Ok, you Beeks with the Beemax hives, how'd you do this year ? I'd like to set up one hive next season utilizing the Beemax components from BetterBee, tell me your ups and downs, please :)
http://forum.beemaster.com/index.php?topic=11325.msg77411#msg77411
I believe the biggest benefit will be during the winter, which I have no experience with yet.
I don't have any complaints with the beemax hives thus for. I have two set ups that are doing great. Sometimes its a little bit tougher popping off the lid with the propolis but the bees took to the hives just fine, I'm using wooden frames with plasticell.
Robo, JP
Thanks for the input, I am a bit surprised at just 2 replies thus far, I thought there were more BeeMax users here. :?
I think most people here like wooden boxes, they're more fun and more of a pain but worth it, Ya ain't beekeeping if ya ain't building them boxes, ya know. :-D
>I thought there were more BeeMax users here.
I have about four medium boxes and lids. I tried to overwinter nucs in them but had condensation problems. I had a top bar hive in one this year, but it went queenless for a while and didn't do very well. I will probably put them back in it in the spring if they survive the winter, but right now I moved them into an eight frame box and stacked it up with my nucs.
If they just made them in eight frame I might try a few more of them...
Quote from: JP on November 07, 2007, 08:11:19 PM
I think most people here like wooden boxes, they're more fun and more of a pain but worth it, Ya ain't beekeeping if ya ain't building them boxes, ya know. :-D
Riiiight :-D
Hey,
I balked at the price of them and am making a 1/4in ply fingerjointed box - lined w/1-1/2in white styro and slightly downsized (-1/4in W) Dadent style frames for SC regression.
Do a dado'd wood lip for frames (top) and perhaps a wood lip on bottom so boxes interlock approx. 1/4 in, hoping that they will be sturdier when stacked as well as the girls might not propolise as much due to less daylight and draft (theoretical lol)
Get the fun of making and at approx. 1/6 the cost as well as the durability of wood exterior.
cheers
peter
The bees will propolise any crack. Even if it doesn't go to the outside.
Little late but if you are still looking for input; here are my 2 cents worth.
Light, very light, I don't have any wooden hives myself, but have worked a couple. The weight difference is incredible.
I ended up making my own top cover out of wood. The Beemax telescoping cover is so good, and tight fitting, when the colony is strong, and they propolise it shut .......... It would take me a lot of wiggling to get it off, and since it telescopes down you can't get under it to pry it off. I though about trimming the back side but then though against it, instead saving it to use on weak colonies.
Things scrape off it very easily, BUT you have to make sure the tool is flat on the surface or you just end up digging a groove on it with just the slightest pressure.
The walls are about an inch thick, and the material seems to be a good insulator, so I figure for winter and summer, it has got to be better/easier for the bees to regulate/maintain the internal temp.
Bad part about the thickness is that is a lot of surface for the bees to stand on during inspection, so usually a few get pancake during assembly.
The paint so far has held up great on it, and the bees could have care less that it was not wood.
http://beeanonymous.blogspot.com/
I'm happy with it, enough that I'm duplicating it next spring for my splits.
Quote from: JP
... Sometimes its a little bit tougher popping off the lid with the propolis....
Quote from: CentralFLBees on December 08, 2007, 12:25:14 AM
Little late but if you are still looking for input; here are my 2 cents worth.
Light, very light, I don't have any wooden hives myself, but have worked a couple. The weight difference is incredible.
I ended up making my own top cover out of wood. The Beemax telescoping cover is so good, and tight fitting, when the colony is strong, and they propolise it shut .......... It would take me a lot of wiggling to get it off, and since it telescopes down you can't get under it to pry it off. I though about trimming the back side but then though against it, instead saving it to use on weak colonies.
Things scrape off it very easily, BUT you have to make sure the tool is flat on the surface or you just end up digging a groove on it with just the slightest pressure.
The walls are about an inch thick, and the material seems to be a good insulator, so I figure for winter and summer, it has got to be better/easier for the bees to regulate/maintain the internal temp.
Bad part about the thickness is that is a lot of surface for the bees to stand on during inspection, so usually a few get pancake during assembly.
The paint so far has held up great on it, and the bees could have care less that it was not wood.
http://beeanonymous.blogspot.com/
I'm happy with it, enough that I'm duplicating it next spring for my splits.
:-D
Sounds Good. I ended up buying a Beemax Hive ( 2 deeps, 2 mediums, TC, screened bottom board with the sliding tray ). I have also included a wooden inner cover made for the Beemax system. I will give details next spring on my progress .
BH
are you transferring bees into one for this winter? or just dreaming of a spring swarm needing a home?
Quote from: KONASDAD on December 10, 2007, 02:59:36 PM
are you transferring bees into one for this winter? or just dreaming of a spring swarm needing a home?
or a 3 lb. PACKAGE :-D