Poly Hive Prices

[bee82]

Reading through several posts lately on the bee keeping forums I thought I would offer my opinion on the current poly hive prices. Living in York my closest bee keeping supplier is Abelo. When i bought my first poly hive their prices seemed to be more expensive that other poly hives on the market - although a superior hive. Now the cost of the same hive appears lower than a lot of the hives offered by other suppliers making this hive now extremely good value for money! They are also offering this hive at a discounted price this coming weekend with 10% off for shipped hives or 15% off if you can collect from them. In my opinion if you are looking for a poly hive you cannot go wrong with this one.

 

[Erichalfbee]

Reading through several posts lately on the bee keeping forums I thought I would offer my opinion on the current poly hive prices. Living in York my closest bee keeping supplier is Abelo. When i bought my first poly hive their prices seemed to be more expensive that other poly hives on the market - although a superior hive. Now the cost of the same hive appears lower than a lot of the hives offered by other suppliers making this hive now extremely good value for money! They are also offering this hive at a discounted price this coming weekend with 10% off for shipped hives or 15% off if you can collect from them. In my opinion if you are looking for a poly hive you cannot go wrong with this one.

Do you have other poly hives?

 

[Somerford]

Re poly hive prices I spoke to BS bees today and they have been hit with a 10-15% increase across the board for their poly hives that they had been told to expect sometime late spring so are rapidly trying to work out their new pricing as of today

who knows the real reason

 

[Nige.Coll]

I was looking at poly nuc prices today.
Sod that I'll make wooden ones for loads less. £50 each I need 30.

 

[pargyle]

I was looking at poly nuc prices today.
Sod that I'll make wooden ones for loads less. £50 each I need 30.

I've been thinking about making nucs out of kingspan or celotex...not quite got there with a design yet but unless you have a cheap source of timber I reckon they would work out cheaper and not be too far off the insulation qualities of poly..... working on it.

 

[Nige.Coll]

I've been thinking about making nucs out of kingspan or celotex...not quite got there with a design yet but unless you have a cheap source of timber I reckon they would work out cheaper and not be too far off the insulation qualities of poly..... working on it.

Done the same but any holes in the foil and the bees are through it in an instant. So wasps will do the same.
Looked at composite material wood faced but it is expensive.
Ply looks favourite but I want to overwinter 30 nucs to sell and the insulation of poly's gives them an edge.
3 frame wooden nucs cost me a tenner each to make but they are only used in summer.

 

[ericbeaumont]

BS bees ... have been hit with 10-15% increase across the board for their poly hives

Abelo ... the cost of the same hive appears lower than a lot of the hives offered by other suppliers

BS are (or were) made in the UK and Abelo in Poland where production costs of steam moulding may be lower. As I recall from a conversation at Tradex a couple of years ago, BS and other UK poly manufacturers were hit that year with an enormous hike in production prices.

They got together and resisted much of the increase but as there are very few UK poly factories and bee boxes are small fry orders, the factory felt they could squeeze the lemon.

Don't know the current situation with regards to who gets what made where but Brexit has surely screwed any short-term chance of efficient production abroad, although Park have a long record of producing their poly nucs in the EU.

you cannot go wrong with this one.

Now the cost of the same hive appears lower than a lot of the hives offered by other suppliers making this hive now extremely good value for money!

It's a mistake to buy on price alone. I'd rather pay a few quid more for a product that works effectively or spend a few quid less and make it.

 

[user 20297]

I've been thinking about making nucs out of kingspan or celotex...not quite got there with a design yet but unless you have a cheap source of timber I reckon they would work out cheaper and not be too far off the insulation qualities of poly..... working on it.

I've been considering the same idea, with 25mm PIR for making a good number of lightweight swarm-traps on the cheap.

 

[Erichalfbee]

I've been thinking about making nucs out of kingspan or celotex...not quite got there with a design yet but unless you have a cheap source of timber I reckon they would work out cheaper and not be too far off the insulation qualities of poly..... working on it.

Poly Hive did something similar I recall. I found this
https://beekeepingforum.co.uk/threads/used-xps.43881/

 

[Angry_Mob]

Lancs Lad also makes his own, found the thread: 25mm insulation board

They look good for £6 each.

 

[madasafish]

I make nucs from celotex.
Plans here: Styrofoam_Nuc_20100813.pdf

(Langstroth so much easier to make and handle than a National) But easily adapted.

 

[Ian123]

I was looking at poly nuc prices today.
Sod that I'll make wooden ones for loads less. £50 each I need 30.

Yes compared to wood they are expensive and I’ve made a few more than your quoting, however this year I’ll be bumping up the poly numbers. For me poly does have some savings to take into account, feeders, ekes or empty supers to house feeders. Try finding an empty super after extraction and frames are stacked up. poly certainly helps them winter or expand generally. Just pure ease with feeders for each and boxes not prone to water ingress when additional boxes are added. All in there’s other advantages to offset against costs. Ian

 

[Bates]

EPS prices have risen significantly recently as a result of COVID-19 and coupled with further Brexit issues this had led to an increased cost from the manufactures. Most of the UK produced polys are made in the only factory that has the complete monopoly of the market (being that all other factories refuse to mould anything in high density). EPS material is also made in Europe so there are further costs and delays when importing, another cost that is eventually passed down the line.

I still fail to see how Abelo / Lyson are still able to absorb the increased transport and import fees when it comes to setting their retailing price. I know their products are made & painted in Poland so the production cost is far cheaper (Than UK produced) and material is also closer to home but they must have to rise their prices at some point as a result of material / import cost. I am also aware the margin is very small for the cast moulding method used as it is very labour intensive and a slow process unlike steam moulding (as used on most UK manufactured hives).

I think it is just a matter of time..

 

[amandaj57]

EPS prices have risen significantly recently as a result of COVID-19 and coupled with further Brexit issues this had led to an increased cost from the manufactures. Most of the UK produced polys are made in the only factory that has the complete monopoly of the market (being that all other factories refuse to mould anything in high density). EPS material is also made in Europe so there are further costs and delays when importing, another cost that is eventually passed down the line.

I still fail to see how Abelo / Lyson are still able to absorb the increased transport and import fees when it comes to setting their retailing price. I know their products are made & painted in Poland so the production cost is far cheaper (Than UK produced) and material is also closer to home but they must have to rise their prices at some point as a result of material / import cost. I am also aware the margin is very small for the cast moulding method used as it is very labour intensive and a slow process unlike steam moulding (as used on most UK manufactured hives).

I think it is just a matter of time..

Maisemore's prices all went up before the sale. I put some stuff in the basket to buy then read there was going to be a sale in a couple of weeks so didn't purchase there and then. I went back a week or so later to add a couple more things and got the message that items in the basket had changed price. All the poly had increased. The sale price takes them back to below what they were but the saving is not as good as I had hoped.

 

[WoodenBeam]

Looked at commercial Nuc’s in maisemore sale yesterday with a view to purchase..............at just shy of £50 a piece it ain’t gonna happen. I always think there’s a ceiling to the price of things and for me that price is threw the roof not the ceiling

 

[Karsal]

I was looking at poly nuc prices today.
Sod that I'll make wooden ones for loads less. £50 each I need 30.

I Agree, They are becoming a bit pricey. Looked at buying a spare floor and a roof for my poly hives. Not a chance, made a floor and a roof for under a tenner.