Brood boxes or Supers

**Brooklyn** · 09-14-2010, 05:46 PM

I am working with two other people to develop a brood box or super that will be made out of recycled material , wood fiber, and wax.

What are your top five things you would like to see in equipment?

Examples Strength from abuse. No moister problem, little up keep.

This will help us in the development of this equipment.
We are looking to also make bottom boards, entrance reducers, top hive feeders, tops covers, frames, stands etc. all made out of this materiel.

Would like to also here from you commercial guys to see what you would like to see in equipment.

Brooklyn

**Bsweet** · 09-14-2010, 06:03 PM

As good as the wooden ware we use now or better, same price or less. Jim

**Stanisr** · 09-14-2010, 06:10 PM

inexpensive, rugged, moth resistant, easy to assemble, weather resistant. I have wondered why someone hasn't produced a plastic snap together hive body that would meet the requirements listed above.

**peacekeeperapiaries** · 09-14-2010, 06:19 PM

Cost will be a big deciding factor, the current "plastic" hives advertised are pricey. Other than that lightweight, durable, and paintable. As someone else said as good as what we use now, but more cost effective would be nice.

**odfrank** · 09-14-2010, 09:19 PM

Handle cleats on the ends.

**Michael Bush** · 09-15-2010, 08:08 AM

You need to be able to pry them apart without damaging them. You need them to be durable so you can get your money's worth. It would be nice if they had more R value (insulation) than wood.

**Brooklyn** · 09-15-2010, 09:56 AM

We are looking at two types one with better Insulation the wood. One that is the same as wood.
So far the test ones pry apart fairly easy. Have not had any break. You will be able to paint them but it will not be nessery.

We are now looking for ideas to simulate the real word .

What can we do to punish the hives to see if they hold up. what would you like to see in this product to say man I need that.

We know it can with stand the high heat

We just need your ideas.

Thanks for all the responses so far and keep them coming.

Brooklyn

**Beeslave** · 09-15-2010, 12:16 PM

....What can we do to punish the hives to see if they hold up

Set them on the ground(unpainted) in a wet muddy area and see how they hold up after sitting there for a year. Then put 10 frames with honey and pollen in them. Now drop them 10 times at different angles from a height of 6 feet. If they pass all that without failures and are competitive with present prices you got a seller.

It would be a nice bonus if they could withstand being run over by a truck or loader.

**Grant** · 09-19-2010, 07:32 PM

I've tried some of the BeeMax styrofoam hives. Ants are tunneling through them. I painted some, left some unpainted to see if the UV light is really a problem. So far after three years, I don't see any problems. I don't like to paint. I'd like to see a new hive that is ant resistant, rot resistant and resistant to UV rays from the sun.

Also, with my wood hives, the bottom of one hive body and the top of the hive body below it are perfectly straight at a 90 degree angle. It's hard to get my hive tool into that crack to seperate those boxes. It would be cool if someone could curl a very small lip into the outer edge to make inserting a hive tool easier. Sometimes just finding that crack is hard.

I have some of the old Kelley boxes that snap together. Warping is a problem, not just with the inner covers and bottoms, but also with the bottom edges of the supers. One neat thing about the Kelley boxes is how they fit together with the little nubs on the bottoms of the boxes.

Grant
Jackson, MO
http://maxhoney.homestead.com