Swienty poly crownboard

[jignog]

Hi,
I run mostly poly national hives from Paynes. They sell a poly crown board with holes for porter escapes. I am looking to buy some Swienty poly national hives. Do they sell something similar in poly version that will allow me to use porter escapes?

 

[Swarm]

You use a normal crown board it fits.

 

[jignog]

Thanks for the quick reply. That’s an even better design than Payne’s then.

 

[Poly Hive]

Better still forget porters.

Have a solid CB and make some clearer boards. They work better and the bees clear faster.

PH

 

[Angry_Mob]

Abelo hives come with a poly crown board that has removable holes. The centre hole can be removed and a bee escape (rhombus) placed on it.

https://www.abelo.co.uk/shop/poly-hives-national/crown-board/

 

[Beefriendly]

Just get some Duct tape to hold the extra poly inserts in place, otherwise you are chasing them all over the place.

 

[Poly Hive]

Yep just great until they get lost in the grass.

Sorry but had one and a really daft idea.

PH

 

[pargyle]

Better still forget porters.

Have a solid CB and make some clearer boards. They work better and the bees clear faster.

PH

I'm amazed that anyone still used Porter bee escapes - real devil's work compared to the Rhombus ones ...

 

[Swarm]

Thanks for the quick reply. That’s an even better design than Payne’s then.

The 460 mm dimension makes things easier and everything is flush but there is a compromise with all the poly nationals, some little thing that gets on your nerves.
With swienty, it's the amazing oversight of NO BEE SPACE recessed into the bottom of the boxes, meaning they will sit directly on top of the frame lugs of any box below. Not good!
I run my hives with top bee space so this is not a problem but in order to do so it means removing the frame runners. Got to be more careful moving frames to avoid squashing bees ... a pain!
One last point about swienty, be careful with the top edge of the panels at each frame end, there is very little 'meat' at that point and because it is rounded off, there is little more than an eighth of an inch in contact with any hardware above.

 

[Jimmy]

One last point about swienty, be careful with the top edge of the panels at each frame end, there is very little 'meat' at that point and because it is rounded off, there is little more than an eighth of an inch in contact with any hardware above.

I find that if there is significant light shining through where the boxes join the bees will chew a way out through this thin rounded edge. Not every box every time but frequently enough to be a pain. Mostly a problem at the brood chamber, queen excluder, super interface in my experience.

 

[thorn]

Abelo hives come with a poly crown board that has removable holes. The centre hole can be removed and a bee escape (rhombus) placed on it.

https://www.abelo.co.uk/shop/poly-hives-national/crown-board/

I like the Abelo hives and roofs, but I’m not keen on the crown boards. The plugs don’t fit flush with the underside of the board, and the bees build brace comb. Likewise with the ventilation piece. And the spaces in the ventilation pieces are too small for a bee to get through, so can’t be used to let bees trapped between the roof and the crown board escape.

 

[Madge]

... And the spaces in the ventilation pieces are too small for a bee to get through, so can’t be used to let bees trapped between the roof and the crown board escape.

1. Don’t trap the bees - whatever hive you’re using.
2. But if that’s something you do regularly (?!), just cut an opening in the ventilation plugs.



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[Millet]

1. Don’t trap the bees - whatever hive you’re using.
2. But if that’s something you do regularly (?!), just cut an opening in the ventilation plugs.



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I find it hard to avoid at times so i leave a small gap by moving the slate a little on the wooden crown boards.

 

[linoleum bonypart]

Nobody has answered the question though....
I havent found a poly crownboard yet

 

[Beefriendly]

And the spaces in the ventilation pieces are too small for a bee to get through, so can’t be used to let bees trapped between the roof and the crown board escape.

Who does make a poly crown board with a mesh opening of sufficient size that the bees can get through?

 

[Madge]

Nobody has answered the question though....
I havent found a poly crownboard yet

You need porter escapes (your original question) or any other sort of escape board only for clearing supers for harvesting - and that’s a summer job, so it really doesn’t have to be polly.

But if you want it for overwinter feeding from above a crown board, then poly makes sense. Swienty doesn’t make any as far as I know, but the Abelo one will fit.

I make inner crown boards with feeding holes from greenhouse polycarbonate sheets or plywood or whatever. That way no heat is lost.


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[Swarm]

What's wrong with an ordinary crown board? They fit and you simply don't need a poly crown or clearer board.

 

[Beefriendly]

Nothing wrong with ordinary crown boards.
A poly crown board will simply save you the trouble of needing to add insulation or purchase a poly roof....assuming you are using top insulation.

 

[Madge]

Nothing wrong with ordinary crown boards.
A poly crown board will simply save you the trouble of needing to add insulation or purchase a poly roof....assuming you are using top insulation.

LB asked about poly crown boards for Swienty Nationals. Using a plywood crown board with a poly for overwinter feeding (with a poly super above the CB acting as an eke), then wood undermines of the insulation value of a poly hive.

If one doesn't need a feeder board (by feeding directly above the frames), then a crown board isn't necessary.

If one only wants it for clearing bees from supers then, as mentioned before, it doesn't matter that it's wood.

 

[Gilberdyke John]

I like the Abelo hives and roofs, but I’m not keen on the crown boards. The plugs don’t fit flush with the underside of the board, and the bees build brace comb. Likewise with the ventilation piece. And the spaces in the ventilation pieces are too small for a bee to get through, so can’t be used to let bees trapped between the roof and the crown board escape.

I use the Abelo poly hives but with a perspex crownboard and a sheet of kingspan snugly fitted to it. The holes,vents and poly discs are just a faff. Might be better with a version that offered one central hole and a properly fitting insert to blank it off when no feeder is in use.