Poly Hive + Wood

[Millet]

I know it has been mentioned before but i can not find what i am looking for.

Anyway what make of Standard National Poly hives can be used universally with Standard Wood national hive parts.
Thank's
Steve.

 

[fatshark]

Swienty
Abelo

NOT Paradise/M0d3rnB33kping

 

[Poly Hive]

Swienty.

If you want to use your timber supers, use a poly as the first and subsequently use timber as once up they are up.

PH

 

[pargyle]

I know it has been mentioned before but i can not find what i am looking for.

Anyway what make of Standard National Poly hives can be used universally with Standard Wood national hive parts.
Thank's
Steve.

Why would you want to mix poly and wood ? If you have timber hives continue with timber - if you have poly - buy poly supers. Poly is much better than timber anyway - throw the timber ones away and go all poly !!

 

[Millet]

Why would you want to mix poly and wood ? If you have timber hives continue with timber - if you have poly - buy poly supers. Poly is much better than timber anyway - throw the timber ones away and go all poly !!

That is why i asked a simple question, i do not want to waste money and throw wooden hive parts away if they can mix with poly through the warmer weather or vice versa.

 

[pargyle]

That is why i asked a simple question, i do not want to waste money and throw wooden hive parts away if they can mix with poly through the warmer weather or vice versa.

Right - Use the timber with timber ..use the poly with poly ... you will soon want to dispose of the timber ones once you see how much better they do in poly. There's always a market for used timber hive bits on ebay or at the bee auctions - still a few 'Bees only like tmber' beekeepers out there.

What you can't do usually is use timber brood boxes under poly supers .. although I think Swienty are compatible from memory. Paynes are certainly not ...

 

[Hedgerow Honey]

I use timber supers with swienty poly broods only thing I have found is I have to use the flat plastic queen excluder that comes with the hives, I use top bee space and with a wire framed Q-ex they tend to glue them to the frames.

 

[user 6228]

if you use wood supers with poly you are abandoning the thermal properties of poly where and when they most need them.

 

[Beefriendly]

if you use wood supers with poly you are abandoning the thermal properties of poly where and when they most need them.

They still fill them with honey regardless of their thermal properties.

 

[Levitt53]

If I ever get to the point where I can have a hive with more than one super on it I'll use my wooden ones as they are far easier to lift when full. However for winter I'm sticking to just poly equipment for the insulation.

 

[Swarm]

Abelo and Swienty.
Whatever wooden kit you have will fit, mix and match without any problems. Use your current supers, why would you chuck them? Supers go on in Summer and trust me, the bees will go into them as quick as they will with poly, I stopped using poly supers a few years ago and stuck with wooden ones.
I like using poly broods because they are so easy to put together The Abelos don't even require putting together but I still prefer swienty.

My only over wintering issues this year have been with colonies in poly boxes, my strongest were in wood with zero insulation added. They were coming and going from a few different places as the box was on its last legs, so quite a bit of ventilation too I suspect.

 

[REDWOOD]

if you use wood supers with poly you are abandoning the thermal properties of poly where and when they most need them.

That's me done for then, and there is me expecting to get a honey crop this year

 

[B+.]

if you use wood supers with poly you are abandoning the thermal properties of poly where and when they most need them.

Actually, I think PH has a point (http://www.beekeepingforum.co.uk/album.php?albumid=751&pictureid=3744)

 

[theeggman]

Right - Use the timber with timber ..use the poly with poly ... you will soon want to dispose of the timber ones once you see how much better they do in poly. There's always a market for used timber hive bits on ebay or at the bee auctions - still a few 'Bees only like tmber' beekeepers out there.

What you can't do usually is use timber brood boxes under poly supers .. although I think Swienty are compatible from memory. Paynes are certainly not ...

We mix and match wood and P's no probs with supers, whatever is free goes on, creates an odd looking stack but no issues apart from the poly overhang.

 

[Beefriendly]

We mix and match wood and P's no probs with supers, whatever is free goes on, creates an odd looking stack but no issues apart from the poly overhang.

Same here, the only thing I find you need to watch when mixing Paynes poly supers with wooden National parts is to make sure the top super is a Paynes as their roofs don't fit too good on the Nationals, too much overhang.

 

[Millet]

Thank you Folks for some reassuring experienced comments, i have four national wooden hives at the moment with only one in use upto now, i plan to expand this year and also requeen, my main aim in my mind is to buy a few more brood boxes but in poly so i do not have to faff about with the cosey anymore, one hive is not too bad but if i had a few more it would be a headache.
With having the four wooden hives already that is why i needed to know which brand i could mix and match with, now i know thanks to you lot.
Cheer's
Steve.

 

[theeggman]

Same here, the only thing I find you need to watch when mixing Paynes poly supers with wooden National parts is to make sure the top super is a Paynes as their roofs don't fit too good on the Nationals, too much overhang.

Being a boring old f**t I only use the relevant roof on the super below, as you say a Polys roof on wood gives the issue of "is the cover board in the right place". We have had an extra entrance created by my sloppy stack assembly. We started with wood and have migrated to P's poly's because of finance and thermal issues. Our local assoc. thinks that Poly is the work of the devil or that is what I'm led to believe.

 

[Poly Hive]

Some will take time to come around.

Personally I have been talking about the advantages for near 30 years and am slightly amused at how it has taken off and equally appalled at some of the design errors that the Johnny Come Latelys have inflicted on us.

It is quite right to say that technically there is less efficiency using timber on top of poly but I have insulation on top of my CBs on timber hives ande would suggest you do too. It helps a fair bit.

Just keep in mind that bees love warmth and hate draughts.

PH

 

[pargyle]

Our local assoc. thinks that Poly is the work of the devil or that is what I'm led to believe.

It's surprising how many beekeepers have never even seen a poly but condemn them as the work of the devil. Strange thing is (and I've taken poly hives to a few events to show Joe Public') when previously sceptical beekeepers see them and get to play with them ..and they find out what they cost ... they sometimes moderate their views.

Funny that ?

 

[Poly Hive]

Bizarre.

When I do the Poly talk the first thing I do is mention packaging then stand on top of the hive and jump up and down. They seem to get the point.....

PH