I had great difficulty in deciding in which sub-forum to post the following - "Hive Design, which type ?" would perhaps have been the most appropriate, if it were not for the fact that particular sub-forum is intended for beginners - and what follows is certainly NOT a beginner's topic.
The principal focus of what follows is the Gallup Frame of 11.25" square, as used in a horizontal hive and, although not Top Bar, this seems the best place for it, in the absence of a more suitable home.
Afaik, there never was a 'Gallup Hive' as such - but rather that size frame was used within custom-made hives of all types and configurations.
One of the criticisms frequently made of Long Hives is that they are incapable of returning a reasonable honey crop. A second criticism one often hears is that the frequent opening of beehives is detrimental to the life of a colony, and that doing so will set them back considerably. In what follows you will read a rebuttal of both of these widely-held beliefs ...
As the first two paragraphs of what follows may at first appear confusing, perhaps I should explain that Doolittle called his favourite home-apiary hive a 'Six Frame Hive', as that was the number of brood frames he used for over-wintering, but in practice the hive could contain 15 frames. He modified this 15-frame box such that the space for 3 frames at either end became areas where sections were produced, thus leaving 9 brood frames within the central area, reducing this number to 6 or 7 during the season to suit colony size and/or behaviour.
This is then what Doolittle wrote in the January 1899 edition of 'Gleanings':
Doolittle was to discover that something very odd happened within the extraction hive, in that brood rearing was significantly stimulated by this process of frequent extraction, such that he estimated that double the amount of brood resulted as a direct result of this activity. The subsequent results for honey-gathering were truly 'astronomical' (by my standards):
Perhaps the above report is worth investigating further ?
LJ
The principal focus of what follows is the Gallup Frame of 11.25" square, as used in a horizontal hive and, although not Top Bar, this seems the best place for it, in the absence of a more suitable home.
Afaik, there never was a 'Gallup Hive' as such - but rather that size frame was used within custom-made hives of all types and configurations.
One of the criticisms frequently made of Long Hives is that they are incapable of returning a reasonable honey crop. A second criticism one often hears is that the frequent opening of beehives is detrimental to the life of a colony, and that doing so will set them back considerably. In what follows you will read a rebuttal of both of these widely-held beliefs ...
As the first two paragraphs of what follows may at first appear confusing, perhaps I should explain that Doolittle called his favourite home-apiary hive a 'Six Frame Hive', as that was the number of brood frames he used for over-wintering, but in practice the hive could contain 15 frames. He modified this 15-frame box such that the space for 3 frames at either end became areas where sections were produced, thus leaving 9 brood frames within the central area, reducing this number to 6 or 7 during the season to suit colony size and/or behaviour.
This is then what Doolittle wrote in the January 1899 edition of 'Gleanings':
These then were experimental 4ft Long Hives, housing 32 Gallup frames, 11.25" x 11.25". Doolittle ran one for extracted honey, with extraction being conducted every 3rd or 4th day, with the other worked for comb honey on his well-established nine-frame "side and top box" plan.
Doolittle was to discover that something very odd happened within the extraction hive, in that brood rearing was significantly stimulated by this process of frequent extraction, such that he estimated that double the amount of brood resulted as a direct result of this activity. The subsequent results for honey-gathering were truly 'astronomical' (by my standards):
So - an apiary average of 166 pounds, yet these two particular 'Gallup' Long Hives returned 566 and 400 lbs. And yet so often we hear that Long Hives cannot produce a useful honey crop ! And double the brood resulted at a time when the hive was being opened twice a week.
Perhaps the above report is worth investigating further ?
LJ