Poly Hive's?

[oliver90owner]

for around £116

Including VAT? OK for some, I suppose, but those who are VAT registered may be looking for a better deal than buying one hive at a time....

RAB

 

[Hivemaker.]

I suppose, but those who are VAT registered may be looking for a better deal than buying one hive at a time....
RAB

They can buy as many as they like, of anything i suppose,but i don't really see what that has to do with the hive price comparison.

 

[Monsieur Abeille]

for around £116

Including VAT? OK for some, I suppose, but those who are VAT registered may be looking for a better deal than buying one hive at a time....

RAB

Assuming HM talking about BoB then it excludes VAT, but even so at £140 net its a very good deal - may be not perfect for those that know what they want but ideal for beginners

Flat packed National Hive, comprising an open mesh floor, brood body with 11 DN4 frames on metal runners, dummy board, 11 sheets of british standard deep wired foundation, plastic queen excluder, two supers each with 10 SN1 frames on metal castellations, 20 sheets of british standard shallow wired foundation, crownboard with two plastic porter bee escapes and a 4” roof. The hive includes a ‘Getting Started’ booklet, full assembly instructions, glue and nails for all hive parts and frames.

 

[oliver90owner]

but i don't really see what that has to do with the hive price comparison.


About 20% difference if one includes VAT and the other is ex VAT? There may also be shipping costs to be included. Th8rne would be free delivery but another supplier may make a charge. Me? I would be looking for a better price if picked up as they are obviously building the shipping charge into the product pricing. But the Th8rne are for only on-line sales with no collection option. Ooh ent it compicated?

RAB

 

[Hivemaker.]

About 20% difference if one includes VAT and the other is ex VAT?

I see,so poly hive products include vat,could not see that when i was doing the comparison, as vat was not mentioned,or delivery. You must of seen something that did not in PH's post.

 

[Poly Hive]

for the purposes of my price comparison I frankly did not rummage around the web for the best deal, I did what I thought most beginners would do which is start with the big boys.

When I started as far as I knew there were big T as they are now cried and Steele and Brodie (deceased) and if there were any others it took some time for their presence to appear on my horizon.

Now of course is another matter and it will indeed pay the buyer to spend time researching.

My aim is to assist that search for poly. I have little interest at all these days in timber but that is my choice.

PH

 

[Hivemaker.]

I did what I thought most beginners would do which is start with the big boys.

I see,that would most likely be a BoB hive then, consisting of the hive with two supers and all the frames,foundation,Q excluder,foundation,dummy board,crown board with two escapes,nails ,glue and a booklet....£116,+vat.and free delivery.

Compared to a poly hive with floor,BB,one super and roof..nothing else for £72.80... +vat,or including vat?, free delivery,or not?

 

[itma]

The paynes nuc roofs are too thin to use without an inner clear plastic crownboard to stop propolis probs IMHO.

I know that they are known for getting the roof stuck down with prop.
BUT that hasn't much to do with happening because of thinness, is it?

The plastic crownboard solves the problem because it physically stops the bees getting to the roof/body joint, so they simply can't stick it together.


One problem with a prop-stuck roof joint is that the mating surface is stepped, so a hive tool can't get near the actual prop.
The second seems to have to do with the tensile strength of the material. I gather that the prop can be stronger (in tension) than the hive/roof material, which can fail. If that is to do with its cohesiveness (how well the beads are melted together) then I'm not sure that making it thicker would help much.

 

[itma]

I see,that would most likely be a BoB hive then, consisting of the hive with two supers and all the frames,foundation,Q excluder,foundation,dummy board,crown board with two escapes,nails ,glue and a booklet....£116,+vat.and free delivery.

Compared to a poly hive with floor,BB,one super and roof..nothing else for £72.80... +vat,or including vat?, free delivery,or not?

One price comparison that is to hand is

BoB £140 inc VAT & delivery but needing assembly
v.
Paynes poly £167 inc VAT & delivery, supplied fully assembled, for the same 'hive' (Nat BB+2S, all frames, etc) but has a plastic sheet crown board, rather than a clearer board with escapes (and no entrance block?)

 

[Nic Rhodes]

Can anyone point me to a UK suppliers of Swienty Langstroth poly hives please?

 

[DorsetB]

Nic Rhodes, pm sent, sorry for delay, just got in from work.

 

[herefordshirehoney]

Isn't c w the only swiety langstroth supplier prices have disappeared from website tho

 

[Poly Hive]

I don't think he stocked the Langstroths, just the Nats.

PH

 

[Red Bee]

I don't think he stocked the Langstroths, just the Nats.

PH

They will order the Langstroth if you ask.

 

[Poly Hive]

Faster then to order directly from Swienty if a touch more expensive.

Otherwise you would be waiting on a container arriving no doubt.

PH

 

[herefordshirehoney]

For me it's a toss up between swienty and lyson langstroth's, lyson confuse me by giving me too many options (like is a ceiling needed as with swiety you only need roof, and body 1/2 are they medium's for super's? im looking at page 44 of their catalogue) also only seem to sell painted online that i'll have to repaint. PH you've ordered both are they both the same build quality? Think i've decided getting normal standard langstroth brood box to begin with.

BTW thanks for talk offer - I dont know enough people at the association yet, think we're hosting MSWCC in 2013 be it a long time away I think they are planning it now.

 

[Bob Bee]

Hi,

Been following the threads about poly hives for a while and can see their advantages.

Im new to beekeeping and havent got bees yet and am seriously thinking 14x12 cedar is the route, however recently it's got me thinking poly might be the better choice for the bees.....

The problem with going this route is the common sites like MB don't do 14x12's so from what im looking at would probably be MB Langstroth. This puts a few questions in my mind. 1) What one's to go for as langstroth has so many options and is it the best choice for poly 2) I'm probably making extraction harder as borrowing a extractor from the HBKA problem will be geared for nationals.

The other issue i'll have is I was going to get a NUC again they come in national frame sizes usually (i think MB do converstion kits though).

From what i've read the poly's can last as long but as they are cheaper i can afford to have more spares lying about too so it has it's advantages.

Any comments? Got a feeling this one will be an interesting one

Thanks,
Chris

I have been following the threads too and shant be using them. It's a personal choice but I see the material as unfriendly to the environment, having no sustainable means of recycling as yet and I just dont like the horrible noise it makes when scraped. When I pass one going to landfill from a local skip I may rescue it and see how the bees like it .

 

[Poly Hive]

In what way do you see the units being unfit for service and needing to be scrapped?

There is poly in use which is over 25 years old and as far as I know it is fit for a further 25. I am not saying it will never fail to the point it is un-recoverable but it certainly has a long life span.

Noise? LOL

Q for you though, with your concerns laudable as they are would you prefer to buy the accommodation bees prefer and produce best from, or something else.

PH

 

[Bob Bee]

In what way do you see the units being unfit for service and needing to be scrapped?

There is poly in use which is over 25 years old and as far as I know it is fit for a further 25. I am not saying it will never fail to the point it is un-recoverable but it certainly has a long life span.

Noise? LOL

Q for you though, with your concerns laudable as they are would you prefer to buy the accommodation bees prefer and produce best from, or something else.

PH

Can you somehow argue that the production of this material is environmentally friendly. Can you also maintain that there is a method of recycling this material effectively where I live.
You're point about them lasting a long time is exactly the point that I'm making, this material is going to be in landfill for a very very long time.
Your right from your side, but I'm also right from mine .

 

[Poly Hive]

There are many things which are not environmentally friendly, like using aircraft but we do it.

The energy levels and so on used in the manufacturing process is not something I am qualified to discuss. However..

I justify it to myself by the usage these units are put. If it were not for the poly hives there would be less bees and less honey.

If you are a died in the wool environmentalist then nothing I can say will change your mind, nor for that matter might you use wood, there is a lot of mileage in transporting cedar to the mills.

It is not nearly as straightforward as it appears, but this I do know. I want the very best accommodation for my bees to thrive in, and I have it.

Just had a browse of Big T website and there is no link I can find regarding their sustainability or carbon footprint for that matter. I suspect their timber is imported from North America so how much oil does it take to bring that over?

PH