The two colonies in my long hive were installed last September and have thrived over the winter, far better than in the National hives that I have used for last 60 years. I changed because I wanted to have less lifting as I get older. The hive was comfortable to use from the onset and the two colonies settled in quickly. One colony was small, covering only 7 brood frames going into winter. It managed well through the winter and I gave it a litre of fondant in February. Both colonies are flourishing in early April - lovely clean brood frames, no chalk brood, no wax moth. I did not put on any insulation, and I was very pleased that there was no condensation. Quick checks in winter were easy - just lift the lid to see all is well.
I am looking forward to extracting honey from the National brood -size frames next month. Two challenges lie ahead. 1. Moving the long hive to a new site. I shall put the colonies to the old square National brood boxes for the journey and take the long hive separately. 2. Making an artificial swarm. Again, use the old brood boxes for the unhatched queen (just as easy as using a nucleus box. So my tip is: keep some of your old gear.
The hive exceeded my expectations! Well made, robust and the finish (oil option) is excellent. Lid opens one-handed so managing the bees should be easy, looking forward to not having to heft heacy supers. The hive is an attractive piece in its own right, furniture that begs to be shown off rather than hidden away
Also looking forward to showing my granddaughter the bees through the trransparent crown boards!
The finish is great and the hive looks rather grand in its place. All nicely set up for the new colony!f
Matt and Dean have made and delivered a most amazing long hive to me. Everything about the hive is wonderfully joinered by true mastercraftsmen. In short, a work of art and highly recommended..
I am very pleased with the quality of construction of the hive. The customer service was excellent.
Thoughtfully designed, beautifully constructed, top quality hive. Not just perfect for the bees but an object of beauty in the apiary! Quick service, delivered on the dot. Built by incredibly experienced keepers who share my love of bees!
Great quality Cedar, but went for Oiling and Waterproofing Service as well...
Top Quality job, recent Heavy Rain just ran off and looks really good, first class accommodation for my Bees!
Love my hive as do the bees. Excellent quality. Only one suggestion- if you only have one colony or even if it expands into the second hive space, it’s not possible to turn the entrance piece of wood to block it unlike the older style National hives.
Looking forward to installing my British Black Bee Nucleus into my new Hyde Short Hive…. Fantastic build quality and delivered to my garden! Thanks Dean
A great product beautifully made. Mine arrived about a month ago and had been sitting empty in our orchard until last week when on return from holiday we discovered capped queen cells in our traditional national hive. So we split the hive and moved frames into the long hive for the first time. I love the fact that I can quickly lift the lid and have a quick peek at the bees through the perspex crown boards. The bees are doing very well so far. I'm no spring chicken, suffer from arthritis and struggle to lift things, the National hive has been loaned to me to help me to decide whether to take up beekeeping. I'm pretty certain that without the option to use a long hive I wouldn't be keeping bees for very long. So thank you Dean, Matt and the team for a superior well made hive and for giving me a chance to keep bees for hopefully many years.
Hyde hives are a very easy company to deal with. The hive is very well built and will suit its purpose just fine, although I don’t have bees in it just yet. Delivery was prompt and the driver courteous and helpful. Couldn’t ask for more really.
I think it’s great, I like the clear crown boards and the fact you can very quickly have a look at the bees without disturbing them. I would have liked queen excluders and dummy boards supplied with the hive or maybe to option to have them at extra cost.
Cedar should last for years untreated but opted for this extra as the hive would be very exposed before being finally positioned. Enhances the appearance of the wood.
This beautifully made long hive arrived safely after a long wait. Hopefully a bit of lateral thinking will allow me to keep bees for a few more years. Waiting for a warm spell to transfer over from a National. Thanks Matt, Dean and the team for a great product.
Good quality build. I have the short hive and it has been very easy to access, just lift the lid and you are in. Very good customer service.
I am very happy with my long hive. It looks really well made. I haven’t put any bees into it yet as it’s been too cold to transfer. I’m very keen to try it out though and see how it works. Excellent customer service and delivery.
Very well built long hive as it says on the box 8x5 frame queen rearing hive can’t wait to get bees into it and start using
Looking forward to testing this out this season. Quality of the hive materials and craftsmanship excellent. I particularly like the ability to move the division boards to unite colonies , or increase space for growing nuclei. I have a slight reservation about the slightly large gap between the closed floor tray and wall of the hive - though ventilation is important, insulation is scientifically proven to be critical , and in a windy exposed site like mine , I may need to make some adjustments to reduce this gap.
I bought two longhives - as i was away in the day of delivery, i had left a message where the hives were to go, and to my total satisfaction they were carried right to the back of the garden and left i
N exactly the spots indicated, such a relief. The hives look very well crafted, great workmanship
Thank you
Fantastic hives, beautifully built by a small team of conscientious craftsmen. Hyde hives customer service is excellent too. My bees have overwintered very well: No excess condensation, no mould and easy feeding that doesn’t disturb the bees, all thanks to the design. They are also very easy to insulate (if preferred) by cutting foam floor tiles to fit into the neat space above the perspex, or by adding insulation in the roof space. The quality and materials used are far superior when compared to other hives available in the UK. As a result, the longevity will be far greater too. Highly recommended, especially for those with disabilities, health challenges and for those wanting a more pleasurable and relaxed beekeeping experience! Many thanks to the Hyde Hives team for making bee keeping a far easier and much more enjoyable experience than before :)