Thor*es Seconds hive

[mystil]

Hello Chaps
Got hold of our first flat pack seconds hive from Thor*es afew days ago.

It has come with a plastic yellow QE. We cannot check that it is one of the faulty ones as we are beginners and dont have any bees yet!

Should it be okay? I know some of the plastic ones are faulty.

Also some of the pieces of wood which secure the foundations in the frame (the bits you cut off to begin with) have snapped due to knots. Is this common?

We dont want to complain to Thor*es about something which does not really affect the frames but just want to know if it is a common thing in Seconds.

Cheers Guys

Liza

 

[Nose Ma]

I'd give them a quick call. Looking at the other posts here they seem fast off the mark and unquestioning with problems relating to Queen Excluders, and the website has a link directly to the potential problem. For the sake of a call, you may as well sort it now before it's in the hive and you have an extra headache to contend with.

Good luck!

 

[Ed Woods]

I got one of the Thorne seconds - very happy with it. Although forgot to square the first super I put together - so slightly wonky.

I am sure I read that the faulty batch of QE were orange in colour - although someone should correct me if I am wrong - if you use the search facility there are a couple of threads which give the correct measurements for the holes.

I snapped a few of the pieces of wood so started using a craft knife to cut them off. Used some wood glue to stick the pieces back together. Very happy with my package - buying my secondone shortly

 

[TBRNoTB]

Hello Chaps
Got hold of our first flat pack seconds hive from Thor*es afew days ago.

It has come with a plastic yellow QE. We cannot check that it is one of the faulty ones as we are beginners and dont have any bees yet!

Should it be okay? I know some of the plastic ones are faulty.

Also some of the pieces of wood which secure the foundations in the frame (the bits you cut off to begin with) have snapped due to knots. Is this common?
We dont want to complain to Thor*es about something which does not really affect the frames but just want to know if it is a common thing in Seconds.

Cheers Guys


Liza

See my thread re Th**nes plastic QE don't know about the yellow ones but metal seems the way to go! Phone them.
Regards
TBRNoTB

 

[For want of a better word]

My bees seem to prefer the wire ones... then the little ladies do seem to have expensive tastes!

 

[Queens59]

Thornes are swopping my replacement QE for a wire one as the replacement was worse than the orange one!

 

[Busybee123]

Hello Chaps
Got hold of our first flat pack seconds hive from Thor*es afew days ago.

It has come with a plastic yellow QE. We cannot check that it is one of the faulty ones as we are beginners and dont have any bees yet!

Should it be okay? I know some of the plastic ones are faulty.

Also some of the pieces of wood which secure the foundations in the frame (the bits you cut off to begin with) have snapped due to knots. Is this common?

We dont want to complain to Thor*es about something which does not really affect the frames but just want to know if it is a common thing in Seconds.

Cheers Guys

Liza

I had bought one of the orange/yellow queen excluders from Thornes and they replaced this with a slotted metal one (which personally I don't like because of all the sharp edges)

I had also bought a couple of the "bees on a budget" hive kits. Mine came with white plastic queen excluders which I was not sure about - i contacted Thornes and they agreed to give me a discount against the purchase price of the wire excluders instead of replacing them, so I think that any plastic queen excluders from Thornes (white or orange/yellow) are questionable.

Generally I am very pleased with the "bees on a budget" hives - they are a good deal considering that you get supers, frames and foundation included, but the quality of the wood is not as good as the premium Thornes hives.

I have also had the same problem with the frames - a few have large knots in that make them unusable.

 

[drstitson]

"Also some of the pieces of wood which secure the foundations in the frame (the bits you cut off to begin with) have snapped due to knots"

not a problem - don't need to be in one piece to do their job - you just need a few extra nails!!!!

 

[susbees]

My bees seem to prefer the wire ones... then the little ladies do seem to have expensive tastes!

 

[Hivemaker.]

My bees seem to prefer the wire ones... then the little ladies do seem to have expensive tastes!

How can you tell that the bee's prefer them from any other kind,as long as they can get through them.

 

[fredbloggs]

I snapped a few of the pieces of wood so started using a craft knife to cut them off. Used some wood glue to stick the pieces back together.

If you are referring to the piece that is attached to the top bar, here is a good tip. Squeeze the piece inwards rather than trying to prize it outwards. There is less stress to snap it off.

It is extremely satisfying to do this whilst thinking about someone you really don't like. When it goes crack, you can do an impression of that bloke from " Enter the Dragon".

Those of a certain age (plus suspect mentality) will assimilate?

Regards

FB

 

[Spadaman]

Anyone thinking of ordering a Seconds hive from Th**nes should allow plenty of time - they are working on 3-4 weeks from order to delivery.

Mine arrived with bottom locking bars on the brood box doing a passable impersonation of a pair of bananas due to knots. A quick call and the replacements were on their way - quicker than the original box but still took a week. No quibbles, so well done for customer service.

The Q/E is a plastic one but I checked the hole sizes with a digital vernier gauge and they were correct size. Not used it yet so time will tell.

 

[milkermel]

How can you tell that the bee's prefer them from any other kind,as long as they can get through them.

Thats simple HM they tell us, you should hear the complaints I get from the girls in my first hive, they hate the fact that the other three colonies are all in posh hives from Minehead/Porlock way!!!

 

[beeboybee]

Anyone in the minehead/porlock area check out Millers on The Wier. Fantastic restaurant hotel run byMillers of the Millers antiques buyers guide fame needless to sayits stuffed full of unusual antiques and books.

 

[Beeline]

I received my first budget kit from Th****s in March - came with a white plastic excluder. I've since ordered another budget kit but this time, following the forums comments and concerns, asked the lass there whether the QE would be plastic or metal. The written confirmation I received was it would be metal. So anyone who has received a plastic excluder in the past few weeks should contact them and ask for a slotted metal replacement.
They're obviously fully aware of the problem but probably sitting with a pile of plastic in their yard.

BL

 

[mystil]

Cheers.

Yeah did not think the broken peices of wood were a worry. Will give them a ring about the queen excluder.

Should we upgrade to a metal QE with wood frame? Have been told they are the best.

 

[susbees]

Cheers.

Yeah did not think the broken peices of wood were a worry. Will give them a ring about the queen excluder.

Should we upgrade to a metal QE with wood frame? Have been told they are the best.

They are easier to clean, easier on the fingers, easier to get off with minimal fuss and the bees can get through them quickly. Shop around though as price varies. I was out grafting larvae with a local seasonal bee inspector last week...he came across a framed wired excluder on one of the hives we were working and said that they were much the best IHHO.

 

[mystil]

Phoned them up yesturday. Lady asked what type the Q/E was and I told her. Her reply is "those are okay". So now we have to get our bees before we know if it is going to be okay.