Biggest bee mystery?

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Why are Maisemore poly nuc brood boxes the most expensive piece of poly nuc equipment they sell,

they are made in mainland Europe (Poland maybe?) so Brexit had an immediate effect (I remember Jonathan warning us of an imminent price hike during the spring convention), big difficulties then on processing the freight at Coquelles so drivers reluctant to take on any jobs which involved going to England, thus they raised their prices substantially, then raw materials - they are plastics, so as oil prices soared so did the raw material prices.

• Is it because they have a monopoly on poly nuc brood boxes, whereas all their other poly nuc parts have competitors?

more than one competitor out there selling poly nucs - Paynes were around long before Maisies, BS honeybees and a few others sell similar bits of kit

 

[Paulypaul]

more than one competitor out there selling poly nucs - Paynes were around long before Maisies, BS honeybees and a few others sell similar bits of kit

Sure, others make poly nucs, no one else makes poly deep boxes compatible with BS Honey bees and Maisemore poly nucs. If you buy 6-frame National poly nucs and need brood boxes, you have to buy from Maisemore.

PS: I shall be buying some in Tomorrow's Maisemore sale.

 

[StephenT]

What is Washboarding, really? I suspect it's bored bees. But there must be more to it

The biggest hive in the garden was doing that last night and is carrying it through into today. They are requeening (prob not relevant) and it got up to 30 degrees yesterday (more likely to be a factor). And was it just house bees doing it as into the morning the foragers should have been out foraging?

 

[jarmo henttu]

1. How long do winter bees REALLY live for? Often wondered what % of the colony in the summer are actually still winter bees.
2. What is Washboarding, really? I suspect it's bored bees. But there must be more to it.
3. Why are Maisemore poly nuc brood boxes the most expensive piece of poly nuc equipment they sell, despite it being a very unsophisticated molded block of polystyrene? - even more expensive than a sophisticated 11-frame Abelo deep box, with all the trimmings.
   • Is it because they have a monopoly on poly nuc brood boxes, whereas all their other poly nuc parts have competitors? - asking for a friend.

 

[Amari]

The biggest beekeeping mystery of all .... how old is our Finnish member ? He must have started keeping bees when he was still in short trousers !

Finman's reincarnation?

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Sure, others make poly nucs, no one else makes poly deep boxes compatible with BS Honey bees and Maisemore poly nucs.

you could say the same for full size bee equipment - once you opt for Abelo boxes (especially if youvare daft enough to choose the 12 frame version) you are more or less tied to them for the duration

 

[Sutty]

you could say the same for full size bee equipment - once you opt for Abelo boxes (especially if youvare daft enough to choose the 12 frame version) you are more or less tied to them for the duration

A bit like my paradise hives. There are things I like & things I hate about them, but you are a bit tied in. Yo can use normal wooden supers accepting a bit of extra wild comb when bbs is above tbs.

 

[madasafish]

1. How long do winter bees REALLY live for? Often wondered what % of the colony in the summer are actually still winter bees.
2. What is Washboarding, really? I suspect it's bored bees. But there must be more to it.
3. Why are Maisemore poly nuc brood boxes the most expensive piece of poly nuc equipment they sell, despite it being a very unsophisticated molded block of polystyrene? - even more expensive than a sophisticated 11-frame Abelo deep box, with all the trimmings.
   • Is it because they have a monopoly on poly nuc brood boxes, whereas all their other poly nuc parts have competitors? - asking for a friend.

They do NOT have a monopoly: BS Honey Bees nuc boxes are interchangeable 100%.
You can but cheap seconds on ebay.
I was brought up in Scotland and know these things..

 

[Paulypaul]

They do NOT have a monopoly: BS Honey Bees nuc boxes are interchangeable 100%.

BS honey bees don't make separate deep boxes for nucs. If you contact them they refer you to Maisemore.