Back after 4 Years and hoping for some advice

[Floyd]

Good Evening,

Previously I was a member here, whilst managing 4 hives in the Scottish Highlands. The help I received here enabled me to become quite proficient in the hobby and it was great to always have some where to share and receive assistance.

I have now moved down to Fife and work for an ecological charity. I have been approached to start bee keeping and have been offered a site close by. However I have to provide some funding options by tomorrow.

Having a look around today I can see that the market has moved on slightly since I last purchased hives. So could you offer some advice. I used wooden nationals in the past, would it be better to go for poly or wood and also 14 x 12 compared to standard brood. Are complete kits a good idea and are all poly the same?

Funds as always in a charity will be short so looking at the most economical and long lasting options.

Hope you can help, and look forward to hopefully being back into this wonderful pastime.

All the best

Lee

 

[Ian123]

Hi. Thornes sales coming soon, I would suggest your cheapest of all options and perfectly fit for the job. Am sure others will be along with other options. Good luck

 

[Erichalfbee]

i'm a great poly fan
I have Swienty 14x12s
Whether you go for 14x12 or National depends on the sort of bee you plan to have. Our local welsh black bees are happy in a National
For something like Buckfast or Carniolan you definitely need 14x12
Poly is cheaper but less durable..........they say

 

[Millet]

Not a negative i hope but your moving Avitar picture distracted me from reading ..

 

[For want of a better word]

Good Evening,

Previously I was a member here, whilst managing 4 hives in the Scottish Highlands. The help I received here enabled me to become quite proficient in the hobby and it was great to always have some where to share and receive assistance.

I have now moved down to Fife and work for an ecological charity. I have been approached to start bee keeping and have been offered a site close by. However I have to provide some funding options by tomorrow.

Having a look around today I can see that the market has moved on slightly since I last purchased hives. So could you offer some advice. I used wooden nationals in the past, would it be better to go for poly or wood and also 14 x 12 compared to standard brood. Are complete kits a good idea and are all poly the same?

Funds as always in a charity will be short so looking at the most economical and long lasting options.

Hope you can help, and look forward to hopefully being back into this wonderful pastime.

All the best

Lee

Caddon do some budget priced hives which are good build quality

Standard Nationals 14 x 12 are too cumbersome for the hobbyist!

 

[Poly Hive]

Frankly?

Sorry welcome back.

No, not all poly is the same. You might want to consider double brood, home made floors and poly roofs. I like swienty others Abelo there are other options too of course.

I would politely suggest that tomorrow is far too soon to be making big bee decisions and that you put it all on the back burner until Spring.

PH

 

[maz0]

One of the poly hives pro's is the inherently insulative properties of the material, making them excellent for over-wintering in colder climates, an ideal choice for up north

 

[steve1958]

Maybe an ecological charity would prefer wood

Polystyrene is good but bad ecologically

 

[madasafish]

I used to live in Banffshire..
Fife is a little warmer in winter but not much
As poly hives last 30 years or so, their advantages of weight and greater insulation far outweigh any ecological considerations..

 

[bingevader]

As poly hives last 30 years or so, their advantages of weight and greater insulation far outweigh any ecological considerations..

For you maybe, what about your children!

 

[madasafish]

For you maybe, what about your children!

And what about the bees CO2 emissions? Much higher in wood than poly...due to greater consumtion of food..
Over the life of a typical hive, CO2 emssions of bees far outweigh the original CO2 used in manufacture..

(If we come down to worry about the impact of poly vs wood in world terms.. and sit in houses insulated by .. err oil derived insulation - then we are straining at gnats when elephants gambol by )

 

[Vortex]

Maybe an ecological charity would prefer wood

Polystyrene is good but bad ecologically

Wrong..http://www.eps.co.uk/pdfs/eps_and_the_environment.pdf

 

[bingevader]

And what about the bees CO2 emissions? Much higher in wood than poly...due to greater consumtion of food..
Over the life of a typical hive, CO2 emssions of bees far outweigh the original CO2 used in manufacture..

Based on what? You'd have to clarify that please? What poly are you comparing to what wood?
I've not seen a wooden hive the same thickness as a poly hive!
Yep, Nationals are fairly skinny, but what about WBCs with the outer lifts?
Some of my hives are 24mm thick.

(If we come down to worry about the impact of poly vs wood in world terms.. and sit in houses insulated by .. err oil derived insulation - then we are straining at gnats when elephants gambol by )

Yes, but in the same way that I am doing my best to reduce the inefficiencies of my house built in the 30s, I'm also trying to reduce the impact of the other things I do in my life. My old house isn't an excuse not to bother.

Wrong..http://www.eps.co.uk/pdfs/eps_and_the_environment.pdf

Written by EPS.
It always makes me chuckle when a company starts a justification by saying their product is 100% natural!
What, like arsenic!?
It does clearly state that it is non-biodegradable.
Whilst they claim this is a positive, it's prolific on the beaches around by us.
Whilst I live where I do, I wouldn't chose it, because although they say it is 100% recyclable, no where round here will recycle it.
I have the same problem with ubiquitous packaging that things arrive in these days, it all ends up in landfill!

 

[Newbeeneil]

Whilst I live where I do, I wouldn't chose it, because although they say it is 100% recyclable, no where round here will recycle it

There I think is the crux of the matter. Most people acknowledge that use of some oil derivatives is somewhat inevitable due to their amazing properties but when are we going to be able to recycle ALL plastics locally. I don't mind taking it to my local recycling centre as long as it is burnt cleanly to produce energy with minimal pollution but although my council is very good with most things things like EPS packing are a nightmare.