Giving a talk on Poly Hives - Need evidence

[simoncav]

Hi all,
I've been keeping bees in Poly hives for several years now and have been asked to give a talk on Poly hives at the Hampshire Beekeepers convention on the 10th November.

Although I have plenty of anecdotal evidence on how bees seem to do better in poly hives, particularly in coming through winters and building up in spring, I'm looking for any hard numbers on the thermal efficiency of Poly hives over standard single skin wooden ones.

Would also appreciate any hints or tips from other Poly hive users that you might want to share with others - Please let me know if you want me to acknowledge you in the presentation notes or not.

Thanks

Simon

 

[susbees]

The best way of giving a talk is to provide balanced evidence: the sort of thing that says poly is good for a, b and c but wood is still more x,y,z...Preaching is not often a popular technique, but of course you wouldn't, would you ?

 

[user 6228]

Hi all,
I've been keeping bees in Poly hives for several years now and have been asked to give a talk on Poly hives at the Hampshire Beekeepers convention on the 10th November.

Although I have plenty of anecdotal evidence on how bees seem to do better in poly hives, particularly in coming through winters and building up in spring, I'm looking for any hard numbers on the thermal efficiency of Poly hives over standard single skin wooden ones.

Would also appreciate any hints or tips from other Poly hive users that you might want to share with others - Please let me know if you want me to acknowledge you in the presentation notes or not.

Thanks

Simon

I will be presenting tonight a quantiitive thermal efficiency comparision of polyhives vs wooden hives vs tree nest at the Basingstoke LBKA at the Queen Elizabeth college. at 7:30, This is based on the detailed experiments and measurements I have conducted.

perhaps we can meet up

Derek

 

[simoncav]

I will be presenting tonight a quantiitive thermal efficiency comparision of polyhives vs wooden hives vs tree nest at the Basingstoke LBKA at the Queen Elizabeth college. at 7:30, This is based on the detailed experiments and measurements I have conducted.

perhaps we can meet up

Derek

Thanks Derek,
I'll be there!

 

[Finman]

.
Only evidence is thermal conductivity or insulation value. The rest is between ears.
Then ventilation and upper cover insulation must bee at same level.

If you have a well insulated house, you need only keep door or window open and you loose all properties

i have had poly hives 25 years.
.
But being on British forums, I must say that insulation and thermal issues are not strenghtnes among British people.

.if you bye a poly box, it will not save your beekeeping.

 

[Poly Hive]

If you look at ITLD's posts you will see that over a considerable number of poly units, I cannot give a figure he is saying some 10-15% more honey.

Further as you will by now know bees behave differently in poly and the principle one is far less clustering. Hence less risk of isolation starvation.

Cheaper to buy, lighter to carry for the migrators.

Last stick we were beaten with was of course disease, and I would frankly start with that other wise the "knowledgeable" will sit there not hearing a word you say as they are ready to hit you with the disease issue which is now a non issue. See the ministry site for the pdf file.

Then there is the minor matter of brood next to the hive walls, and yes the guys in the far south are possibly used to that but believe me most of the rest of the country find that rather a novelty. Swarms starting comb building next to hive walls... and so on.



PH

 

[Chris B]

Last stick we were beaten with was of course disease, and I would frankly start with that other wise the "knowledgeable" will sit there not hearing a word you say as they are ready to hit you with the disease issue which is now a non issue. See the ministry site for the pdf file.

And to support this, I've had about a dozen or so EFB cases in polys this year. It's still a pain to sterilize them with bleach but no more so than scraping and flaming a wooden hive.

 

[Skyhook]

My accumulated wisdom of 1 poly hive for half a season- put vaseline round the roof where it fits onto the box below, or you'll never get it off (Having mastered that, I like it)

 

[Finman]

My accumulated wisdom of 1 poly hive for half a season- put vaseline round the roof where it fits onto the box below, or you'll never get it off (Having mastered that, I like it)

Many beeks use plastic folio. Normally burr glues the cover to the box.

 

[sipa]

Not directly related to the use of Poly, nevertheless this makes an interesting read........

The Thermology of Wintering Honeybees

beesource.com/resources/usda/the-thermology-of-wintering-honey-bee-colonies/

 

[youngyoungs]

Whilst I hesitate to give any comment. Having started with polys:
They're lighter
More fragile
Have little aesthetic value (compared to the WBC)

 

[For want of a better word]

Have little aesthetic value (compared to the WBC)


Ones I am now using by beehivesupplies made in Cornwall... have roofs that match the WBCs and look just as pretty from a distance !

The boxes seem to be no more fragile than the superlight WBC ones

Great Aunt even commented how pretty they are!

 

[itma]

Have little aesthetic value (compared to the WBC)


Ones I am now using by beehivesupplies made in Cornwall... have roofs that match the WBCs and look just as pretty from a distance !
...

Photos ("evidence"?) now significantly overdue!

 

[Poly Hive]

Fragile?

I can jump up and down on them and do at demos.

Dropped one at 40mph and only damage was a slightly scraped corner.

PH

 

[snoop]

There is a repair kit available if there is any damage.I got one from the factory that had a hairline crack on delivery. Got the kit , glued it, gave it a rub of sandpaper & painted it , its perfectble.
Queen will lay across all 10 frames when she is in full lay. I find with overwintering strong hives hives a double brood box is required, the bottom box will be completely empty in spring with the cluster having moved up. I use this to change out all the frames in the bottom box the top one would have been freshly drawn for supers the year before.
With nucs I have had nucs in poly & timber boxes, the poly nucs develop a lot faster & come on stronger earlier

 

[IBeeHere]

I will be presenting tonight a quantiitive thermal efficiency comparision of polyhives vs wooden hives vs tree nest at the Basingstoke LBKA at the Queen Elizabeth college. at 7:30, This is based on the detailed experiments and measurements I have conducted.

Derek

And a very interesting talk it was, now I think my P****s poly hives require insulation, and my cedar hive looks decidedly not fit for purpose. Some very interesting points were raised and I look forward to seeing further results when completed.
Basingstoke LBKA talks are at the Queen MARY college at 7:30 (every third thursday of Month)

 

[Norton]

Even here in Cyprus the poly hives are better for the bees than wood. The bees in the poly hives build up a couple of weeks earlier, can have brood in all the brood frames and fair better during the long hot summer.
The downside is that they are expensive here due to the freight and they get attacked by ants which chew holes in the feeders.

 

[Finman]

Queen will lay across all 10 frames when she is in full lay.

That makes no sense. Put anothert brood box if you have so earger layer.

I find with overwintering strong hives hives a double brood box is required, the bottom box will be completely empty in spring with the cluster having moved up.

It is same with me, But soon they start to store pollen in lower box.

With nucs I have had nucs in poly & timber boxes, the poly nucs develop a lot faster & come on stronger earlier

it means longer foraging season
.

 

[Finman]

.
I do not use excluder. I use solid bottom.

In July, when it is main flow, I keep entrance wide open + 2 upper entrances.

The system is so that I have 3 brood boxes. The lowest is cold and the queen rises to lay into second and third box. In main flow the lowest box will be filled with pollen.

In August when pollen flowers ceases, the hive rears its winter bees with that pollen store.

In this case queen never lays against wall.

I am not satisfied if the queen lays only in one box. That queen will fly to eternity.

.

 

[Skyhook]

And a very interesting talk it was, now I think my P****s poly hives require insulation,

??? seriously, or are you using artistic license here?