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[Peterhaye]

Hi All,

 

I am looking to start beekeeping early next year I am undecided omlet or poly hive ?

 

I have entered a competition to win a Polyhive on beekeepingonline.co.uk which would make up the decision for me but would like the opinions of any users of these hives.

 

Thanks

[Chicken Licken]

Definitely sign up for a beginners course with your local association so you can learn the basics and benefit from having a 'bee buddy'. In terms of the hives it depends what your budget in and also what layout you want. I have a wooden national hive which I got from the Try-A-Hive scheme from the local BKA, I also have a poly national hive and a poly nucleus box. I am a bit of a convert to poly hives so far - the colony in there has expanded more strongly than the one in the wooden hive. They are much cheaper to buy, seem to be quite hardy, although you have to be a bit more careful with your hive tool!

Someone will be along with a beehaus soon I'm sure......

[Olly]

In fact, although there are quite a few beekeepers on here there aren't many who have a Beehaus! I agree strongly with the advice above though - get on a local course if you can, and get involved with your local group. There is someone on here (Old Speckled Hen?) who has some poly hives and recommends them, and they are likely to be a lot cheaper than a Beehaus. Have you absolutely ruled out the idea of cedar hives?

 

The main complaint I've heard about the Beehaus is that because it uses deep frames and most nuclei come on BS brood frames, as soon as you hive a nuc in there you will get brace comb built under the frames while the nuc establishes. You can overcome that of course, but the wider point is that if most people in your area are using National hives, if you ever need spare frames or need a frame of eggs to requeen or similar, you'll have the same problem. It's not the only reason for using National, but it is something to consider.

[Old Speckled Hen]

I'm a real Polyhive convert though I'll be the first to admit that cedar looks much much better and ages so beautifully. However.......My bees do better in poly.

I run both cedar and poly

The insulation is better,they overwinter better and the bees are up into the supers quicker than in a colder wooden one.

I use hives from Modern Beekeeping (http://www.modernbeekeeping.co.uk/) because I like top bee space which you can't get from any other poly manufacturer in a National format. Having said that my bees are in 14 x 12 boxes ( same footprint as a National but deeper box ) which I cobble up from two MB supers and an eke as the 14 x 12 promised two years ago never materialised.

 

Unfortunately they do not mix easily with the wooden boxes BUT if you are happy with bottom bee space have a look at http://www.paynesbeefarm.co.uk/polystyrene-national-hive/

I have two of their 14 x 12 nuc boxes and I like them very much. I use them to artificially swarm and to over winter smaller colonies

 

 

Where abouts in the country are you?

A lot of people think that a standard National brood box is now too small for the average bee being kept in the UK and you end up running brood and a half.

I tend to agree here. I've had one colony on a 14 x 12 and a super this season.

 

While Olly is right that most nucs come National size It's not difficult to install a National nuc into a 14 x 12....just fiddly and as far as moving just the odd frame in an emergency if you need one you can ignore the drone comb the bees make at the bottom till you work the frame out to the side at the end of the season

 

 

I have a friend with a Beehaus and it's a bit of a joke really. You CAN'T run two colonies in it as Omlet would have you believe, you end up having to have another box to artificially swarm into....another Beehaus?

What she uses her Omlet box for now....after two seasons....is as a spare parts hive.....spare bees spare frames etc for the other colonies.

 

If I had my time again I would go Modern Beekeeping Langstroth.

 

Food for thought?