Conducting a pole?

[Poly Hive]

The Modified National is by far the most common hive in the UK.

After that I would think it is the WBC, and after that probably Langstroth given the number of the big boys that use them.

Then the bigger sizes appear, but a lot depends on weather in your locality and the type of bee.

The poly hive is of course well worth a mention for the better wintering conditions it provides and lightness for migratory hive humphing.

What one has to consider is the value of your kit as if you dip a toe and find it is not for you if you spend a bomb on an unpopular hive type you may well have issues in selling it on.

PH

 

[hillybee]

Poly Langstroths

 

[darrenperrett]

14x12 cedar nationals

 

[mbc]

wood nationals and commercials

 

[oliver90owner]

You won't be blaming me..... later!

Regards, RAB

 

[Norm]

Tbh

 

[wightbees]

Nothing as i keep changing my mind , being new to this.
But at the mo i like the Poly Langs from modern beekeeing, you can even put national
frames in them with a small wooden converter.

 

[ENZO]

I guess it depends on why you want to keeps bees and what you goals are, I use mainly National a mix of cedar and swienty polys, but also have a couple cedar 14X12's, a couple of smiths 14X12's that were given to me and a TBH for a bit of fun and understanding.

National's are a safe bet to start with I guess, probably best in standard brood as 14X12 need a little more understanding to get all the foundation drawn properly and it's a big hive if your bees are not prolific. No matter what hive you choose, it's always good to have a spare National knocking around as most of the beekeepers in the UK use them and the chances are you'll be offered bees/brood frames in this size. I think the trick is not not to spend too much on kit until you know exactly what you want, whatever hive you choose, you will find pros and cons with it using your style of management then you can decide if you wish to carry on using that type of hive.

My style of management favors standard broods or double broods, hive management is a very personal thing, others will have a differant angle on this.

I think that as a first hive, buying something mainstream in your area makes life easier, easier to buy, easier to sell and easier to get help when something goes wrong.

Enzo

 

[learner]

Thats a lot of national voters some poly langs few tbh couple of dead set langs and the odd others.

So thanks to all so far, I think this is still up in the air, the guy who I have latched onto localy to me uses nats, so commonsense says go that way and then decide having spent a season learning from him. He also uses the snellgrove board so something else to investigate.

Thanks to all who have contributed.

 

[learner]

RAB that maybe the wisest move of all.

 

[Hebeegeebee]

My wife favours WBC's as they look nice in the garden! Takes nat frames of course. Can also be as 14 x 12's as hidden by the lifts.

 

[learner]

"Oh no" now having seen the name Dartington around the forum I have looked at pictures that is bee hive to die for is it any good? who uses one? can i get drawings for that hive?

Just as nationals headed for the top slot, with the tbh behind, a new boy enters the race!I feel another round of research coming on.

 

[sahtlinurk]

Smiths and Nationals so far.

 

[wightbees]

have a look here, there are plans to a few hives on the right of the page.
http://www.scottishbeekeepers.org.uk/learning/html/plans.html

 

[gill68]

Commercials are working so far for me ( early days though!)

 

[oliver90owner]

Dartingtons?

14 x 12 frames, top bee space, horrid (IMO) little half-supers, but a competent design - if that is what you want. Some find 14 x 12 frames too heavy to remove from the side of the hive; I don't. Easy for artificial swarming and good for over-wintering. Space consuming and too heavy, really, for moving around (migratory beekeeping. Some might have unused ones available (as they found them difficult to manage?). Simple to make, but first one is time consuming (like all but the simplest of items) to get it all cut square and to correct tolerances. Quite important all is square but not all the bits (in the plans) are necessary to have initial 'lift-off' (easier, when machining, to make the similar sections all at the same time, of course).

You can now buy the plastic version for the best part of half a grand (omlette beehaus).

I have two (self-built from plans) and a plastic version. I like the Dartingtons (or wouldn't have made a second) and I am yet to colonise the plastic beetainer.

Plans are available from Robin Dartington (he has the copyright). I can help if you have the basics. Stamfordham have some parts left (they used to supply the kits or built hives) and there are a couple fellows who will supply under license.

Questions? Probably easiest to pm me.

Regards, RAB

 

[sherwood]

it will depend of on a lot of things but probably you will end up with what your mentor has. However my prefernce if starting again from scratch might be langstroth.