Ply Hive?

[onriver]

I recently tried 2 ply supers from FP as it seemed nearly as cheap as making them myself - very rough and ready, took a fair bit of botching to get usable and I'm now determined to spend my winters making my own - as cheap and much better quality - just need a Hedgerow Pete shed to do it in! Makes you appreciate the quality of other suppliers

 

[Hombre]

Ha! you haven't tried lifting the roofs I made out of ply!

Obviously for that you would need a . . . Skyhook.

 

[alan42]

i have 5 fp hives had them for 3 years now i got delivery in 3 days had no problem making them and they are as good today as the day i made them i personaly would recomend them i swaped nails for screws and used waterproof glue and treated with cupernol had no problem with delaminating or with weight.
this is my personal feeling.

 

[Gower]

i've not made any BB or supers out of ply, but this spring i made 5 x 5 frame 14x12 nucs out of 2 8x4 sheets of 12mm shuttering ply, total cost for the 2 sheets £35. They are great for A/S and making increase but i'm not sure if i'd risk them for overwintering.

 

[oliver90owner]

but i'm not sure if i'd risk them for overwintering.

You are meaning thickness of ply for the bees comfort, rather than leaving ply nucs outside getting wet/dry cycled? A strong colony will easily survive in a 12mm thick ply box.

One neglected colony was left in a ply nuc box with 6mm ply sides (with a half-super above with 9mm sides) for last winter. The ends were 18mm ply. They were OK this spring. A bit slow to get going, but that may have been either the bees or the winter weather.

There is no reason why the sides/ends cannot have some EPS insulation strapped on/fitted in.

RAB

 

[Hivemaker.]

They are great for A/S and making increase but i'm not sure if i'd risk them for overwintering.

I over winter lots of five frame nucs,the box's are all made from 9mm ply,no problems at all,even during the last two very cold winters.

 

[greatbritishhoney]

I overwintered a colony in a very shoddy, second hand ply hive last winter (-16 degrees), they were my strongest colony this year.

However, I'm not sure I'd advise following my example

 

[Reentrant]

Is MDO (not MDF) available here?
Norm Abram used it a lot for outdoor projects in The New Yankee Workshop on TV, and claimed it lasted for donkey's years.

 

[Poggle]

If you look at my album you will see the ply hive I bought the other week there from Fr**** Pl****. Rough and ready but needed another hive in a hurry and had no cash to buy from the group I am with so put it on the card. It was a devil to build when following the "plans" so, I went on a hunt ofr pics online and had no problems from there. I didn't use any nails other than in the brood frames, the brood box and two supers were glued and screwed. If I get a couple of three years out of it I will be happy. Painted it with Cuprinol. Looks good enough and the "girls" aren't complaining.