Beemax hives

[Hethen57]

How strong are the frame rests on these hive?  Can you pry frames apart and out without destroying the rests or the hive?  That seems like it would be the weak point, but I would like to try these.  Maybe the propolis doesn't stick as tightly as with wood?

[edward]

My poly hives have a hard plastic bar that the frames rest upon , with out it the hive wont last long and the heavy honey frames will not move easily.

Propolis is not much of a problem , depends on the bees , some hives have bars that can bee removed and cleaned , some are solid.

The hive tool takes care of the propolis .

At bigger meetings the Swedish bee keeping society always has a 10 minute break with lessons on how to lift boxes in the bee yards and extraction houses , easy to forget and fall back on bad habits.
Light hives and ergonomic lifting means we can keep bee keeping longer and healthier + we can also make things easier for the human girls in the bee yard  :bee:

mvh edward  :-P

[edward]

Edward  When you say the inside gets frosy, does that include ice on the underside of the lid over the bees?  Does it ever drip down on the bees and damage them?

Gave this a little thought today on the commute to work.

Warm air should rise above the bees and fall down on the outer walls that are colder , like the back wall in a fridge condensate the dampness in the air.

Maybee this is why bees coat the inside of the outer walls of a hive with propolis , antibacterial = no mould .

Just my thoughts in my car  :-D

mvh edward :P

[Robo]

How strong are the frame rests on these hive?  Can you pry frames apart and out without destroying the rests or the hive?  That seems like it would be the weak point, but I would like to try these.  Maybe the propolis doesn't stick as tightly as with wood?

I have had no issue with frame rest,  in fact I like them a heck of a lot better than wood langs.   They are a hard plastic L shape and you don't squish any bees when putting frames in.   I have even used HSC which are a much heavier frame and they work great.   Very little propolis with the beemax hives.

My only issue (not the beemax fault) is that I don't glue the frame rests in and occasionally one will fall out when the box is empty man handled around.  Beemax are nice to move, you can toss them across the room and not hurt them one bit :-D

[Adam Foster Collins]

I just find them really expensive for what they are. The overhead cost cannot be that high in production. I feel like a styrofoam box should cost less than a wooden one - not more.

Adam

[Robo]

I just find them really expensive for what they are. The overhead cost cannot be that high in production. I feel like a styrofoam box should cost less than a wooden one - not more.

That is a common opinion from those who have never owned them.


1) They are the same price as un-assembled select grade wood hive bodies (betterbee).   Comparing to select grade is fair since they don't come with knots or other defects.

2) They require no glue or nails to assemble and require much less time (making them cheaper)

3) My bees use 25-30% less stores in the winter (less money I spend if I need to feed)

4) They are not your standard styrofoam coolers,  they are much denser and stronger,  I would venture as stong as wood hive bodies.   The joints never loosen up and they are easier to fix than wood if they are broken.

5) It appears mine will last longer than my wooden hive bodies.


When I look at the big picture,  they ARE cheaper for me in the long run than wooden hive bodies.

They also provide the option to be easily broken down for storage or transportation which wood does not.
http://robo.bushkillfarms.com/portable-double-nucs/

If everyone liked vanilla,  they wouldn't make chocolate :-D

[tefer2]

I think that I will try a few of these this year too. I just don't like their tops and bottoms and will just make some out of wood. What holds them together if you don't glue or screw?
Rob, I need a better view of your bottom board on the deeps. You are always a step ahead of us.

[edward]

Its a tight fit , that holds them together , but they fit better and last longer if glued together.

I buy the poly boxes that solid one piece.

If they crack or break they are easily mended with waterproof wood glue and a few screws.

mvh edward :P

[tefer2]

I could not find any one piece polystyrene boxes in the USA, last time I looked for them

[Finski]

If they crack or break they are easily mended with waterproof wood glue and a few screws.

mvh edward :P

the glue must be polyurethane glue. It is good to use repairing pieces too, if you repair woodpecker damages.

You spray a little bit water mist on surfaces. Polyurethane will be hardened by water.
It makes a little bit foam and stucks even narrow gaps.

   

[Robo]

I think that I will try a few of these this year too. I just don't like their tops and bottoms and will just make some out of wood. What holds them together if you don't glue or screw?
Rob, I need a better view of your bottom board on the deeps. You are always a step ahead of us.

You want the top to have a higher R-value than the sides so it doesn't become a condensation point.
I use 2" foil sided (so bees can't chew through it) insulation board for winter covers (with or without a 2" sugar shim).  Put a piece of coroplast or regular telescoping top on top.



  The beemax box joints are angled and locks them together.  Glue is not needed.   I have a new bottom board design that I have been testing for a couple years now that I like.  I try to post some photos/plans at some point.   The ones you see in most of my pictures is just the bottom board from Killions "Honey in the Comb" resided to fit the beemax.  It is based off of CC Miller's design.

[tefer2]

It's to open for me, I like the slatted rack though. Whats the piece of rope do? Or is it a sensor wire?
I'll look for the newer design later.

[Robo]

It's to open for me, I like the slatted rack though.

They got blocked off for the winter.  Don't have a good picture, this was a double nuc with top entrances, but you get the idea.

Whats the piece of rope do? Or is it a sensor wire?

It's the cord for my poor man's heater.

[Finski]

.
I do myself the covers and bottom boards. They are expencive  to by. And poly bottom board is difficult to keep clean.

Then I like wood because it is easy to clean with propane torch.
I may use recycled wood and foam plastic mattresses. Inner cover materials are free to me and I get high level construction.

No I will do my next bottom boards so that floor is slanting. Water drills out. In summer all small rubbish too drills out via entrance.

I got good recycling  polycarbon board for bottoms. I noticed that it forms a huge condensation moisture on surface. So I will insulate the bottom too.

Ply decays fast in bottom board. I do not like it.

In worst cases a simple bottom board is a dirty pool. Moisture, water, rubbish and dead bees.
.you must see a little bit pain to make a bottom which is easy to bees to keep clean.

[tefer2]

Robo, I think you posted your heater before, but how did that work out for you ?

[Robo]

Robo, I think you posted your heater before, but how did that work out for you ?

It worked well for wooden hives, but is unneeded with the poly hives.

[Finski]

It worked well for wooden hives, but is unneeded with the poly hives.

I use heaters in Spring build up in April and May. In big hives results are tremeandous. With patty and heating I get 3 fold build up speed compared to natural system.

[bostonboy1128]

Me and a friend have ordered these beemax hives from betterbees.com.  We have set them up and painted them with exterior latex paint.  My question is that it didn't come with any hive entrance reducer and the bottom bored is just a screen with nothing below it.  Is anything needed below the bottom board that was supplied, and also is any enterance reducer needed.  this is our first go at beekeeping and want to be prepared as possible.  Any help is greatly appreciated.

Thanks.

[woodchopper]

Me and a friend have ordered these beemax hives from betterbees.com.  We have set them up and painted them with exterior latex paint.  My question is that it didn't come with any hive entrance reducer and the bottom bored is just a screen with nothing below it.  Is anything needed below the bottom board that was supplied, and also is any enterance reducer needed.  this is our first go at beekeeping and want to be prepared as possible.  Any help is greatly appreciated.

Thanks.

Please let us know how your order with Betterbee goes. I heard they were having a bit of trouble last year completing orders.

[Robo]

I'm not a fan of their bottom boards,  but you should be OK with using as is.   It wouldn't hurt to reduce the entrance down until they get established.