Gone a bit Poly

[Firegazer]

Just had a Modern Beekeeping Poly Langstroth delivered.

It was very easy to put together (even for a Numpty) and looks pretty strong.

I have to paint it before I use it. What's best : water-based brown fence paint? Anyone been here and done it and got some advice?

FG

 

[Poly Hive]

Murray says gloss, Hamish said emulsion as did Bernard so I use emulsion.

Not too sure of your source so be wary of strength.

PH

 

[Onge]

Ive used masonry paint on mine, dark green I have also seen dark brown in Homebase, this is water biased.

 

[Widdershins]

We've done ours in Masonary paint, from Homebase.

Make sure you give it enough time to dry

 

[Firegazer]

Thanks for the advice.

It's a bit cold for drying paint today, so I may try to make up the frames instead. I was thinking of using half-depth sheets of foundation to let the bees choose cell sizes for the lower half of each frame. Anyone tried that?

FG

 

[Poly Hive]

Why?

I forsee a vast amount of drone comb.

In poly there is a well in the floor if you put the screen on the underside and they colonies will use this when they or if they want to to make extra drone comb. Verra useful for culling mites.

PH

 

[grizzly]

I shall watch your thread with interest Firegazer, i plan to get one from Modern Beekeeping this spring too.
I was also excited to see their pending Poly Nuc's, will get one of those to try out too, much better and less cumbersome than the giant Langstroth cedar ones i use. (i would expect).

 

[Somerford]

I understand what you intend to do, FG - but it is more usual to put a starter strip of about 1-2 cm into the frame....the best way of making the comb secure is to pre-wire it vertically x 2 and the bees will then embed the comb they build around the wire.

Points to note - make sure the hive is perfectly level, else the comb will be drawn out on an angle, and also make sure the frames (I presume hoffman self spacing) are put in so that they fit snugly against one another else the bees will forego the starter strips and build brace/wild comb.

I suspect that you are hoping the bees might build a smaller comb cell size, but this apparently takes more than one 'building' session to achieve....from what I have read, you then need to cycle the comb towards the outside of the hive and replace with a starter strip frame in the centre. It is only on the 2nd or third time that the cells begin to reduce in size. (I got my info from JEAN)

Also, make sure the starter strip is worker foundation or else the bees could just draw out drone comb which is useless for the brood chamber !

regards

S

 

[Firegazer]

I guess my aim would be to let them have more choice over cell size, produce drones if/when they want to but still have the option to inspect/move frames.

The hive looks good. A few small gaps where the sides of the brood chamber push together, but they'll probably be gone after a few coats of the gloopy paint I'm slapping on

Mrs FG is away this weekend, so painting is being done in the kitchen :-O If any paint gets on the stone floor there will be some orphaned bees that need looking after . . .

Somerford, point taken on the vertical-ness - will do. It's going to be a bit of a bodge as I have wired (worker) foundation and the frames from Modern Beekeeping are the wireable type, hmmm. I also got a transparent placcy cover to stop the bees glueing the roof down. It's a bit odd though, because this seems to be a bottom bee-space Langstroth. All my others - well OK, the other one - is top bee-space. The plastic cover sits on top of the frames.

FG

 

[BKF Admin]

If you use a starter strip and allow the bees to draw smaller than 5mm comb do you have to use smaller cell starter strips or will they build what they want from standard ?

Whats for tea FG? Take away curry and a few tins of beer?

 

[Poly Hive]

Bottom bee space Lang??? Now that's a new one.

PH

 

[DulwichGnome]

I have read, and I can't remember where, that bees remember their N/S magnetic orientation and if they are moved they still try to build comb in the same direction. So it might be best to give them full frames till the new builder bees are 'on line' and that 'memory' has gone.

I did try just starter strips in first year of bee keeping and the BB was a mess but I did not know about the residual orientation. However the supers were great, fresh white wax and wafer thin and capped so there was only just a bee space between them, thinking about it they did not build them till after they had been there for a good few weeks.

Mike

 

[oliver90owner]

If letting them build 'free' comb, I think I would conform to the experience of others and insert only every other frame with the starter strips alternating with normal full-sheet foundation so that the comb is all drawn as straight as possible. A drawing pin or similar mark in/on the top bar would identify the comb type, if the wires don't stop her laying in some cells.

Regards, RAB

 

[Firegazer]

Admin - now that's just spooky!

Lamb Rogan Josh and either canned London Pride or bottled Rioja - not sure yet

Hope she gives me at least an hour to tidy up before coming home!

RAB - nice idea, probably a better compromise between straightness and freedom.

FG

 

[Hombre]

Bottom bee space Lang??? Now that's a new one.
PH

If my recollection serves me well, then in a Sweinty Poly Langstroths brood box, the top bars are flush with the top of the brood box.
N'est-ce pas?
¿Que no?

 

[Poly Hive]

How odd, the Lang polys I had were top bee space, and I wonder why Swienty changed it.

PH

 

[Hombre]

I'm sure that Chris B who runs a number of poly Langstroths can confirm it one way ot the other.

 

[RoofTops]

It depends on the type of frames fitted. The only wooden frames Swienty are now selling have the same thickness along the whole of the top bar. This lifts the frame up so the bee space mostly appears below the frame. With UK sourced frames with thinner lugs the bee space returns to the "normal" place.

 

[Finman]

If my recollection serves me well, then in a Sweinty Poly Langstroths brood box, the top bars are flush with the top of the brood box.
?

In some model of poly hive you should carefull. If you put the frame base moulding wrong way, it is too high. The moulding may be L or T chape and with different wide.

Some have some extra space under the frames 10 mm and over the frames 10 cm.

I met last summer that upper frames bars were even with box surface but frame mouldings were installed wrong.

.