Best National Polyhive for Compatibility with Wood

[fiat500bee]

I have no direct experience of any of the makes of polyhive but the Swienty is attracting me. It's not an issue for me if I can only fit ten frames as long as the externals are very close to timber dimensions. I would also prefer to see proper runners inside.

Can anyone give me guidance based on experience please.

 

[Jimmy]

Abelo is the other option. Bee space has been given more thought, particularly when boxes are stacked, and in my experience there is no nibbling of the poly top rail. Both of these are issues with the Swienty design.

 

[For want of a better word]

We run quite a few BeeHiveSupplies pollys.... usually run out of supers and find that the standard cedar jobs fit just fine..... and the polly roofs fit too!

Chons da

 

[Angry_Mob]

Abelo is the only poly hive I know of with the correct external dimensions and takes 11 frames internally.

The plastic runners are built in and solid as opposed to an afterthought as mentioned above in the Swienty. I also have had bees chewing the Swienty hive and when pointed out to them I didn't find them particularly helpful in doing any thing about it so their product support service isn't great either.

Problem with the rest of the hives on the market is the dimensions are all wrong and/or the have proprietary locking systems which makes them incompatible with other hives. Fine if you stick with that hive but if they stop producing or significantly raise prices you're out of luck.

 

[GuyNir]

I run some wooden boxes on Swienty poly floors. There’s too much space at the bottom of the frames. They keep building comb underneath the frames.

 

[Cuckmere couple]

Abelo is the only poly hive I know of with the correct external dimensions and takes 11 frames internally.

The plastic runners are built in and solid as opposed to an afterthought as mentioned above in the Swienty. I also have had bees chewing the Swienty hive k.

I concur

have Abelos interacting with wooden hives and find them superb...plastic runners are great and the i like the dimensions being exact. I do get water in the runners from somewhere...

 

[Gilberdyke John]

I concur

have Abelos interacting with wooden hives and find them superb...plastic runners are great and the i like the dimensions being exact. I do get water in the runners from somewhere...

The plastic runners are watertight unlike most others so any ingress remains visible rather than soaking away. I don't find it a problem.

 

[thorn]

I've been using Abelo in conjunction with wood for several years, and have had no issues.

 

[fiat500bee]

Thank-you to @Gilberdyke John @Cuckmere couple @GuyNir @Angry_Mob @For want of a better word and @Jimmy and anyone else who contributes to this. All of your replies were helpful and directed me towards Abelo, which I have now ordered. I will return the help by giving my own experience once they arrive.

 

[fiat500bee]

As a post-script to this; I bought some bits and pieces of Abelo and I am very pleased with them. Light, strong, well-designed and 100% compatible with my wooden parts. So my recently acquired nuc, (which is turning out to be more of a small hived colony), is now comfortable rehoused and humming nicely. Thanks again.

 

[thorn]

Green, grey and yellow? My wife's given me hell for putting a blue super on an otherwise green Abelo hive.

 

[fiat500bee]

Green, grey and yellow? My wife's given me hell for putting a blue super on an otherwise green Abelo hive.

....and bare wood! I've also got some light blue and darker blue items. Sheila encourages me to have them as colourful as possible....reminds us of Greek holdays.

 

[thorn]

....and bare wood! I've also got some light blue and darker blue items. Sheila encourages me to have them as colourful as possible....reminds us of Greek holdays.

Bare wood is like a pair of jeans. It'll go with anything that's not too smart.