EPS brood boxes and supers

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Fatboy
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Joined: March 16th, 2017, 6:31 pm

EPS brood boxes and supers

Unread post by Fatboy »

I have numerous brood boxes and supers made from EPS from Beaver Plastics in Edmonton. I've seen some references to EPS Hive stands, bottom boards, and Hive Covers. Can anyone give me information on where to acquire these items? I've looked at the Beaver Plastic website but they don't even list their bee boxes in their product lineup. If I have to make my own stands, bottom boards and covers, does anyone have plans for those? Any help would be appreciated.
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Countryboy
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Re: EPS brood boxes and supers

Unread post by Countryboy »

I have a few Beemax styrofoam lids and bottom boards. It is a soft EPS, which bees and ants can (and do) chew on. It seems the bottom boards get chewed on a lot more than the lids, probably because there is an inner cover under the lid. The bottom boards have a screened center. I haven't seen any EPS bottom boards that aren't screened. If you want a solid bottom board, you are SOL.

I also have probably 20 styrofoam telescoping lids designed to be used with wood boxes. (They are too small to fit on a styrofoam box.) They are in a stack and I haven't used them for years. They edges do get pieces broken out of them pretty easily.

I make my bottom boards out of OSB particle board or plywood. I cut it the same size as my box dimensions, and then put on a rim around it on 3 sides so it has an entrance on the 4th side. I make my entrances 3/8" and I don't have to worry about putting on entrance reducers in winter. Most of my boxes have holes in them, so bees have plenty of ways to get into the hive.

For lids, I just cut a piece of 3/4 plywood the same size as my box and use that like a migratory cover.

This is what I use under the migratory cover in winter. (And sometimes in summer.) https://www.youtube.com/edit?o=U&video_id=APQC1GYAAd8
The only downside is that the ziplock bag is not UV resistant and will start crumbling where it is exposed to sunlight after a couple years.

I will confess that I do not cut lids and bottom boards exactly the same size as my boxes. They are slightly undersized. I lay out the sheet of plywood in 16x20 rectangles. I can get 14 pieces out of a 4x8 sheet of plywood or OSB or insulation board. It is bigger than the internal dimensions of a box, but slightly smaller than the external dimensions. The lids seal pretty good, and it doesn't matter if a bottom board is 1/4 inch undersized. That's only 1/8 inch per side.
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Allen Dick
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Re: EPS brood boxes and supers

Unread post by Allen Dick »

These questions keep coming up and I thought I had posted this to the forum before, but a search did not show it up, so here it is (again?). There are many pictures and explanations scattered through the diary as well.

> The top or lid must be bigger. How does anyone deal with that economically?

For a long time, I just perched the EPS boxes on a normal standard floor and used an everyday telescoping lid. The boxes overhang the floor, but it is not an issue. Most telescoping lids sit on the EPS boxes and don't go down over them, but they work.

> The bottom boards can just be shimmed out another 3/4 in on 3 sides. Same for crown boards.

Once I decided to use only EPS boxes, I ended up building special floors and lids with some features I like.

My designs: http://www.honeybeeworld.com/diary/arti ... floors.htm

> why do you use 7/8" for the depth of the bottom board?

I was using 2" nominal lumber to get the width and could make the floor clearance any height.

In winter, dead bees fall down and more height reduces chances of them reaching the bottom bars.
I use an oxalic evaporator sometimes and scorching the bottoms of frames can be a problem with lower entrances.
When sliding in sticky bards with screens, more clearance is better.

An entrance reducer cut from 2" material in a wedge profile can be tapped in easily, and removed just as easily, regardless of entrance height.

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Allen Dick, RR#1 Swalwell, Alberta, Canada T0M 1Y0
51° 33'39.64"N 113°18'52.45"W
http://www.honeybeeworld.com/Allen%27s%20Beehives.kmz
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Fatboy
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Joined: March 16th, 2017, 6:31 pm

Re: EPS brood boxes and supers

Unread post by Fatboy »

That helps alot, especially with the photos. Thanks for replying.
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colhills
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Re: EPS brood boxes and supers

Unread post by colhills »

In case you're still interested, Honey House Supply out of Strathmore has the lids and bottom boards. They're free when you purchase the boxes (they were when I bought mine, anyway).
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Hjsparky
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Re: EPS brood boxes and supers

Unread post by Hjsparky »

Fatboy wrote: March 16th, 2017, 7:35 pm I have numerous brood boxes and supers made from EPS from Beaver Plastics in Edmonton. I've seen some references to EPS Hive stands, bottom boards, and Hive Covers. Can anyone give me information on where to acquire these items? I've looked at the Beaver Plastic website but they don't even list their bee boxes in their product lineup. If I have to make my own stands, bottom boards and covers, does anyone have plans for those? Any help would be appreciated.
I have also purchased eps boxes from Beaver Plastics. They do in fact also make matching lids and floors. I purchased mine as a set. 2017 is my first year with them. I used them only for single brood boxes with queen excluder. Am now wintering outside with them. Just added an entrance reducer.
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