Polyhive interchangeability

[Chris B]

I'll be biting the bullet this year and finally completing migration from National to Poly Langstroth. That means I need some new kit just to keep numbers static, not to mention replacing a few breakages, and a modest expansion.

Has anyone any first hand experience of mixing kit from different manufacturers. I currently use Sw**nty. I bought a Bee Box from Modern last year - nice but totally incompatible with Sw**nty kit.

Has anyone tried the other (older) polyhive design from P*radise? It's not actively marketed but is available direct from manufacturer.

Any others I've missed?

What's wrong with Sw**nty? Nothing except I don't know whether they offer the best value for what I want.

Many thanks

 

[PBee]

I'll be biting the bullet this year and finally completing migration from National to Poly Langstroth. That means I need some new kit just to keep numbers static, not to mention replacing a few breakages, and a modest expansion.

Has anyone any first hand experience of mixing kit from different manufacturers. I currently use Sw**nty. I bought a Bee Box from Modern last year - nice but totally incompatible with Sw**nty kit.

Has anyone tried the other (older) polyhive design from P*radise? It's not actively marketed but is available direct from manufacturer.
Any others I've missed?

What's wrong with Sw**nty? Nothing except I don't know whether they offer the best value for what I want.

Many thanks

I moved to poly last year and settled on the Honey Series from PH for the broods and supers. The floors, feeders and roofs I got from Honeypaw as they were compatible and to my mind better quality. The PH boxes are very good and because of the small handholds probably optimum for insulation. Honeypaw boxes are good also but did not have Dadant size. They do Langstroth though. Both should be compatible with Swienty.

 

[Finman]

.
I have mixed 10 frames poly Langstroths and old 9-frame wooden langstroths and mediums.

I have a waterproof setup plates between two different boxes. It is 10 mm thick and made from ply slices.

.

 

[mpenn]

I have converted from National to Poly Langstroth. All I did was make up frames for the Langstroth and then put the Langstroth box on top of the National box. If you place it correctly it just leaves a very small gap along one short side and I just blocked that hole up with a bit of gaffa tape and the bees went up into the poly boxes with no problem and I've got another lot I am going to do the same with this spring. My Langstroths are the ones from Swienty. I am also considering using their frames as they work out at a reasonable price if purchased direct from the manufacturer. IMO they are best value

I vaseline the bottom bars of the Langstroth frames just to help reduce brace comb because of the top and bottom bee spacers, but to be quite honest I didn't have much of a problem.

I am very happy with the Langstroth from the said company

 

[drstitson]

with an appropriate frame/eke it is easy to run nat frames across LS brood boxes whilst converting.

 

[simoncav]

I originally had Cedar Langstroths and then went to Swienty poly hives. They are great, but do eventually get damaged at the corners by repeated hive tool use, quicker than wooden ones.

I then moved to MB Paradise hives and I have to say they are lasting a lot better. The hard plastic inserts work brilliantly and are completely hive-tool proof after 3-4 years use. Unlike my Swienty boxes, the MB supers push together and can be stored flat which saves a lot of space. The use of petroleum jelly on mating surfaces really helps too.

What sealed the deal was the fact that the price I got for each second hand wooden hive bought two new MB Polys....

 

[Chris B]

Both should be compatible with Swienty.

Great thanks. Hadn't heard of Honeypaw before.

 

[Finman]

.
This is a good hivetool to twist boxes apart. It does not break plastic becauae of wide blade.

It is a camp axe

 

[Chris B]

I then moved to MB Paradise hives and I have to say they are lasting a lot better.

If I started again I might well have gone for these too. And I'm still tempted even now. What puts me off is that it's been such a pain running different hive types, what with Nationals, a few wooden Langstroth, a show hive WBC and even a Warre. I've already got rid of Jumbo Langstroths and Commercials.

 

[Chris B]

Thanks I already have a plan for converting away from National. It's basically a shake and unite cycle. i.e. take old queen and 3 or 4lbs bees as a package and hive directly onto Langstroth frames. Spare bees and brood from the old National get united/distributed to other Nationals. Repeat periodically until only 1 National remains and then think of another plan.

 

[Chris B]

.
This is a good hivetool to twist boxes apart. It does not break plastic becauae of wide blade.

It is a camp axe

I like it!

 

[PBee]

If I started again I might well have gone for these too. And I'm still tempted even now. What puts me off is that it's been such a pain running different hive types, what with Nationals, a few wooden Langstroth, a show hive WBC and even a Warre. I've already got rid of Jumbo Langstroths and Commercials.

I think many go through a progression of hives - mine was Smith, national,commercial, back to national brood boxes only and finally Dadant Blatt (Plastic first then poly). I almost went with one size Farrar or 3/4 Langstroth as it is becoming a popular system. Honeypaw have changed over themselves and have a Farrar nucleus hive where two nuc bodies fit on a full box.

 

[johnandyrob]

What about Lyson no experience my self but others on here have recommended them.

 

[smithhive]

I've just bought 3 poly Lyson Langstroths from A b e l o. I am going to trial them this year. Build quality seems to be ok and they have flat mating surfaces.

There is a problem with the floor in that the back inch or so of the brood frames rest on the floor at the back of the hive. I have chiselled out a bee space - not ideal with a new hive.

They come with toggle fasteners between each box which I have removed with the exception of the brood box and roof - might be handy to secure the flush fitting roof in winter.

At £96 for roof, x2 medium supers, plastic Q E, brood box and floor I think they are a good price but time will tell.

 

[PBee]

Saw them at the Lyson stand at Apimondia in Dublin. They may have changed since then but to me the quality was not great. For the price, and of the ones I've seen, the Finnish/German poly is better.

 

[smithhive]

You may well be right PBee. This is my first foray into poly hives and I intend to get 3 S w i e n t y Langstroth as well by way of comparison.

As my user name suggests, I run mainly Smiths along with Langstroths and to now add polys to the equation is no doubt complete madness.

 

[PBee]

You may well be right PBee. This is my first foray into poly hives and I intend to get 3 S w i e n t y Langstroth as well by way of comparison.

As my user name suggests, I run mainly Smiths along with Langstroths and to now add polys to the equation is no doubt complete madness.

No .. completely normal Posted this back a bit but it illustrates the progression and the beekeepers mindset......

At 20 young Jim was so full of vim he knew that full depths were the size for him.
At 40 with hundreds of hives of bees he thought he'd do better with W.S.P.'s.
At 60 with old age hard on his heels his slipped disc and muscles called out for ideals.
Now junior Jim has ordered supplies to rebox the lot in the Full Depth size.

Australian rhyme from Donald Sims book. Langstroth boxes Full Depth(9 1/8in), W.S.P. (7 1/8in) Ideal (5 1/4in).

 

[blackcavebees]

I've just bought 3 poly Lyson Langstroths from A b e l o. I am going to trial them this year. Build quality seems to be ok and they have flat mating surfaces.

There is a problem with the floor in that the back inch or so of the brood frames rest on the floor at the back of the hive. I have chiselled out a bee space - not ideal with a new hive.

They come with toggle fasteners between each box which I have removed with the exception of the brood box and roof - might be handy to secure the flush fitting roof in winter.

At £96 for roof, x2 medium supers, plastic Q E, brood box and floor I think they are a good price but time will tell.

Are these the ones Dr Stiton had a pic up a while back with a timber adapter to take national frames running the other way? (Santa brought me one but it is still in the shed)

 

[drstitson]

yes - picked up a couple of the boxes off of a b e l o on fleabay.

only oddity is the roof - has vents and a void inside rather than being a solid block of poly. need using with a crownboard and perhaps a block of kingspan inside the roof for winter.

 

[Chris B]

I checked out Lyson a couple of years back and wasn't 100% convinced on durability but at the time the price was really good. I'll be interested to hear how they last with anyone who has them. Their prices have gone through the roof in the last couple of years though.
I was considering a pallet-sized warming cabinet but I blinked and it went from about £400 to £1000. I think the prices are across the board. But I have had some really good frames from them.

Hey we can say "Lyson". Standards are slipping on this forum.