Your Recommendations - Poly Hives

[Robbo8916]

Hello everyone,

Finally getting round to prepping for next year after some difficult recent weeks. (Not bee related).

I have two colonies, one in a Paynes poly and one in a Thornes wooden national.

I must say I much prefer the poly for ease of use, less weight and their superior insulation qualities. From what I have seen so far anyway.

I have a spare wooden national but would like to go predominantly poly next season especially now I have a potential 8 new apiary sites.

So my question is, for those of you who use poly hives. Which, in your experience, are the best ones to buy? E.g value for money, quality etc?

Thanks in advance

 

[Poly Hive]

Swienty is the dogs proverbial, the rest are lagging.

PH

 

[fatshark]

Swienty apparently less of the mutts nuts if you're using double brood as the bottom of the box isn't recessed for the frame lugs. I've no experience of this because my bees went into them all late in the season, but am assured this is the case.

Abelo look good and were on sale recently. Ready painted. Lots of daft extra holes though, but nothing that's not fixable with gaffer tape.

Paradise ... just say no

 

[B+.]

Swienty is the dogs proverbial

I've used both Sweinty and Paradise Honey Langstroth boxes and I see little to choose between them in how the bees overwinter. The only thing I will add is that sweinty boxes are flush at the top so may suit better if you have existing flush top equipment. The paradise honey boxes have an interlocking recess so water can't soak through (it would have to go up-and-over.....I have never seen this happen with either style). I suppose the recess prevents paradise honey boxes from sliding around so much when empty, but, as soon as they are on the hive and they start getting some weight in the frames, there'll be no problem either way.
I can't really comment about other formats as I have Langstroth boxes.

 

[pargyle]

I like my Paynes - good sturdy hives and the bees do well in them. I'm on 14 x 12 so plenty of room for them. There's a couple of things that don't work for me - I replace the flimsy clear crownboards I change for 'proper' 6mm polycarbonate ones - some people dislike the lugged floors but I don't mind them and it's easily rectified by cutting the lugs off. Other than that they are good value and there will be the usual poly sale in January I should think so they are a bit cheaper then ... I've seen and handled other makes of poly hives - including the Swienty offerings which are very good but a bit pricey compared to Paynes.

 

[Erichalfbee]

Swienty for me too
I run them top space (i.e. without runners)
Work fine with all your wooden gear....supers, floors, roofs so you can just buy the brood boxes and maybe the odd super if you want the bees up quickly into a warmer box

Same footprint means you loose a frame so they are only 10 frames
Mine are 14x12s so I don't really notice

 

[Beefriendly]

I've run Swintey polys....but they only take 10 brood frames and need painting.
Paynes polys, good, take 11 frames but need painting and have a larger footprint than a standard national although National gear (roof excepted) can co-exist together.
I've also used Abelo's, same size as National, take 11 frames and come ready painted. Bad points, this summer at least, extra brood boxes and supers weren't available, If you wanted to run double brood you had buy 2 hives (with 2 floors and roofs. Although I understand this is about to change.
The world is your oyster, depending on what your priorities are.
Personally I wish Abelo had brought out their hive a few years back as I wouldn't have so many Paynes.....not there is anything fundamentally wrong with them.
All are excellent choices plus there are other types as well, but I haven't used them.

 

[fatshark]

Abelo also come in these nice camouflage colours to merge seamlessly with the surrounding vegetation in your apiary ...

 

[kighill]

Abelo also come in these nice camouflage colours to merge seamlessly with the surrounding vegetation in your apiary ...

They also come in a very nice dark green though.

 

[Into the lions den]

You will, in the fullness of time, come to hate the half check designs. Seems like a great idea at first....as did the Wormit Commercial wooden hive.

They do really slow you down though, and many more bees get into awkward places as it is far less easy to clear the top and bottom edges of bees than a flush edged box of whatever type. Having to raise the upper box even by the depth of the lip, before you can get a hive tool in to prevent pulling up the frames in the lower box due to being attached to the bottom bars of the upper box is a major irritation....especially to the bees.

Keep it simple and avoid boxes that seem to have been designed in response to a list of gripes from small beekeepers on the stand at Stoneleigh or wherever. You can never please everybody anyway, so best keeping it as basic and unfiddly as possible.

Apart from early efforts most flush topped poly is now 'drip nosed'. Means the top edge is curved somewhat and the bottom edges are not. The water drips run down the upper box and the edge is actually then a little out from the curved upper edge of the box below. The drips then drop across the small gap onto the box below and very little, if indeed any, water penetrates the interface between the boxes. They are claiming the half check to be a solution to a problem that does not really exist anyway.

 

[Beefriendly]

Abelo also come in these nice camouflage colours to merge seamlessly with the surrounding vegetation in your apiary ...

What can you do...my wife likes the blue and yellow ones in the garden. I keep the green ones in my out apiary.

 

[Swarm]

I run my swientys TBS so no issue with double brood. I like the fact they take 10 frames, makes double brood a better size. All my supers are wood (cheaper) and adapted to TBS. Underfloor entrances and roofs are DIY.
If you want to run BBS then abelo is another 460mm option, so your wooden stuff will fit. They hold 11 frames so must be thinner walled.

 

[dsp]

I have some paynes and swienty hives. The frames in my swienty hives always get stuck to the box above which is really annoying. Might just be me tho. maisemore do poly as well but I haven't tried them.

 

[Finman]

I have some paynes and swienty hives. The frames in my swienty hives always get stuck to the box above which is really annoying. Might just be me tho. maisemore do poly as well but I haven't tried them.

There are boxes, which have a gap above frames and under frames.
If you mix two different systems, the gap is too narrow.

 

[Itchy]

http://www.beehivesupplies.co.uk/in...ath=23&zenid=54d23e4851f75d673bb28dc345c7e2b4
Massive insulation on roof, nice quality

 

[Robbo8916]

Thanks for your replies everyone. Will have a look at them all.

 

[Finman]

.
It is better to look, how your old furnitures are suitable to the new model.
Then you may do your own supers, if it is worth to do.

For example Paradise boxes have two models . One to conventional box, which has no grove, and then new model with which you can lock the next box to lower.

Bee space is one point.

One reason to buy the box type is, how easy is to buy new boxes when needed.

Most of boxes look very same. Their insulation work well in British climate. No doubt about it.

.

 

[domino]

I've not got on with full sized poly hives, I guess it is a personal preference. However; I've an embarrassingly large collection of paynes poly nucs - which are my beekeeping swiss army knife.

 

[Poly Hive]

I run double brood Swientys and have done for over 10 years. No problems that I can find. Shame about the 10 frames but they work on the 20 very well indeed. I tried a third once but it was a step too far. Anyway so far my record is 230 lbs of comb from one double brood unit so not moaning.

Paynes I found soft and the bees chewed.

Abelo? I had a Lang and tried several colonies in it and they failed to thrive. I suspect the material but have no proof bar the obvious failure of the bees to succeed.

Your money your call. But.......I would pay attention to the man with the most to lose by getting it wrong.

PH

 

[Hivemaker.]

I've not got on with full sized poly hives

Neither have I.