# Superior Bee poly vs. Bee Box poly hives



## Vance G (Jan 6, 2011)

The bee max is pretty soft unless you are a careful person, I am not and just use them for queen castles where the insulation is important. If it is cheaper after getting shipped across the pond, the superior mjust be expensive. Beaver plastic near Edmonton makes very good poly boxes but shipping is everything!


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## JWPalmer (May 1, 2017)

I use the Beemax hive top feeders, same material as the hive bodies. It is a dense styrofoam like a well made foam cooler, but it is still just styrofoam and is easily dented with a hive tool. It needs to be painted to protect from UV radiation and the bees can chew through it at the seams between the boxes or lids. Don't know if the same holds true for all the poly hives or not. I plan on using ML double mating nucs next spring. They look to be about the same quality as the Betterbee product.


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## Blueflint (Apr 19, 2016)

Bee Box poly 10 frame box $23.75
Superior Bee 10 frame box $27.85

Bee Box 10 frame deep with base and cover $59.95
Superior Bee 10 frame deep with base and cover $64.95

Bee Box 10 frame medium box $20.50
Superior Bee 10 frame medium box $22.85

Not a huge difference but I am surprised the Finnish imported boxes are cheaper. Really interested in the foam quality comparison.


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## JWPalmer (May 1, 2017)

Buy one of each and do a side by side comparison. I would not discount the Beemax boxes. They may prove to be just as good as the others and at a lower cost.


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## Saltybee (Feb 9, 2012)

U tube on what I would think to be a great design: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G03p4p4z85Y

Any Irish out there?


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## Juhani Lunden (Oct 3, 2013)

The Finnish sryrofoam boxes are the best quality you can get. They have very long experience making them here.

One more manufacturer is Honey Paw- The director Juha Nuutero is a friend of mine.
https://www.mesi.fi/en/products/polystyrene-hives/
https://www.mesi.fi/en/why-to-choose-honey-paw-hives/

https://www.mesi.fi/mehilaishoitajille/tuotteet/langstroth/


The structure in corners seems to be similar in those two.


Video from Juhas yards, the yellow thymol bads for varroa treatments is seen between the boxes.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jzsjzYAFwuM


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## Blueflint (Apr 19, 2016)

Saltybee said:


> U tube on what I would think to be a great design: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G03p4p4z85Y
> 
> Any Irish out there?


That is also Bee Box made in Finland, that one is a National. Love the flared bottom edges.


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## Blueflint (Apr 19, 2016)

I prefer the telescoping roof/cover that Honey Paw and Maisemore uses along with the clear crown board. 

Juhani Lunden: I have read the Finnish have been using poly hives for 35 years? If there were any problems with them, you would have it figured out long ago.


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## Juhani Lunden (Oct 3, 2013)

Blueflint said:


> I prefer the telescoping roof/cover that Honey Paw and Maisemore uses along with the clear crown board.
> 
> Juhani Lunden: I have read the Finnish have been using poly hives for 35 years? If there were any problems with them, you would have it figured out long ago.


:thumbsup:

Only reason I use wooden boxes is... ideology/stupidity.


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## JoshuaW (Feb 2, 2015)

Blue, check out these videos from Australia: http://australianhoneybee.com.au/

They are distributors of Paradise Boxes down under. 

Although I really, really like the 4-frame/10-frame of Honey Paw, there aren't any Honey Paw distributors in the US.


Also, the density of Paradise and HP are the same, but Paradise has the hard plastic edges for separating boxes with the hive tool. I don't see that on the Honey Paw.


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## Blueflint (Apr 19, 2016)

I have decided to try a couple of the Paradise/Bee Box hives. Looks like I will be visiting Blue Sky sometime this winter!


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## Flycaster (May 18, 2015)

I haven't used the others ( as there are no distributors near me that sell the others) but i have used the paradise hives for a while now. I find them easy to use and the bees like them too. we can get hot summers and cool winters but they come through well in both the normal sized hive and their nuc boxes.


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## JWPalmer (May 1, 2017)

Isn't the Bush Beeman using Paradise hives now?


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## Flycaster (May 18, 2015)

yeah i believe so. 

I think they are particularly well suited to Australian conditions. I believe there are a few commercial bee keepers changing to them as well.


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## keeperdan (Apr 15, 2019)

Wondering if you had any problems with the Superior hives. My experience has been problematic. first all 75 of the 6 frames mediums where under 6 1/4" high; I did not notice this until I was transferring from by wood to the poly and was smashing bees insterting frame into the second box up. I ask for a refund but was refused. Told that I should change my frames to fit the box, then they suggest I should just use the them for the bottom box. They offered to replace the 6 frame for 10 frame but I would have to pay the difference in cost and for the shipping back the for the new boxes. I explained that I need the equipment to expand my apiary. they finally agreed to exchange the mediums for 6 frame for new mediums 6 frames once the mold was remade: that took almost a year. it was suggested that I use wood shims to make up the height difference in the interim, which I did. I was assured there would be no issue exchanging the equipment once the mold issue was correct. Thinking all was going to be correct, I arranged to exchange some of the mediums for 6 frame deeps. these were 1/16 ot 1/8 shy of a standard deep but they worked. Finally the 6 frame medium were being produced again and I made arrangements to transport the box back to the company owners location. upon arrival I was told that because the boxes were assembled and some show signed of use that they would not accept them due to potential disease. I provided them with the current inspection certificate, reminded him that others had been exchanged for deeps then that in our discussion the day before that there would be no issue exchanging the defective boxes for the boxes with the correct dimension. Although they still refused to exchange I was issue a refund however they deducted for the difference in the deeps the exchanged before and now refuse to sell new boxes to me. Since that time, I have notice that certain deep boxes are being chewed down by the bee. When I weight these boxes they vary from just over 4# to just under 10#. This seems to suggest a issue controlling density in the manufacturing process. I tried calling, texting and sending letters without a response. 

Again, just wondering have you had any issues?


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## blueskybeesupply (Dec 11, 2007)

Reminder: Paradise/Bee World Bee BOXes are the original and 100% correctly made polystyrene Langstroth hives on the market, in use for nearly 50 years. Others have tried to copy and either made them of lower density to try and save costs or more recently (but they are less durable),or tried making the walls thicker--thinking more is better. Thicker walls are not better, as the bees are actually too warm at times and can burn through their stores more quickly. Stick with the best and original poly.


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## JoshuaW (Feb 2, 2015)

We have 60 of the Paradise Bee Box hives from Blue Sky now, and can't say enough good about them. 
The boxes are very well-made, and they fit perfectly; it's pretty rare for ladder comb to be built between the frames between boxes. 
Wood supers fit perfectly on top. 
I've never lost a wood hive that I wrapped for winter, but now I don't have to wrap anymore, or unwrap in the spring. 
The boxes are aesthetically pleasing. 
Poly bees swarmed three weeks earlier than wood bees, so there is season extension on either side of the year. I couldn't really tell a difference between wood and poly hives during the middle of the season, but I still lack experience with poly hives.
Mite treatments don't affect the poly material at all.
I tried a few ventilated covers, but will be staying with the original lid from now on.
Ants burrowed into one (but only one) hive body, but I've had ant problems on that particular stand for two years regardless of hive material.


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## Live Oak (Oct 11, 2008)

I have been looking at Lyson high density polystyrene Hives and Nucs. Are there any here that have extensive experience with these? From what I have observed and read, they seem to be a much better quality and durable product. I have no experience with them so for all I know, they could be worse. 

https://www.betterbee.com/bee-hive-kits/lyson-polystyrene-hive-kits.asp

https://www.betterbee.com/nuc-boxes/lyson-w1130-nuc-with-latches.asp


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## keeperdan (Apr 15, 2019)

If you purchase a poly hive you may want to invest in ant moats. I purchased 20 complete poly hives 3 years ago and the ants love them. They seem to gain entrance via a design defect and then proceed to dig into the boxes that seem to have a lower density. If they don't dig into the box, they set up shop in the gap between the boxes. About 50% of the boxes seem to have a lower density. Had I been a little more aware I would have match the higher density part in the same box. I'm hoping in 3 years the manufacturer has improved their quality control


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