We have been promising ourselves a Newsletter for some time and with the end of 2009 approaching we can't find any excuse for putting it off any longer!
After concentrating on protective clothing for the past couple of years Modern Beekeeping began its expansion into a wider range of products when in July we became the UK distributors for the high density polystyrene hives from Paradise Honey of Finland.
These advanced Langstroth hives have proved extremely popular and as I write this our fourth shipment from Finland is currently in transit. A common experience is to sell one hive to a customer and then find them coming back with a larger order. This does not surprise us, as these types of hive, which were invented in Denmark in the 1970's, are by now the largest selling type of hive in many European countries.
The hive is only available in Langstroth size but this gives us the advantage of being able to select from a wide range of suppliers for frames, both wood and plastic, and other hive items such as propolis harvesting screens, which will go on sale in January. British beekeepers should not be put off by the lack of a National size in this design. Some of our biggest customers at the moment are in the process of changing over from wooden Nationals to our Langstroths, having recognised the advantages of high density polystyrene for hive construction. For some time the problem of sterilisation of plastic hives was a grey area but the current editionof the Fera Fouldbroods Guide gives a clear thumbs up for chemical sterilsation, removing this final obstacle to the general acceptance of these hives in the UK.
The biggest success of this year have been our plastic frames and by the end of January 2010 we will also be offering full depth plastic frames to complement our Medium plastic frames. These frames take a little getting used to but providing they are given a good coating of very hot wax the bees will readily accept them. They are becoming increasingly popular in Australia, New Zealand and the US and hopefully here in the UK too. The advantages of these frames include very flat comb and near indestructibility in the extractor.
Our wooden frames at prices currently starting at £6.50 for 10 Medium frames offer outstanding value for money. We will have a wiring jig available in the early part of the year which will mean you will have no excuse not to change over to these type of frame!
A couple of prototypes of the wiring jig have been built and these have been invaluable for helping to mature the design.
All has not gone quite a smoothly as we would wish. The biggest omission from the the hive range have been entrance reducers. Unfortunately, these also needed a bit more work before they are ready but hopefully they will be available from the early part of the New Year.
Our long heralded anti-swarm device has also taken longer than expected to move from prototype to final production, but again, the end is almost in sight, fingers crossed.
After a couple or so years feeling our way the time has come for a major expansion of our product range. Lack of storage space has been the over-riding factor limiting expansion up until now. We must also own up to having a too few staff to operate the telephones which has meant customers have heard the answer machine far too often! All of these limitations will be overcome in January when we move the stock into a new warehouse and our sales lines will be open all year round, seven days a week. The sales lines will accept calls from 9 am in the morning to 9 pm in the evening during the week and 9 to 5 on Saturdays and Sundays.
These changes taken all together mean our product range can expand significantly and we will soon be offering items such as smokers, hive tools, foundation and the bits and bobs of queen rearing.
Contact with customers is essential and we always value calls from customers, so if there is anything you would like us to stock please let us know.
You can also expect to see a bit more of us during 2010. Up until now we have only had trade stands at beekeeping events in Devon, but we will be traveling further afield in 2010, so if your association is running an event in 2010 please let us know about it. We have already put a marker down for a stand at the National Honey Show in October but that still leaves the rest of the year! As we have no plans to open a conventional shop these shows and lecture days are the best opportunity for people to see our products.
May we wish you all happy beekeeping in 2010!
Kingsbridge, Devon, 13th December, 2009
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