Hive materials

[AmericasBeekeeper]

What kinds of wood can I find around Molesworth, Cambridgeshire if I move to the UK? Is it hard or expensive to get anything there? Is there anything you suggest I bring in as "furniture" or "househoold goods"? Everyone has a hive table right! Who doesn't have an extractor storage bin!
Thank you.

 

[rae]

Oooo-argh. Man comes in metal bird from across the great river. Must clean mud hut and slaughter children to appease the gods. Oooo-argh.

Seriously...

Wood isn't a problem, you can get whatever you want, though Cedar can be pricey (uneconomical to build your own hives).

In terms of household stuff - you will think our white goods (fridges, washing machines etc) are small and rubbish, but that is mainly because our houses are smaller, more rubbish, and more costly than yours.

Decent tools are expensive over here. Rubbish tools are about the same price as the US. Remember we have decent (240v) electricity here, so none of your US tools will work without a transformer.

Food in shops is cheaper, you will be stunned at the cost of eating out.

You will think our cars are far too small to be safe, and driven at terrifying speeds. While they usually do more miles to the gallon, the price of "gas"....well....just be prepared to sell a kidney to fill the car.

Finding a property where you can keep 40 hives and consider making boxes will be eye-wateringly expensive.

 

[Luminos]

Not to mention the weather...

 

[Teemore]

You may wish to consider trying out poly hives to get started up in GB - possibly another new exerience for you on top of the move! There are a fair number of threads on the forum about poly hives and its merits and there are also threads about suppliers of traditional wooden hives etc. I find it cost effective to make my own supers from timber but saying that I have just invested in a number of poly supers to run as a trial this year.

 

[oliver90owner]

so none of your US tools will work without a transformer.

Some will work with a transformer and some may only run rather slower, if at all (mains operates at 50Hz, not 60Hz as in the North American continent).

Most trees around Molesworth will be stunted and leaning at an angle due to the strong prevailing winds (like that in many parts of the region). I thought most moved away when they took the cruise missiles away, leaving a sparse population of nuclear-protester resistant stalwarts to live in more relative peace.

Seriously the UK is no bigger than some of the separate states in the US, so travelling long distances by road should be no particular feat for you. It may take a lot longer in the UK, that is all.

No real problem getting anything - just the cost, but imports from the USA (via USAF, if that is appropriate for you), would not present a problem. Just don't bring in bees or small hive beetle!

You will get an extra approx 10% in each gallon of gas you buy, but it will be a lot more expensive, ha ha. And we in Britain (well, a lot of us) are metricated so your gas will be in litres.

All in all, most of the yanks (around Upper Heyford) seemed to be fairly 'well off' back then, quite a good crew, mostly - except when they parked their Phantoms a couple miles short of the runway or tried to do 'vtol' with the odd F-111. We had a lot of fun times, with some of them, back then.

Regards, RAB

 

[RoofTops]

If you have the allowance for space I suggest bringing your own hives to the UK. You will have no problem getting more frames etc here in the UK for your US hives but you will find the price of hives here in the UK way above what you would expect to pay in the US.

You should then be able to sell them at a profit when you leave.

 

[Erichalfbee]

Is there anything you suggest I bring in as "furniture" or "househoold goods"?
Thank you.

Nothing that might have SHB in it

 

[susbees]

If you have the allowance for space I suggest bringing your own hives to the UK. You will have no problem getting more frames etc here in the UK for your US hives but you will find the price of hives here in the UK way above what you would expect to pay in the US.

You should then be able to sell them at a profit when you leave.

Um, why? Are we not, justifiably, cagey about buying secondhand equipment here let alone imported used stuff?

 

[crazy_bull]

What kinds of wood can I find around Molesworth, Cambridgeshire if I move to the UK? Is it hard or expensive to get anything there? Is there anything you suggest I bring in as "furniture" or "househoold goods"? Everyone has a hive table right! Who doesn't have an extractor storage bin!
Thank you.

You will be virtually my neighbour if you come to Molesworth! Many Americans living round us work there. Wood wise there is most things in the woods about but all is privatley owned there are several good timber merchants around but agree with RoofTops if you can bring a load of new flatpack hives over you will find them alot cheaper than you can buy the timber here.

C B

 

[RoofTops]

Um, why? Are we not, justifiably, cagey about buying secondhand equipment here let alone imported used stuff?

Sorry for not being clearer - I meant new flatpack hives - as in: https://www.dadant.com/catalog/product_info.php?cPath=23_37&products_id=63 which as an example work out at about £9.00 each*, roughly half the price of a UK equivalent I think. Not economical for us in the UK to import unless someone wanted a 20 foot container of them but I'm guessing AB may be able to get them shipped here free and not pay any tax.

*The economy version (with extra knots) is even cheaper at about £6.00

 

[susbees]

Of course RT...should have guessed.

Sent from my GT-I9100 using Tapatalk

 

[AmericasBeekeeper]

Thanks I have lived all over the world. I am comfortable driving on either side of the road. Hopefully the same side as the other drivers.
Wood is $0.85 a board foot here. I can build rot resistant hives very cheap. We have plastic hives here and no thank you.
I was just saying it is household goods. We have to be creative to get things shipped at someone else's expense.
I am sure your tools are fine, smaller or slower you said?

 

[AmericasBeekeeper]

I do not mind sharing small hive beetles. Between everyone in my bee workshops we can fill a hive for you.

 

[Nic Rhodes]

you will find anything you want here but wood and wooden components will be very expensive compared to what you are used to. Flat pack from states is a possibility (new only please) but I would seriously look at the poly option again.

 

[oliver90owner]

Hopefully the same side as the other drivers

Hopefully not. Much better to keep to the same side as the ones going in the same direction as yourself - remember, half could be coming the other way!!

Your plastic hives are likely poly-anything. Ours are mostly higher density expanded polystyrene - although there are some other minor designs using other plastics. Polystyrene hives are well suited for our climate - you may not like them but the bees do not seem to mind at all. In fact, they seem to thrive in them.

RAB

 

[AmericasBeekeeper]

Thank you, but I am a naturalist beekeeper. Plastic made from petroleum is not natural. I have never put chemicals in my hives either. I guess I am one of those "close minded" Americans, or at least a conservative.

 

[oliver90owner]

I kinda like timber, but there are issues with different timbers of course, As long as the timber is from a sustainable source...

But poly is, IMO, actually better for the bees - better insulation values than 3/4 inch timber (I'm metricated but will use Imperial terms until you get used to the metric (about a week?)).

The poly should outlast timber hives that need surface coatings (petroleum derived?) Trouble is, timber parts are easily made from sawn supplies and poly is not really for the home worker, and I like making my hive parts, or at least some of them. Poly is cheap (well expensive, but competitive) and can be good.

RAB

 

[Tom Bick]

The poly should outlast timber hives that need surface coatings (petroleum derived?) Trouble is, timber parts are easily made from sawn supplies and poly is not really for the home worker, and I like making my hive parts, or at least some of them. Poly is cheap (well expensive, but competitive) and can be good.

RAB

Not looking at the big picture are we!!

We cut down the tree and hay plant a tree in its place.

So if we mention sustainability witch material poly or timber will outlast each other?

 

[Hivemaker.]

The poly should outlast timber hives that need surface coatings.
RAB

Best to use timber hives that don't need surface coatings,plenty of them around over 70 years old,wonder if they will still be making hives from poly 70 years from now.

 

[oliver90owner]

Ahh, the timber merchants have taken the bait!

I said I prefer timber for several reasons and one was sustainability.

If we want to get to lifetimesof materials. 'Frraid that damn polystyrene will outlast the usefulness of timber - unless the timber hives are recycled for chip board or mdf - and the styrene will still be around! Unfortunately styrene is not biodegradable and so will last a lot longer than timber. It should be recycled into othe products again and again - err- ad infinitum. It is just a shame oil is being wasted by not usefully recycling more of this product - but that is down to consumerism.

Please not my wordology; I said 'the poly' , knowinfg full well it could be construed as hives and not the material. Can't do a lot with the timber from old hives but that damn poly should still be recycled at the end of the life of a polyhive.

Really the only contentious bit was ignored - where I said poly was better for the bees (well commercial beekeepers as they get better yields).

I think I will stick with my post. It was pretty well accurate and fair to both sides of any following arguments.

RAB