OSB (Rose) Hive

[GRIZZLY]

Anyone got any thoughts or opinions about the One Size Box hive.

[Neils]

Thoughts and Opinions? I'm a beekeeper so yes, any practical experience with one, no. :)

The only "issues" I have with them are that I don't like double brood and as they're in between a super (149mm) and a National (225mm) at 190mm deep, that's going to make them heavy in the "supers" and mean that you'll be going double or even triple brood in the Brood Nest. That said I do like only having one type of frame.

Think I'm pretty much decided that the only hive type I'd consider trying alongside my 14x12s is a Kenyan Top Bar Hive.

While I feel that 14x12s are a little too big for my bees it does mean that I can pretty much regard whatever is in the supers as "mine" and I don't get the first super filled with pollen as I did when I used a standard National Brood box.

[beebreeder]

I agree with you nellie, I have some 14x12 and some national but running one size box sounds great but I think you would have to go to mechanical handling as the brood chambers when full of honey would be into very bad back territory and I do not know of any extractor that will do 14x12 even if you were brave enough to try, standard national are bad enough, (Brought some very heavy hives to a close home apiary for the winter today and the old back is complaining) In the states they use so much machinery that lifting and bad backs is not an issue. Could be an interesting thread.
Kev

[Neils]

Eep, didn't mean to imply I was considering going entirely 14x12 boxes. I once tried to save some time and lift two full supers in one go and then decided that saving 30 seconds wasn't worth putting my back out so no, there's no way I'd consider using 14x12s or even standard National Brood boxes as supers.

I just meant that while I do like the thought of just having a single box/frame size for the flexibility that might give I don't like faffing around with double brood. I did experiment with one colony on double national's this season and it'll Bailey changed onto 14x12s at the earliest opportunity next season.

I don't actually mind having two different box sizes that much, though I did hit points where I was screaming for a brood box and only had supers spare or vice versa so I can see the advantage from that point of view.

From my personal point pf view I like the 14x12 as a brood box. It's more than big enough for my bees so I know that after a full season they'll have plenty of stores in the 14x12, I won't have any/much pollen in my supers and I can pretty safely regard anything in the supers as mine.

I checked out one of my colonies yesterday having lugged 2 litres of 2:1 syrup down to the apiary only to have to lug it all the way back up again. taking a 14x12 frame with just an arc of stores out to inspect is heavy enough, a single capped frame of stores weighs a tonne and I wouldn't fancy trying to lift one of those off a hive let alone carry it out of the apiary.

I'm not exactly weedy but I think that a Rose box stuffed full of stores would be bordering on uncomfortable to lift and with some of my colonies approaching 7ft tall this year I just wouldn't fancy having to try and lift that extra weight in addition to going double or even triple brood and all the fannying around that entails.

[beebreeder]

Nellie
I moved them with the help of a fifteen year old son with big muscles and a modified pair of sacktrucks, could'nt have done it on my own, as you say they are just plain too heavy, and a friend of mine is talking of giving up national supers and using all brood next year, time alone will tell and his back I think. The one size box hive is a great concept but the lifting element would have to be addressed I think.
14x12 cured my problem of pollen in the first super the same as it did for you.
I don't know about your part of the world but down here we seem to have been feeding for an eternity this year, I think they ate the first lot when it rained and now they need more!!
kev

[Neils]

Not a million miles away from you in Bristol but I've obviously been lucky. I was late/disorganised taking the Supers off which coincided with the weather changing so I got about 50lbs less honey than I could have but didn't have to feed at all this year. I've got what started out as a Nuc in July in a 14x12 that's had 4 litres of 2:1 syrup other than that I gave the queen side of my AS a litre of 1:1 syrup when I split them and that's been it. The brood side of the AS is on double brood and is packed to the rafters with stores, the Queen side on 14x12 is the one I took syrup down to and then took it back up again as they just don't need it, they've got 5 sides of 14x12 sealed and another 3 sides uncapped plus all the brood frames have a huge arc of honey above so I just didn't see the point of giving them syrup too when they're still bringing something in (bright yellow pollen? so I guess not Ivy)

[beebreeder]

We have game cover in flower at the moment and I think thats where the yellow pollen is from although the ivy is now on. Sorry I thought you were in the north.
kev

[Neils]

Shhh. I had to convince Gavin that Bristol was a small village just outside Aberdeen to be let in here ;)

[GRIZZLY]

I talked to Thornes about their OSB hives and have been quite put off
by their "technical" man who tells me they are made from "poor grade" cedar and 1/2 in thick WBP exterior plywood - no joints - just butted together in the corners and screwed.. "You will have to seal the edges sir".NO THANKS , I recon they wouldn't last a season here in the wet south as well as succombing to the cold.

[Neils]

To be fair though that's more a reflection on the materials than the actual hive design (sounds familiar...)

[GRIZZLY]

To be fair though that's more a reflection on the materials than the actual hive design (sounds familiar...)

I think the concept of the same size of box -both brood and super is good from the handling point of view but to skimp on material sizes just to maximise the number of frames you can cram in is bad. O.K. perhaps for warmer climes but not to use up here.I think it is better to keep the bees warm rather than the reverse. Thornes certainly aren't going overboard to promote the thing -they just seem to be offering it in case it catches on and they dont want to lose the market. The description I used in the previous post are those of the Thornes man not mine - he actually used the expression "poor grade" to describe their materials. You can draw your own conclusions.

[Adam]

I can't say that I have used or seen the Rose hive. They seem to be neither fish nor foul. The super is larger than the BS type and may be too big for some to lift and the brood will have to be on a double box as a single box is too small - and the criticism of the National is that it's own brood is too small for some in any case. I have yet to be perusaded that there's a point in them. I suspect many extractors would find a problem with the super size as they wouldn't fit.

One thing I noted was that Thornes ran out of foundation this summer which is a bit of a no-no. It's like a car dealer running out of tyres.

[beebread]

Hello,Hope you do not mind me replying to a old thread.I am not a bee farmer so it will be easy for me to start with Rose osb hives.I bought some from Thornes at Stoneleigh.Although i must say the Thornes staff had limited or no knowledge of it.One man told me Thornes did not sell it.I also have had trouble squaring the boxes up.Thornes seem to be reluctant in pushing these.They could be made better and stocks kept up.Some people say stick to nationals because they are like the ford cars,plenty of them for spares etc.Well life would be boring if we all chose one way.Ok i may make mistakes,at least i am willing to try.As for spares have you seen the firewood some people try to flog at the Auctions ?I think the osb will be a great make your own hive if you have some basic knowledge.I downloaded a pdf on the Rose hive and was impressed.I hope some other supply company will take up the rose hive rather than Thornes.

[Neils]

Be interesting to hear how you get on with them beebread, please keep us posted.

[beebread]

Hi Nellie, I will keep in touch.I will be collecting a package of bees on friday 6th may.In the mean time i must get cracking with the assembly of hive and frames.

[Neils]

just noticing your location, be quite interested in having a look at them when you get them up and running too.

[edit] And trying to remember who I was talking to recently about them so I can figure out who you are :D

[Jon]

just noticing your location
The day the Bristol mafia recruited its second member.

[Neils]

Third, there's already another. :D

[Jon]

Three is probably a quorum for launching a takeover of Scotland

[Neils]

We'll have you all talking like pirates in no time.

[Jon]

Aye, Jim lad, instead of Hey Jimmy.

[Hoomin_erra]

I'd like to see you try. No one is taking over my scotland!!!!

[beebread]

We'll have you all talking like pirates in no time.

Talking like pirates? You mean talking real proper like we do.

[GRIZZLY]

Talking like pirates? You mean talking real proper like we do.

If you started talking BRIZZLE up her ,no-one would understand a word.