First Hives

[Graeme6]

New to bee keeping and ready to purchase my first hives. I am considering buying flat pack ceadar hives to start out with. Is this a good idea or should I opt for ready assembled hives. trying to keeps initial costs down but want to get the best equipment I can. Can anyone reccommend a good supplier of flatpack cedar national hives.

Thanks in advance

Graeme

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

wait for the spring convention sales and buy flat pack 'second quality' (they are not seconds really, just British Cedar instead of cedar imported from halfway around the world) from one of the big suppliers such as Maisemores (they have a sale on at the moment - ends 29th February) and at the same time buy packs of fifty frames (brood and super) and don't think you'll only need 11,22 whatever frames - you will be constantly buying frames throughout your beekeeping journey so may as well save money and buy in bulk

 

[Curly green finger's]

I second maisemore flat pack also

 

[ericbeaumont]

reccommend a good supplier

Sound advice from JBM, but have you considered poly hives? If you do, get the Abelo Mk1: same footprint as National wood & interchangeable with it, ready made, ready painted, light to carry, just put bees in.

If you have limited woodworking skills or tools or time, it would be a good choice, not just for you but for the colony, because thermal efficiency of poly is far greater than timber and the kit will last 40 years.

This one, with the deep roof:
https://www.abelo.co.uk/beekeeping-category/national-hive/poly-hives-national/

 

[Erichalfbee]

These are what I have. I also have a few wooden hives and they are topped with the deep Abelo poly roofs

 

[hemo]

My take is to mix and match poly with wood.
I make my own ( as many do) UFE wooden floors with a 75% mesh floor, Abelo Poly Mk1 /11 frame national broods, national super wood, insulated wood roofs ( but now I would use an Abelo poly roof if ever replacing).
Supers get more use in having to remove them often so using wood will cause less damage in the long run.
Wood is cheaper then poly and more enviromentally freindly/recyclable, supers are only part year used so to me makes sense to use them as they are also cheaper to buy.