BBKA Forum

Hi this is my first year bee keeping.
I would like to more my bees in to a new Payne’s poly hive.
Is this the right time of in the year ?
The poly hives looks like the way to go !

Time year is not ideal, warmer would be better but you should be fine. Just move the frames over in the same order as they are now..and check you haven't left the queen behind.
You may find the bees are a little defensive this time of year (grit your teeth). Make sure new Paynes is on the same site as old WBC.
If you want to nadir a super, cut the shape of the lugs on the floor off the bottom of the supers, takes about 5 minutes.
If you want any more Paynes Polys' I will be selling some next spring, complete with supers and feeders. I'm trying to standardize all my hives to the Abelo poly hives which have the same footprint as a Standard National. But Paynes are good.

Nigel Pringle wrote: ↑

22 Sep 2018, 08:36

I'm trying to standardize all my hives to the Abelo poly hives which have the same footprint as a Standard National. But Paynes are good.

I have an Abelo in use and a maisemore (or a paynes) in the shed that I've not used. I do like the abelo. My intention was to put a hive into it but I haven't yet.

It's going to be warm here on Tuesday and Wednesday - if you consult your own local forecast you might find a good day coming up for you and they will be less grumpy with you for messing with them.

If you have a marked queen that is relatively quick to find and its a nice day then personally I would rapidly go through the frames and find the one with the queen on then move that one over first - then you are sure you have the queen in the right box - and you can fill up with the others. Its not the time of year to lose a queen in transit. Assuming you are moving from a nuc into your first full hive it should be a quick job. Good luck.

I think it was Ted Hooper that said something like "find the queen, then you know where she is" which is better advice than it first appears.

Hi yes I have Teds book Guide to Bees & Honey
Thanks everyone for your help I will take this all on board and pick a good warm sunny day for the move.
Making sure the Queen goes in first and keeping the frames in order.
The new hive is going on to same spot and facing the same way.
Please see my post on Hive alive in my suger syrup

Just read Nigel's post about Abelo's poly BS Nat hive as being the same ext size /footprint of wooden ones, so have ordered a couple to see how they fair esp as they take 11 Hoffman's . I have a couple older ones from CWJones but only hold 10 frames with same ext size as wooden and no runner bee space.

Their frames are very good quality and very keenly priced.

nealh wrote: ↑

22 Sep 2018, 23:09

Just read Nigel's post about Abelo's poly BS Nat hive as being the same ext size /footprint of wooden ones,

I have some Abelo poly's and a Paynes poly. I will be buying more of the Abelo ones. I find them very robust and being pre painted is a big plus. All the kit is interchangeable with my wooden equipment. Damian at Abelo gives excellent customer service. They are great products to use.

One Q I haven't asked about Abelo poly's top or bot bee space ?

Bottom.
But I create top space by using a wooden framed queen excluder.
Oh and the paint does eventually come off after they get bashed about a bit...

Thanks Nigel, I plan on painting them anyway to match my current colours I use, bottom bee space suits my needs and as you say it is easy to add an eke for top space.

Just this minute they have arrived delivery and service from Abelo is superb, same last week when I ordered frames thye arrived within 48hrs .

The finished all round item is superb, the bottom and top plastic integration of runner/surface protection is excellent making cleaning /scraping so easy. Up to now I have been put off Poly after seeing and experiencing the Paynes poly at our apiary and having a couple of old CWJones broods my self.

If these work out as well as they look then I will be getting a few more broods next year.