“Plastic can be chemically treated to overcome the smell, but this could negatively affect bee health and the environment,” he says.

After three years, he more or less gave up his search, as it appeared to be going nowhere. Then in 2020, an engineer mentioned to him that a British company was using polyvinyl chloride (PVC) foam board in medical centres and retail shelves. The material seemed promising, so he imported some boards of it and built a number of Langstroth hives. “I stuck with the Langstroth design, because it’s easy to transport and work with,” he explains.

During tests this year, Barnes found that the hives not only ticked all the right boxes for him, but offered additional benefits, too.

“I was so satisfied with the product that I entered into a supply agreement with

Denne historien er fra November 26, 2021-utgaven av Farmer's Weekly.

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