is poly more attractive now than 12 months ago

[blackie]

I have 2 poly nat and two poly nucs my bees seem to thrive in them compared to my wooden langstroth the worry is if we all turn to poly how long before woodpeckers evolve to an easy meal ?

 

[Poly Hive]

I am not voting for obvious reasons.

Just pleased that the attitude towards poly is at long long last changing positively.

Longevity, 35 years+ as proven by Struan Apiaries.

Productivity enhanced as proven by Denrosa apiaries.

Better spring build up, and warmer conditions for small units in minis and nucs.

Nothing else I can say really.

PH

 

[Finman]

.
In Finland poly has been very popular. No one wonder is it this or that.

Simple reason: the cost!

Poly box 16 euros
- medium box 13,50

Wooden insulated 44 euros

http://www.hunaja.fi/default.asp?id=90DA5777-F08A459E85E8-7AD0282B179D&kategoriaid=2

so 5 box hive wooden 220 euros
5 box poly 68 euros

with 1 wooden hive you get 3 polyhives.

More prices Honeypaw company
http://hoitajat.mesimestari.fi/Hinnasto.php
.

 

[johnandyrob]

If only that was so in this country. They are cheaper but not by that margin.

 

[REDWOOD]

£102 is the cheapest I can find in the uk for a complete hive, I can make a wooden hive for about £25 but worth a try, nothing ventured nothing gained

 

[user 6228]

£102 is the cheapest I can find in the uk for a complete hive, I can make a wooden hive for about £25 but worth a try, nothing ventured nothing gained

i can make a poly hive for £20

 

[user 6228]

£102 is the cheapest I can find in the uk for a complete hive, I can make a wooden hive for about £25 but worth a try, nothing ventured nothing gained

i can make a poly hive for £20

 

[Elaine]

I wasn't too enamoured of the visual appearance of the home-made kingspan/recticel hives, - hence the first hives all painted green - but physics has won - and the arguments for them being left silver has prevailed. They are in the garden, so not trying to fit into any 'landscape' so appearnace is not really an issue

 

[user 6228]

I wasn't too enamoured of the visual appearance of the home-made kingspan/recticel hives, - hence the first hives all painted green - but physics has won - and the arguments for them being left silver has prevailed. They are in the garden, so not trying to fit into any 'landscape' so appearnace is not really an issue

Then get the chopsaw and tablesaw out and build a faux WBC overcoat for it!

 

[Bates]

Expensive, expensive to despose of and the mice love it! Thats with said over 2000 boxes sat in the yard in Australia we cant despose of without huge cost! Wood all the way, especially when your sat for weeks silconing holes from rodants.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

I've voted no - I like wood and being a carpenter's son (can't call meself a carpenter cos the old man died before i could really work my apprenticeship) it's a medium I'm comfortable with (and the bees don't seem to mind)
However if my little pipe dream ever comes true and a big fat redundancy payout means I can find a job closer to home with time to spare and SWMBO doesn't object to a massive expansion i'd consider buying in a load of swienty polys for economy and because I doubt I'd have the time to make all my kit. I worked with Chris B's poly Langstroths and I could live with them for ease of expansion.
but as that's about as likely as the pope getting married - I'll stick to cedar

 

[Swarm]

Tried poly this year and didn't see any benefit over wood in any way.

 

[Poly Hive]

Did you have brood on the outside faces next to the walls?

PH

 

[Hivemaker.]

Did you have brood on the outside faces next to the walls?

PH

Don't know about anyone else, but mine do,yes...is there something special about that?

 

[the naked beekeeper]

I have switched to Lang poly.

 

[Swarm]

Did you have brood on the outside faces next to the walls?

PH

Not in the poly.

 

[Monsieur Abeille]

First full season with 2 polys plus one cedar - all 14x12, the polys are p****s. Very pleased with them, and colonies in those two have developed far better than the wooden one.

Not terribly scientific study though, different queen stock (one of the succesful polys have lineage of buckfasts first purchased from a certain exmoor proponent of the wooden hive).

All in all very happy with both poly and wood, though will try and be more careful with the smoker on the poly roofs.

 

[Poly Hive]

Sorry Swarm but something wrong there.

Yes Hivemake,r very rarely seen it in timber units. But then do remember most of my beekeeping has been considerably further north that you, some 500 miles or so.

PH

 

[user 6228]

Sorry Swarm but something wrong there.

Yes Hivemake,r very rarely seen it in timber units. But then do remember most of my beekeeping has been considerably further north that you, some 500 miles or so.

PH

Do you find the honey ripens faster? Extracting all that water takes a lot of energy. The bees can take the top of the hive up in temperature more easily if its insulated.

 

[Poly Hive]

so subjective I cannot comment.

I can though point you at ITLD's comments on 15% more honey over numerous hives so a good sample.

PH