Original Abelo poly hives

[JamezF]

Whilst I was going through some old kit today I dug out some poly boxes that I'm pretty sure came from Abelo about ten years ago, perhaps a bit more. I ended up not using them much because it turned out that they had both a top and bottom bee space at the same time, but I've been wondering if I can perhaps correct that. As everything else I have is modified National, I guess I'd be looking to effectively remove the top bee space.

Anyone else have experience with/recall these?

James

 

[Erichalfbee]

The only ones I can recall were from modern beekeeping when Rooftops owned it. I had some which I bodged to make 14x12s. maybe @tidymeup can help?

 

[JamezF]

These are definitely Abelo. I just found my receipt, from December 2011.

James

 

[Gilberdyke John]

Whilst I was going through some old kit today I dug out some poly boxes that I'm pretty sure came from Abelo about ten years ago, perhaps a bit more. I ended up not using them much because it turned out that they had both a top and bottom bee space at the same time, but I've been wondering if I can perhaps correct that. As everything else I have is modified National, I guess I'd be looking to effectively remove the top bee space.

Anyone else have experience with/recall these?

James

I bought my first mk1 abelo national poly hive following an introductory promotion when Damien had his shop at Pocklington. I can't recall any problem about beespace on that (or subsequent) one although it might have had a design modification since yours was sold to you. The top of the frame supports on all my abelo boxes is a moulded hard plastic channel section bonded into the body poly. I'm guessing an early version might have had a detachable support strip possibly akin to the commonly available metal frame supports fitted to wooden hives. Fitting a pair of the metal supports might be a solution to your quandry? It might be worth a call to Damien.

 

[Newbeeneil]

I removed the top bee space on a wooden nuc recently by running it through my table saw on all sides. I'm sure if done carefully it would work with a poly.

 

[Gilberdyke John]

I removed the top bee space on a wooden nuc recently by running it through my table saw on all sides. I'm sure if done carefully it would work with a poly.

I'm not really sure if the early model of Abelo polyhive had hardened mating surfaces like the current models. If it did then sawing it off might be a retrograde step.

 

[JamezF]

Mine just have plastic inserts moulded into the rebate under the frame lugs. They're a bit of a weird design, really. As if they were made by someone who didn't really fully understand why the design needs to be how it is.

James

 

[Gilberdyke John]

Mine just have plastic inserts moulded into the rebate under the frame lugs. They're a bit of a weird design, really. As if they were made by someone who didn't really fully understand why the design needs to be how it is.

James

Top and bottom of a super awaiting a clean up but the current mk1 is built the same.

 

[JamezF]

Top and bottom of a super awaiting a clean up but the current mk1 is built the same.

Ahhh, mine are similar, but different. I've just been out to take some photos but I'll have to post them later. Early lunch today so I can go for my swim afterwards.

James

 

[JamezF]

Here's one of my supers that I've been using for storing frames. You can see that the top rebate has no rail.

Put a frame in, and there's a bee space at the bottom (a tight one, as it looks fractionally over 5mm).

But there's also a bee space at the top.

I could put rails in which would get rid of the top bee space (and mean the frame lugs wouldn't get propolised to the rebate) but leave two bee spaces at the bottom. Unfortunately the bottom mating face appears to be reinforced so I'd lose that if I chopped 5mm off the bottom. Neither does it have a rebate to go over the top of the lugs below, which I'd need for a bottom bee space box. I guess I could cut off 13mm (the 5mm excess plus another 8mm for a second bee space) from the bottom and then put back an 8mm strip of wood, creating the lower rebate in the process.

Overall I'm not sure it's worth the effort, I have to admit. It might just be less pain to keep them for storing frames.

James

 

[user 819]

Is it an abelo or is it actually a swienty ?

 

[JamezF]

Well, it came from Abelo. I can't see any suggestion that it's a Swienty in the emails.

James

 

[Jimmy]

https://beekeepingforum.co.uk/threads/paynes-poly.14586/post-187388
See this old (11 years) thread, mainly about Paynes poly hives but a mention in passing of an early Abelo national brood box. See post 25 by Nic Rhodes.
I found it by searching for 'Abelo bee space', so there may be others out there.

 

[Ian123]

James is there any writing in the hand recess/cut out.

 

[JamezF]

James is there any writing in the hand recess/cut out.

None at all.

James

 

[JamezF]

https://beekeepingforum.co.uk/threads/paynes-poly.14586/post-187388
See this old (11 years) thread, mainly about Paynes poly hives but a mention in passing of an early Abelo national brood box. See post 25 by Nic Rhodes.
I found it by searching for 'Abelo bee space', so there may be others out there.

Ah, now that looks like a strong contender. Thank you.

James

 

[Ian123]

Ok old swienty had denrosa stamped in recess

 

[Black Mountain Honey]

If you have 5mm at the top and 5mm at the bottom, the rails would lift it flush to a BBS hive and leave you 10mm at the bottom. I reckon the bees would respect 10mm as a single bee space and there would be no issue. It does looks like an Abelo steam moulded hive with black plastic inserts but ive never seen this variant before - maybe an early Lyson mould? Not got a bear stamped on it anywhere?

Might be worth a punt to just add runners to bring it up to BBS and then see if they respect it. If its being used a single brood, it doesnt really matter as they can build down into the floor. Only starts to cause issues if using in a double brood

 

[JamezF]

I'll have a look for a bear, but I don't recall seeing one.

I reckon it's close to 10mm at the top and 5mm at the bottom. And of course I have double brood everywhere

Maybe I could just put in runners to make it BBS and then only ever use it for the lower box. My experience is that the bees don't tend to build comb right down to the bottom of the frames immediately above the OMF on double brood, so perhaps that would avoid the problem.

James