Which budget wood hive

[Erichalfbee]

Most small beekeeping plastic can easily be replaced with bamboo, the larger items like hives can be made from sustainable foresting, if insulation is required we have companies in the UK who are world leaders in the construction industry

Indeed
We can surround our wooden hives with PIR cosies

 

[Monbees]

Here you go: Polystyrene is Fully Recyclable and Clean to Manufacture

That's really interesting, but I couldn't find where the four recycling collection points are?

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

We can surround our wooden hives with PIR cosies

But do we really need to?

 

[Erichalfbee]

It was tongue in cheek.
I like poly. Stan likes wood. I turn the wood boxes into poly ones for the winter

 

[user 20297]

It was tongue in cheek.
I like poly. Stan likes wood. I turn the wood boxes into poly ones for the winter

....but do you really need to?

 

[Erichalfbee]

I like to. They come out stronger over winter and use less food

 

[user 20297]

I like to. They come out stronger over winter and use less food

......agreed; I was being mean and forcing you to nail your colours to the mast.

 

[Moobee]

I don’t know why people are so fixated on national hives in this country, they are arguably the least well designed, the most likely to rot and the most difficult to construct. conversely a langstroth hive is very easy for any handyman to make and therefore cheap and owing to its easy construct can be made of a wide variety of timber including pallet. Before any body throws up their hands in horror, my Brood boxes are scorched and painted every year but the supers less often and none are showing any sign of wear or decay and a plus side to painting with good old Cuprinol shades is that the woodpeckers ignore them.

Langstroths would be way to heavy for me and most beginners are recommended to go for the same hives as their local BKA. That way, if there are any issues, you can easily use frames of eggs or brood from the apiary. Also, red cedar is light and incredibly durable (we have it as cladding on our house and we live right by the sea so it takes a real beating). I'm not a carpenter but found it fairly easy to construct brood boxes, supers and the the roofs.

 

[Mint Bee]

Here you go: Polystyrene is Fully Recyclable and Clean to Manufacture

Most plastics are recyclable. the problem is there is not a national consensus between local authorities over which ones can be done so economically and no coherent policy from central government. My local authority send polystyrene to land fill; they wont even take HDPE, despite it being the most recyclable plastic there is. Nearby authorities have a totally different recycling strategy.
As Frasier said 'We're doomed'

 

[redtrout]

Just got some commercial 2nd bb’s from maisies, one had the finger joints a bit out of synch. It was replaced quibble free and by return, great service.
British cedar but seem ok.
I have used seconds from most suppliers, NBS have the nicest woodwork but they all are fit for purpose. I have yet to try plastic, in Canada my wooden Langstroths were good for -37 when packed in fours and wrapped. Some suffered condensation even with a top entrance. You could see the frozen vapour trail coming from the entrance during winter - which lasts eight months!

 

[bingevader]

Here you go: Polystyrene is Fully Recyclable and Clean to Manufacture

Just because a company that wants to sell you the stuff tells you that it can, doesn't mean it is!
All goes straight in the general waste for landfill round here.
It's still plastic.

 

[bingevader]

I like to. They come out stronger over winter and use less food

Why not turn them into WBCs for the winter instead then?

 

[Monbees]

Why not turn them into WBCs for the winter instead then?

I do that with one hive - a national Abelo on wbc stand (inc varroa floor), within wbc lifts and roof. The deep Abelo roof doesn't quite fit though, so slab of Kingspan ontop of the poly crown board does the trick.

 

[0bee-1]

Check out maismores sale currently on they’ll also be on offer at Xmas from Thornes, few can compete with those prices for English cedar boxes. I’d also pick English cedar over pine any time! As for cleaning boxes mine only ever get done if something died in there over winter and that’s the same for poly or wood. For poly cleaning you realistically need little more than a decent plastic potting tray. When I first brought poly it was priced at a few pounds more than seconds cedar, prices now and extra complicated boxes mean there’s a significant saving between English cedar and poly atm. There are benefits to poly but good and some not so good beekeepers have been keeping thriving hives alive in wood for many many years.

Thornes have extended their sale until next monday - 25th Oct and you dont need to collect can be sent to your door!
" If you missed the Sale Days and aren’t going to make it to the National Honey Show this week, you have ONE LAST CHANCE to shop our sale! Starting today, and running until next Monday, you can order the sale items on our website to be delivered right to your door! No collection needed. " other providers are available

 

[thorn]

Just because a company that wants to sell you the stuff tells you that it can, doesn't mean it is!
All goes straight in the general waste for landfill round here.
It's still plastic.

I assume you're thinking of plastics generally. Plastic hives are of a plastic that will last for decades.

 

[mbc]

Thornes have extended their sale until next monday - 25th Oct and you dont need to collect can be sent to your door!
" If you missed the Sale Days and aren’t going to make it to the National Honey Show this week, you have ONE LAST CHANCE to shop our sale! Starting today, and running until next Monday, you can order the sale items on our website to be delivered right to your door! No collection needed. " other providers are available

This has caused a bit of panic, do we think they'll still have their big winter sale?

 

[Ian123]

This has caused a bit of panic, do we think they'll still have their big winter sale?

Don’t panic if they don’t have 1 others will, I heard sales were down at the sale days so guess they have stock to shift!

 

[Wilco]

Don’t panic if they don’t have 1 others will, I heard sales were down at the sale days so guess they have stock to shift!

Hopefully that might mean further discounts at the NHS...

 

[Big ears]

Thanks for everyone’s input. My Maisie’s order of second cedar hive arrived yesterday. Bit of woodwork for those dark wet evenings ahead.

 

[milkermel]

This has been said before but I’ve looked into it and spoken to local bee keepers. As I live in Cornwall we get very few frosts and do t see the extreme temperature changes in other parts of the country. It does rain a lot though
My big issue is cleaning them. Looking at videos they need immersing in washing soda in a huge drum.
For me this isn’t practical and therefore wood wins out.

I pop up to okehampton for my Cedar hives, the thornes ones do the job, but not a patch on national bee supplies. Not sure since they changed hands but worth popping up for a drive I would suggest