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Author Topic: home made plastic hives??  (Read 3637 times)

Offline hivemaster

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home made plastic hives??
« on: September 08, 2012, 11:41:44 am »
Im a newbee... can anyone tell me if you can use the recycled "plastic" deck material to make hives boxes? It looks like wood , but wont rot so it is used for decks alot in Canada. HOw about the plactic ones I see sold on the internet? Has anyone tried them.  Most people seem to stick with wood. Thanks

Offline Finski

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Re: home made plastic hives??
« Reply #1 on: September 08, 2012, 12:12:30 pm »
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Secret of plastic poly hives are good insulation, weight and low price.

The price here is about 15 euros. It is about value of 3 kg honey.

I have had 25 years commercial plastic hives but I not  know any alternatives to that product.

I know that many have tried to do self made plastic hives.
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Offline duck

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Re: home made plastic hives??
« Reply #2 on: September 09, 2012, 05:41:59 pm »
man that deck material is $$$, the reason you see alot of pine used is because its cheap and lasts long enough.  Its easy enough to build a new box a few years down the road.  I replaced the boards on my boat trailer with that synthetic deck and it cost $120.00 to do it.  I wont ever change them again though.

Offline AllenF

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Re: home made plastic hives??
« Reply #3 on: September 09, 2012, 05:52:39 pm »
Maybe if you can get or salvage some end cut pieces for free off a project. 

Offline BlueBee

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Re: home made plastic hives??
« Reply #4 on: September 09, 2012, 07:20:13 pm »
Not only is the plastic decking material expensive, it’s also very heavy, and is not a good insulator since it is high density plastic.  It’s not a foam material.  It doesn’t have millions of air pockets to act as insulation.  I would sure hate to pick up a deep made out of the stuff.  

Could you build a hive out of the stuff; probably.  Is there better materials to use; definitely.  Being in Canada I would build a polystyrene or polyurethane foam hive if you want an energy efficient hive.  If you don’t care about energy efficiency, I would probably do what bee keepers have done for generations; use pine boards.  There’s a reason beeks have used solid pine for so long; because it will hold up for many years in a bee hive.  On a wood deck, the water will still on the horizontal deck boards and eventually rot them out.  On a bee hive, most surfaces are vertical and not as much water sits on the wood to rot it.

In Michigan, they sell a lot of the high density plastic decking material too.  Personally I hate the stuff for a deck, but many people love it here because it is maintenance free.  No painting and staining.  I think that is the bigger selling point for the product around here.  A wood deck will last a long time in Michigan IF you keep it stained and sealed every few years.  Solid wood really doesn’t rot that fast when protected with paint.  I’ve got clapboards that are over 100 years old!  Wood can outlast you  :)  

Offline phrasmotic

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Re: home made plastic hives??
« Reply #5 on: September 10, 2012, 03:38:19 pm »
Agreed - stick with wood.  Are you asking because you have some old Trex type deck boards available?  Pine is going to be a lot easier to cut and lighter to work with, and you can get it an any lumber store as well as Home Depot, Lowes, etc.  I like to make my hives colorful because they are near the garden.  So I try to paint each box a different color.  I use cheap spray paint in as many different colors as I can find - having bright pretty colors really helps with the WAF (Wife Acceptance Factor).  It's amazing how much protection a thin coat of spray paint can provide.  I have boxes that are several years old and they are every bit as strong as the day I made them.

Offline JPBEEGETTER

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Re: home made plastic hives??
« Reply #6 on: September 20, 2012, 08:00:46 pm »
Pine hives rot from the inside usually in the front corners, Gave one that i had bought to a friend of mine , lasted total of 8 years ,
I built him a new one out of cypress, All mine are.. Only thing if you donot use tight grain cypress it crackes...but I can live with that..

Offline Finski

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Re: home made plastic hives??
« Reply #7 on: September 20, 2012, 11:19:01 pm »
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I have 45 y old pineboxes. Theyare like new.
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Offline duck

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Re: home made plastic hives??
« Reply #8 on: September 21, 2012, 01:14:55 am »
But dont forget, your the chuck norris of beekeepers  :-D

Offline Finski

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Re: home made plastic hives??
« Reply #9 on: September 21, 2012, 04:44:50 am »
But dont forget, your the chuck norris of beekeepers  :-D

i have forgotten because I do not know aho is chuck

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