Anyone tried, seen, touched the poly hive from maisemore

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Each to his own, but it is possible to make an insulated wooden roof which is superior in performance to some of the roofs available from suppliers.

Not just possible - easy, look at the minimal insulation value on most of these extra thin poly roofs. Wooden roofs are also less likely to fly away.

 

[linoleum bonypart]

The swienty dovetails don't need any screws and are solid ....a certain person would say that screws would have a negative impact on heat transfer
Put a super of kingspan on top

 

[Motobiman]

I don't really see why we can't take the plus points of each hive material and combine them to come up with something nearer an ideal.

For example the poly broad box appears to mean improved winter colony survival rates.

Whilst cleaning and more importantly, sterilising timber supers, clearly uses less of the obnoxious chemicals.

Seems to me there is room for both materials.

 

[dannygolf1959]

poly roofs

Not just possible - easy, look at the minimal insulation value on most of these extra thin poly roofs. Wooden roofs are also less likely to fly away.

the poly roofs are not thin and they come with a hive strap so they are less likely to blow away than any other roof ,,I find the strap a bit more pleasing on the eye than a dirty big brick sat on the roof

 

[Quis Custodiet]

the poly roofs are not thin and they come with a hive strap so they are less likely to blow away than any other roof ,,I find the strap a bit more pleasing on the eye than a dirty big brick sat on the roof

With respect, you cannot have encountered roofs from many manufacturers.

 

[dannygolf1959]

I have looked at and handled,,,paines poly,,,swienty poly,abelo poly {today},,,modern bee box poly,,,and I own one maisemore poly hive....li also have a national cedar ,,,lets just agree to disagree

 

[Swarm]

I have looked at and handled,,,paines poly,,,swienty poly,abelo poly {today},,,modern bee box poly,,,and I own one maisemore poly hive....lets just agree to disagree

And you think they are thick? Paynes is a second attempt yet it still features an underside that is dotted with deep holes that must leave barely a few mm's of poly.
50 mm of insulation inside a wooden roof (some add 100 mm)?
A lot of other benefits as well, better protection from Woodpeckers ( if you have them ) and the smoker won't melt a hole in it.
Same with poly floors, another waste of cash IMO.

 

[Poly Hive]

When assessing poly there is like anything poly and poly (sadly) If you pay silly prices you end up with a banger, and if you pay more you get a real car.

PH

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

And you think they are thick? Paynes is a second attempt yet it still features an underside that is dotted with deep holes that must leave barely a few mm's of poly.
50 mm of insulation inside a wooden roof (some add 100 mm)?
A lot of other benefits as well, better protection from Woodpeckers ( if you have them ) and the smoker won't melt a hole in it.
Same with poly floors, another waste of cash IMO.

(and yes, I have handled and/or seen in action most of what's on offer)

 

[Everbeezer]

I recently purchased a Maisemore poly hive. They are very well made and very easy to put together. I have painted mine with a couple of coats of smooth masonry paint and it is now good to go. I hopefully will have bees in the hive in the very near future. As soon as I have it up and running I will post a few pics. I have made a heavy wooden stand for it and as already stated it came with a good hive strap.

 

[bontbee]

I have one maisemore polyhive and several of their nucs with extra bodies. I used a couple of the nucs to overwinter.

As it's my first foray into poly I have nothing to compare with but, so far -

Pros:
· very easy assembly
· clear coverboard supplied with hive
· flat mating faces
· inexpensive

Cons:
· bulky
· deep gap between bottom of combs and floor (both hive and nuc) = tons of brace comb
· nuc - no coverboard and, as I am convinced they will stick the rather flimsy roof to the topbars, I am using heavy duty polythene as coverboards.
· poly "runners" don't win against a propolised frame.
· QX doesn't fit properly - it is the regular national size, whereas the hive is 500 x 500mm
· Entrance block not fit for purpose - once painted, it don't fit!
· I don't like the fit of the feeder/roof to the nuc box. Where the mating faces on the hive are flat, just like a wooden national, the nuc has a "stepped" mating face (sorry don't know how to describe its profile properly)
· I didn't have any success with the supplied Miller feeder. I haven't used it again, since the first drownings, but will incorporate the modifications suggested on the forum, next time.

 

[Cussword]

· nuc - no coverboard.
· I don't like the fit of the feeder/roof to the nuc box. Where the mating faces on the hive are flat, just like a wooden national, the nuc has a "stepped" mating face (sorry don't know how to describe its profile properly)
· I didn't have any success with the supplied Miller feeder. I haven't used it again, since the first drownings, but will incorporate the modifications suggested on the forum, next time.

I agree about the cover board, a silly exclusion, I've had to make my own.

I think the stepping on the nuc is for stability. As said before I have had no problems with the feeders. (Could be down to luck).
After using wooden and paynes, I wouldn't buy any other nuc but Maismore's.

.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

· nuc - no coverboard and, as I am convinced they will stick the rather flimsy roof to the topbars, I am using heavy duty polythene as coverboards.

Haven't had any issue with them glueing the roof to the top bars to be honest. Trialled quite a few last year with no issues - Maisies themselves have used these nucs (or similar) for quite a while with no problems - rather than use polythene you could always use the cloth terram sold in garden centres. Works well

· · QX doesn't fit properly - it is the regular national size, whereas the hive is 500 x 500mm

Only today they released a new QX and crown board which fits the outer dimensions of their polyhive

· I don't like the fit of the feeder/roof to the nuc box. Where the mating faces on the hive are flat, just like a wooden national, the nuc has a "stepped" mating face (sorry don't know how to describe its profile properly)
· I didn't have any success with the supplied Miller feeder. I haven't used it again, since the first drownings, but will incorporate the modifications suggested on the forum, next time.

If you are talking of the nuc feeder, I can honestly say I've had no problems whatsoever with it, although they do tend to stick this down a bit more firmly than the roof. The idea of the rim I think is so that the nuc can be fixed and transported easily with bees in without the worry of the boxes slipping around.

 

[Swarm]

Only today they released a new QX and crown board which fits the outer dimensions of their polyhive
That's a positive.

 

[bontbee]

The hive I bought last year came complete with a clear coverboard to fit the external dimension. The QX was the only undersized bit...

I came to the same conclusion for the step on the nuc - for security in transit. it just seemed a bit odd that the hive was flat - not that I'm complaining, I prefer the flat profiles.

PS missed off one big plus point, though it has been mentioned already...tidy sized handholds, just like a Mod Nat - my fingers just aren't strong enough for the national/langstroth/commercial squiddly finger holds.

 

[dannygolf1959]

Thanks for the info on the QX....as I agree its to small...going to order the new larger maisemore one