Another question about p-a-y-n-e-s poly and crownboard.

[Alabamaeee]

My mentor has kept bees for 50 years.

He just saw my new 14x12 poly hive and his first reaction was that the polycarbonate "crown Board" is not designed correctly.

In his opinion if using bottom bee space the crown board needs a bee space between it and the frames. This is to enable the winter cluster to easily move across the frames without having to go down and round frames in the colder part of the hive.

Have any of you P-a-y-n-e-s national poly owners experienced any problems over winter, or what do you think about this, is it a problem?

 

[Poly Hive]

In what respect?

PH

 

[For want of a better word]

needs an eke under it to give some top bee space?

 

[Alabamaeee]

PH,

Probably not explained it well.

Would it bee better to have a spacer fitted to the poly cover so that the bees can get up and over frames when clustered?

 

[Poly Hive]

With you now.

I put mine in the bucket to be brutally honest.

I have colonies with flat ply on top of BBS Nats and they mange fine. I have bee space CBs too and the colonies manage fine.

Whether corex CBs will stand up to being glued down I frankly couldn't be bothered to find out.

I don't expect everything I buy to be perfect and accept that my thoughts are not the same as everyones, and so I do a fair bit of bodging to make things work as I want.

PH

 

[Alabamaeee]

Ok seems like it doesn't make much difference then. The Pay-ne crownboard is actually a polycarbonate type clear sheet.

I have a couple spare so may experiment with them.

 

[drstitson]

work fine. same with MB ones (although have 1/2 bee space).

 

[Swarm]

No problem with them.

 

[badger65]

I am currently using one with a couple of framws of bees and awaiting a queen. I have noticed a bit of condensation on the polycarbonate board. Has anyone else noticed this. Would it be worth fashoning a vent or am worrying too much.

 

[Poly Hive]

Worrying too much.

PH

 

[For want of a better word]

Worrying too much.

PH

They have taken ****** to fit an OMF... havent they?

 

[itma]

...
In his opinion if using bottom bee space the crown board needs a bee space between it and the frames. This is to enable the winter cluster to easily move across the frames without having to go down and round frames in the colder part of the hive.
...

I doubt its an ideal solution for overwintering, just having the thin and flexy sheet resting directly on all the brood frame top bars.
You'll probably want to sort something better (and which can accommodate a feeder) before Winter sets in. But that's some time away yet - I hope!
The flexy sheet shouldn't lead to great problems on supers during the summer - its main function is to keep the bees away from the wall/roof join (rather awkward should they glue that together with prop!) - so remember that when considering alternatives...