Poly Nucs and Hives

[sugarbush]

My experience of bears is precisely 0 and long may it last.

You used the word smashed. That has a precise meaning.

PH

True; in the case that the frames are propolised in real good the bear will stand a box on it's side and bounce on it. All US boxes are built with box joints which quickly give away. I have had very few that were not salvageable after a bear attack.

If your interested in US opinion on them, visit one of the forums and search "beemax". you will hear everything from ants mice and wax moths chewing through them, to mold growing in them, to carelessly placed smokers setting them on fire.

We only have the Beemax brand and they are not very popular. Mostly only used by hobby beeks with one or two hives.

 

[user 6228]

Curious only one brand that doesn't satisfy market requirements. A case of if at first you dont succeed don't bother changing. As regards bears a wooden or plastics outer with a bonded foam liner wourld have significantly different performance.

 

[Hivemaker.]

"Of the thousands of polystyrene hives we sold last year, including the hundred or so we used ourselves, we have had only one complaint of mouse damage to the front of one hive.

http://www.beebehavior.com/bee_max_hives_pictures.php


Found this intesting..................

One thing we have now noticed is that the hives with high mite loads are all in polystyrene hives. On is in wood. The low infestation hives are all wood.

http://www.beesource.com/forums/archive/index.php/t-205134.html

 

[Poly Hive]

Interesting comment I agree, a quote of someones comment on another list. No mention of numbers, hive numbers either.

To answer the question am I interested in what is happening in northern america, partly.

Partly because the conditions are so very different to ours, and partly because the hives we are discussing are (as far as I know) different. Given the differences it is impossible for me to discuss the situations.

For info I have visited bee farms in Canada, and have read years worth of ABJ and Culture. Over thirty years worth so have a pretty good idea of the differences between both sides of the pond.

Timber ware used to be considerably cheaper in the States, indeed some made a side line here by importing container loads of it, so poly may not by as cheap in comparison as it is here. That is a major factor for many, not with standing the better conditions for the bees.

PH

 

[BBG]

A very good point. You also need to consider in summer rhe heat gain through the hive walls. A thin wooden hive in sunlight might have considerable gain.
Ventilation that could be opened in summer might be a desirable feature.
You may also wish to consider for winter the heat losses due to floor and entrance design. Neither the poly or wooden designs commonly found impress me on that point.

'They' say inside temperature is only +/- 2C between summer and winter.

Polystyrene insulates against both cold and heat!

 

[user 6228]

'They' say inside temperature is only +/- 2C between summer and winter.

Polystyrene insulates against both cold and heat!

if you look at the scientific literature you find spring bee colony size and honey yield go up with insulated hives compared to uninsulated ones. (Edogan Dodologlu Emsen)
The literature shows a bee generating heat is taken behaviorly as "stressed" e.g. solicits submissive behavoir from others ( Basile)
One can clearly infer that Bees are less stressed in insulated hives.
So highly insulated hives are:

• cheaper than wood
• give more honey
• stress the bees less

So for what rational reason why would do you stay with thin wooden hives?

1) Some physiological characteristics of honybee housed in heated , fan, wooden and insulated hives- Edogan Dodologlu Emsen
2) Thermoregulation and Resource Management in the Honeybee- Rebecca Basile

 

[sugarbush]

Curious only one brand that doesn't satisfy market requirements. A case of if at first you dont succeed don't bother changing.

The issue is that there just isn't a market for them here. They are also more expensive than wood and don't last as long, so it is a no brainier. The average beek experience here is 30 years, and many of those beeks still have and use their first hive boxes, The poly would never last that long.

I can buy commercial grade wooden supers for 6.50 each, a beemax is $12.95.

 

[Monsieur Abeille]

The average beek experience here is 30 years, and many of those beeks still have and use their first hive boxes, The poly would never last that long.

Not sure the anti landfill lobby would agree with that

 

[user 6228]

The issue is that there just isn't a market for them here. They are also more expensive than wood and don't last as long, so it is a no brainier. The average beek experience here is 30 years, and many of those beeks still have and use their first hive boxes, The poly would never last that long.

I can buy commercial grade wooden supers for 6.50 each, a beemax is $12.95.

then someone needs to make them stronger, more cost effective and better marketed than beemax.

 

[drstitson]

does anyone sell poly hive supers for less than £9???? (let alone less than £4 to compete with wood). you can't even get one for an apidea for that (or a pa*nes poly nuc eke for that matter).

The americans may love their oil but they really love their lumber.

 

[ma1308]

Are poly hives really strong enough, I plan on getting my first hive soon ready for next year I was watching a DVD the other day by Bee Works he said a full supper of honey could weigh up to 50lbs that's a lot of weight for polystyrene.

 

[fatshark]

does anyone sell poly hive supers for less than £9????

Actually, a regular on here sold me eight barely used Denrosa supers this time last year for less than that each ... and I'm delighted with them With the addition of castellations they have been ideal and mixed/matched with wood perfectly well. And a stack of empty ones with a poly block on top and a light bulb at the bottom make a very effective honey warming cabinet

And MB do 'supers' for Kielers at - if I remember - about £9, though the going rate for National supers from most suppliers in the UK appears to be around £17.

ma1308 Are they strong enough? Yes. The weight is evenly distributed across the frames and - on a well designed one - the joints have large overlaps. I doubt one would stand being dropped, full, on its corner, but then suspect that cedar might not perform much better to the same type of abuse. And being much lighter they are much easier to heft about ...

 

[ma1308]

Thanks Fatshark

 

[Poly Hive]

I can assure you I can jump up and down on a poly hive and it will take it no bother.

Having handled hundreds of full supers I can again assure you if you buy quality kit it will be just fine. I cannot vouch for the cheap stuff though.

PH

 

[ma1308]

Poly Hive where is the best place to get some quality kit I do not want to purchase cheap.

Thanks

 

[Poly Hive]

Try Jones or Swienty direct.

I am intending trying some Polish kit next year depending on other factors but in the mean time these are the dealers I have bought from.

PH

 

[oliver90owner]

Polyhive will tellyo to get Sweinty

I will say M/Beekeeping. The qualities, as far as I have seen are similar (similar densities of material). I, too, can stand and probably jump on my 'Modern' jumbo nucs. I certainly sit on them regularly; I weigh about 800N (80kg). I expect the Nationals are similarly robust as they have closed mortice type joints.

Regards, RAB

 

[Poly Hive]

Dovetail joints.

Mind Rab we are discussing hives not nucs here.

PH

 

[user 6228]

But do any manufacturers give a thermal performance metric? If you are buying it cos it warm how are going to be sure how to compAre

 

[sugarbush]

Not sure the anti landfill lobby would agree with that

I mean in hive form of course.

Are poly hives really strong enough, I plan on getting my first hive soon ready for next year I was watching a DVD the other day by Bee Works he said a full supper of honey could weigh up to 50lbs that's a lot of weight for polystyrene.

polystyrene is strong enough to form concrete and concrete weighs 4000lbs per square yard. [ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pEOmrWBL77w&feature=related[/ame]