Subject: Re: Poly Hive Recommendations ?

From: [email-masked] (Moore Chad)
Date: 11 Nov 1994 17:35:50 GMT

Andrew Mellanby ([email-masked]) wrote:
> Hello,

> I am seriously considering taking up beekeeping (as a backyard hobby
> initialy), and to that end I'm attending an evening class at a local
> agricultural college.

> Our teacher(s) run about 70 hives and keep
> recommending hives made from some sort of plastic (looks like
> polystyrene but I think it's expanded poly-propalene). The advantages
> seem to be many - especialy for a cold & damp climate like ours.

> Can anyone else recommend this type of hive ? or otherwise comment ?

I am a beekeeper in Northern Idaho, and have been one since I was old 
enough to lift a hive, and even a little before.  However, I have never 
heard of this type of hive, and would like to know more about it.  What 
are the advantages, how about the disadvantages?  We are always 
interested in new ideas and concepts.  All of the information that I get, 
I print off and send home to my brothers and my dad.  Therefore any info. 
on this or any other new concepts is much appreciated.

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From: [email-masked] (John E. Fox)
Date: 15 Nov 1994 13:16:10 GMT

In article <[email-masked]>, Andrew Mellanby <[email-masked]> says:

I would be tempted to use wooden hives. One of mine is 16 years old now
and is in fine condition. Wood stands some abuse from your hive tool
without cracking/splitting. If you have a choice, get a roof covered with
zinc sheet rather than tar felting, they should last a lot longer.

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From: [email-masked]
Date: Mon, 14 Nov 1994 12:29:23 GMT

In article <[email-masked]> [email-masked] (Moore Chad) writes:
>Path:

> I have never 
>heard of this type of hive, and would like to know more about it. 

I've never used plastic hive bodies, but many friends in San Antonio TX area, 
where I was last active, reported high rejection rates by swarms and some 
troubles with rejection by purchased bees.

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From: [email-masked] (John E. Taylor III)
Date: Mon, 14 Nov 1994 07:39:07 -0500

> Andrew Mellanby ([email-masked]) wrote:
[deletions]

> > seem to be many - especialy for a cold & damp climate like ours.

[deletions]

> are the advantages, how about the disadvantages?

[deeltions]

I've never used a plastic hive body, but...(Opinion mode ON)

In general, polyethylene/polypropylene does not seem to hold up well for
extended use outdoors.  It's great at first, surely would be easy to remove
frames even when well coated with propolis, and _may_ even be acceptable to
the bees.  But after a couple of seasons outside, PE/PP gets brittle and
breaks.  Wood, especially when painted, should last significantly longer.

--
John Taylor    (W3ZID)     |  "The opinions expressed are those of the
[email-masked] |   writer and not of Rohm and Haas Company."

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From: Andrew Mellanby <[email-masked]>
Date: 9 Nov 1994 13:50:55 GMT

Hello,

Andrew Mellanby
Aberdeen, Scotland

[email-masked]

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From: [email-masked]
Date: Mon, 14 Nov 1994 15:09:55 GMT

One of my aquantances experianced unexplained rejection of his one piece
plastic foundation/frame super w wood box, and I have had considerable
difficult in
getting bees into plastic rounds for two years running here in damp and humid
SE Ohio Regards, Lars/ [email-masked]

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From: [email-masked] (Gordon Scott)
Date: Sat, 19 Nov 1994 12:20:50 +0000

> Can anyone else recommend this type of hive ? or otherwise comment ?

Hi,

Down here (Hampshire) the people I know who have tried them are not very
enthusiastic  --  they are neither as cheap nor as robust as cedar hives
and they tend to suffer from conensation.  They were however designed by
Scandinavians  for  their  conditions  so  they  may  well  work well in
Aberdeen where the conditions are that bit cooler.

-- 
Gordon Scott	[email-masked]		100332,3310 on CompuServe
Newsletter	[email-masked]	ditto
		Beekeeper, Kendo Sandan, sometime sailor.
		Basingstoke, Hampshire, RG22 5HP, UK