g/l of the poly hives so feel a bit more solid and durable than the others.

It's the only poly hive that I'm aware of that have the internal and external dimensions right for the national hive ie 11 frames and still compatible with wooden parts externally.

Pre-painted and pre-assembled is a great convenience; I've used them straight from the box. I like the hard plastic edges as well so the boxes are not as easily damaged with the hive tool.

Have a few drawbacks such as the over-zealous amount of ventilation holes and the floor could be better.

In comparison I've had a negative experience with the Swienty with its shoddy quality so I'm getting rid of all that kit next year and replacing with the original style Abelos.

 

[Swarm]

CWJ still sell the old type roof, the new one was more flush with the hive and was easy to remove as ITLD once said, press down in the centre and they pop open.

 

[Millet]

I think the same would apply.
Maybe a third option, keep the old design?

 

[ericbeaumont]

Maybe a third option, keep the old design?

The new National design says much about the confused direction of Abelo. Colour? Colour (all ropey) is the least of the problems they need to resolve. The old design was nearly right: if they'd just worked on the the fiddly CB, deleted the unnecessary box holes and trimmed the clunky floor, we'd have had the simplicity needed. Some of that has been achieved, but on a new and surely unnecessary model.

Result is further fragmentation of the UK poly market, which says to me that Lyson and Abelo can't work out which of them controls the direction of design. Compare the new Abelo National with the Dadant sold in Poland. Apart from the dimensions, there's no difference.

 

[Murox]

The Abelo / Lyson hives are the most dense at 160g/l of the poly hives so feel a bit more solid and durable than the others.

It's the only poly hive that I'm aware of that have the internal and external dimensions right for the national hive ie 11 frames and still compatible with wooden parts externally.

Pre-painted and pre-assembled is a great convenience; I've used them straight from the box. I like the hard plastic edges as well so the boxes are not as easily damaged with the hive tool.

Have a few drawbacks such as the over-zealous amount of ventilation holes and the floor could be better.

In comparison I've had a negative experience with the Swienty with its shoddy quality so I'm getting rid of all that kit next year and replacing with the original style Abelos.

Thanks for the impromptu critique - very useful as I have been toying with
Ableo v Swienty. Can you say a little about how you find the floor "lacking", please. Thank you.

 

[Angry_Mob]

As Eric touched on above the floor is chunky, really if the landing board was removed it would be a great improvement.

A better option may be to use Swienty floors with the Abelo hive. The swienty floors have no chunky landing board, the entire entrance is one bee space so no unnecessary entrance reducers. The insert tray is also hard plastic, the Abelo has a poly one that is hard to clean and I received one that was slightly deformed.


In general what I'd really like to see is an option offered of a poly underfloor entrance for a national hive and maybe some sort of plug built into the floor for those that use sublimox style devices.

 

[Murox]

Very interesting observations - thanks for that, much appreciated.