Warmth for the bees

[Poly Hive]

Imagine waking up on a cold raw morning. The duvet is lovely and warm aound you so you snuggle down for a few moments more cosiness. Bliss!

The room is warm as you invested in the 300mm of insulation in the loft and so as the boiler purrs you know your precious heat is not blowing out the eaves.

Bees like to be cosy too. which is why they employed the thermal qualities of hollow trees for more years then we can imagine.

Which explains the success of the poly hives. Bees enjoy the warmth and consequently behave differently in them.

Swarms will start drawing out foundation right next to the hive wall as it is the warmest place for the wax workers to get going.

The bottom line though is will a colony produce more from a poly than a timber unit of the same size and comparing like for like bees. My experience is yes for sure.

If you look at the WBC and Glen management in the past they were run iwth quilts, usually an old hessian sack as a crown board, and above them literally an ould bed quilt or a pile of blankets. That kept in the warmth in the "attic" and the air gap in the hive sides kept the bees warm in that direction. The poly in the single wall removes the issues of double wall units but retains the benefits.

PH

 

[Swarm]

My wife always says they look cosier in the polys. I wouldn't like to say they regularly outperform the wooden colonies though.

 

[Poly Hive]

Fair enough that is your experience, mine is that they do and so it is for ITLD

"Never could afford to change over all 800 Smiths to poly, though it a definite truth that the trials showed the same kind of crop uplift in percentage terms that the Langstroths did. Between 20 and 30% in every one of the last 18 years, bar one season."

PH

 

[Millet]

Mine are in a wooden national PH, but it looks like this at the moment.

 

[farmerboy5470]

Millets take on a wbc...
Changing some of my old wooden hives for poly so will be interesting to see, first winter with poly, they seem stronger but also seem to have used more fondant...makes sense with them being more active. Poly seem quicker to fly imo

 

[Zante]

What's your opinion of the Turkish Thermo hive?
http://www.apimaye.co.uk/thermo-beehive.html

 

[Swarm]

A lady I know uses them on a commercial basis, she sings their praises.

 

[Quis Custodiet]

The first poly nationals imported into Ireland (stamped "Denrosa"!) are still in service and show little signs of wear. Those commercial apiaries who use them, are in no doubt that their honey yield has increased and that the build up in Spring is quicker.

 

[Quis Custodiet]

Millets take on a wbc...

I bet it doesn't get stolen!

 

[Millet]

Millets take on a wbc...
Changing some of my old wooden hives for poly so will be interesting to see, first winter with poly, they seem stronger but also seem to have used more fondant...makes sense with them being more active. Poly seem quicker to fly imo

If it would benefit i would for sure but do you not have to move twice the amount of wood work per hive during inspections, i'm clueless by the way on WBC hives.

 

[Poly Hive]

Interesting toy, and they don't say what frame it takes and it is plastic not poly and presumably a two queen system with both entrances facing the same way. Hmm I can see major issues there though the sunshade gave me a chuckle.

PH

 

[REDWOOD]

I can't comment as I don't own any yet, too much confusion with top, bottom bee space, inside and out side dimensions, adding rims and frame runners. If someone could point me in the direction of a 14x12 hive with the outside dimentions the same with bottom bee space I would give it a go

 

[Zante]

Interesting toy, and they don't say what frame it takes and it is plastic not poly and presumably a two queen system with both entrances facing the same way. Hmm I can see major issues there though the sunshade gave me a chuckle.

PH

If you're referring to the turkish hive, it says elsewhere that it is a Langstroth. Apparently it has been designed by the Turkish Beekeeping Association assisted by nine Universities.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3SBRJXvCHJA

 

[Swarm]

I can't comment as I don't own any yet, too much confusion with top, bottom bee space, inside and out side dimensions, adding rims and frame runners. If someone could point me in the direction of a 14x12 hive with the outside dimentions the same with bottom bee space I would give it a go

Swienty. You shouldn't have any problems as you won't be adding another box on top other than honey supers. So a 14x12 swienty, fit the runners and use your wooden supers. The problem arises when putting another poly box on top as there is no beespace rebate on the bottom, which means it will sit directly on the end lugs below.

 

[Quis Custodiet]

If you're referring to the turkish hive, it says elsewhere that it is a Langstroth. Apparently it has been designed by the Turkish Beekeeping Association assisted by nine Universities.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3SBRJXvCHJA

Indeed, just as a camel is a racehorse designed by a committee!

 

[REDWOOD]

My first feelings is its not a national with no bottom bee space and without modifying manipulation of bees is impossible. I'll stick to my wooden hives until somebody designs a proper one.

 

[Erichalfbee]

Swienty. You shouldn't have any problems as you won't be adding another box on top other than honey supers. So a 14x12 swienty, fit the runners and use your wooden supers. The problem arises when putting another poly box on top as there is no beespace rebate on the bottom, which means it will sit directly on the end lugs below.

Excellent boxes. I run mine without runners even and they are ok

 

[BeeJayBee]

A lady I know uses them on a commercial basis, she sings their praises.

Do you know how heavy these Apimaye boxes are?

 

[Millet]

Do you know how heavy these Apimaye boxes are?

How would they fare up with the Oxalic Vaporizer? .

 

[charlievictorbravo]

If you're referring to the turkish hive, it says elsewhere that it is a Langstroth. Apparently it has been designed by the Turkish Beekeeping Association assisted by nine Universities.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3SBRJXvCHJA

The video does not indicate whether there is insulation between the inner and outer plastic layers. The design is "clever" but I wonder whether all the bells and whistles will work after they been gummed up with propolis after a couple of seasons. Will the plastic become brittle?

The next time I see the guys from Cornwall Honey, I'll ask how the turkish hive performs over the long term in English conditions.

CVB