Poly hives

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Geoff

House Bee
Joined
Mar 16, 2009
Messages
249
Reaction score
0
Location
Shropshire, UK
Hive Type
Commercial
Number of Hives
5
http://www.modernbeekeeping.co.uk/

Has this firm only just started selling these? I thought i had only seen clothing on their site before.
At the prices it would be tempting if i have to house another colony before the end of the year. Wooden hives, if you can get them are costing an arm and a leg cause you can only get first quality.
 
Yes, I believe so.

I spoke to the chap about a week ago and he forwarded a link to the draft website that had not then been updated. It has between then and now.

They are a very good price if you dont mind converting to, or already run langstroth kit. Unfortunately, I dont, but the product itself looks good.

It inspired me to buy one in Dadant from Swienty to try out poly for myself. I am also going to give a national a try I think.
 
I have just looked on the site, and some LS to National frame converters are available.
 
Thats the John Laidler website.

Can members give feedback regards quality,delivery etc if they make a purchase.
 
Macros's comment made me look at the Swienty site and I realise that their prices are probably comparable, cause they include more than just a single brood box they include 3 boxes so i suppose you can use the same size boxes for honey as well. Macros - i cannot see on the Swienty site where you would have got your Dadant. I see that they offer an extra deep Langstroth brood box. Is that the same as a Dadant?
 
Wow im very tempted to try them hives from modernbeekeeping.co.uk as the supers take dadent size frames of which i have loads :)
 
Macros's comment made me look at the Swienty site and I realise that their prices are probably comparable, cause they include more than just a single brood box they include 3 boxes so i suppose you can use the same size boxes for honey as well. Macros - i cannot see on the Swienty site where you would have got your Dadant. I see that they offer an extra deep Langstroth brood box. Is that the same as a Dadant?

Geoff,

Dadant took some investigation- others beware!!

There seem to be different Dadant size boxes around. The modern beekeeping ones are 20mm deeper, so if they go onto the floor, no problem, but if they go elsewhere, you will have a spacing error. This may or may not be relevant to much- I don't suppose that you would want to double brood them often, although Mr Manley used to run a double brood boxed Dadant for a queen rearing (apparently with 22 full frames of brood). The chap from Modern beekeeping, to his credit, pointed this out the size discrepancy when i asked whether he kept Dadant sizes.

Somebody must have bought one of the modern beekeeping poly hives at that price- hopefully we will get a review soon.

The Swienty one that i went for is

http://www.swienty.com/shop/vare.asp?side=0&vareid=100033

What I know as a Dadant super is the Langstroth medium box. Certainly on the Swienty system, and no doubt on some others, you have the option of using a Langstroth super if you want, although I am reluctant to introduce another size of frames. hope this helps!
 
"There seem to be different Dadant size boxes around. The modern beekeeping ones are 20mm deeper, so if they go onto the floor, no problem, but if they go elsewhere, you will have a spacing error."
Are Modern Beekeeping stocking Dadant? I couldn't find any. If they did I think i might be interested in the Dadant brood box cause it is bigger - I have Carniolans and they like space.
Other than that it would have to be Sweinty. What are their postal rates like?
 
I cant quote figures but the cost of 6 nuc boxes seemed reasonable enough from Denmark by UPS.

PH
 
They are not on the modern website, but he did say that he had some stock. details and measurements are on the paradise honey site.

UPS from Denmark isnt bad- full poly hive, 20 frames (made up without foundation) 20 sheets foundation, frame wire, pollen trap, 10 apiguard and a load of other bits cost me 36 euros. Swienty are very good, if you give them a list, they will tell you what the shipping will be, and it is less than you fear.

Having just unpacked, and painted the hive, make sure that you get at least one complete one, including bits like a cover board and queen excluder. I skipped the excluder, assuming that 1 I had would fit, so now i will have to get one. Hopefully it will be standard langstroth and not a massive problem to get one. It will be easier to make a cover board from a pattern, and takes the immediacy away from having to make one!!

So far, very impressed with the hive, although one point is worth noting. It is only 10 frame, which, by quick view, means that I cannot quite create a second box containing BS frames going crossways- ideal for making up nucs. If I am creative, something similar may be possible. I will be ordering some more for Stoneleigh, and am going to try a national one from Wynne Jones.

Now, some questions for somebody who has used these in anger...!

1. The roof has a lip around three sides, on the top. is this so that it can be reversed and give a top entrance?

2. Has anybody used the plastic pollen trap from Swienty? http://www.swienty.com/shop/vare.asp?side=0&vareid=102105# I am not quite sure how it fixes etc. can anybody help?

I apologise if I am boring people with this enthusiasm- I feel like a kid with a new toy. The weekend is to be spent wiring frames!
 
Do you get a crown board with theses, cant see any sign of them on the web-sight :confused:
 
Do you get a crown board with theses, cant see any sign of them on the web-sight :confused:

Swienty call it an innercover. It is a piece of perspex with a few vent holes/slits in it.

Modern dont seem to do one, but you could make one easily enough if you desired.
 
Swienty call it an innercover. It is a piece of perspex with a few vent holes/slits in it.

Modern dont seem to do one, but you could make one easily enough if you desired.

Ok. Thanks for the fast reply. I love this forum :cheers2:
 
CB with holes in it is pretty useless.

Make one from ply.

PH
 
I believe the crownboards are not in general use with these hives on the continent - they just use a sheet of heavy guage plastic as an "inner cover" to use American parlance.

Finno
 
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