What? I would be interested in seeing his background, and research data.
To me, none.What is the significance of a hive body containing 12 frames?
300lb. crop on.
My understanding is (info from a 50 year veteran beekeeper) is that bees winter better in the U.K. 12 frame hive and better in supers than shallows ( which tend to be the standard in the US). Apparently how much the colony weighs is what has made bee keepers go toward using shallows in the US versus deeps. We had a cold winter in New Hampshire this year and I like honey but like the bees more. We put together a simple way of moving the hives around - full of honey or not and as the bees have a higher survival rate in a 12 frame than the hive currently popular in the US, I guess I'm ready to build the bigger size hive. Let me know your thoughts. Thanks, cI've been reading the Tim Rowe book on The Rose Hive Method.
His "Rose Hive" sounds an awful lot like the medium Langstroth box commonly used in the US - except that the "Rose Hive" has 12 frames instead of the 10 or 8 typically found in a US medium.
What is the significance of a hive body containing 12 frames? Is it a standard number used outside of the US?
If 12 is considered at least by Tim Rowe as natural - I guess we should be asking how many combs are in a typical bee tree? I had always presumed that there was great space variance in bee cavities, and that the bees ultimately filled the available space.
In Rowe's book he writes that the bees shift about in the cavity, leaving areas of older comb unused so that they can be destroyed by wax moths - thereby creating spce for the bees to draw new comb.
Thoughts?
I have no experience but I've watched dozens of bee tree cut outs on You Tube and not very many of those hives are as wide as 12 frames and his idea doesn't take into account the many hives which have established themselves in wall stud spaces that are usually 16"x4" or 24"x4".If 12 is considered at least by Tim Rowe as natural - I guess we should be asking how many combs are in a typical bee tree? I had always presumed that there was great space variance in bee cavities, and that the bees ultimately filled the available space.
I said: "two of them had about a 300lb. crop", not "got a 300lb average". If I could get a 300lb average I would quit my day job and open a honey packing plant.Do you think you got a 300lb average in part due to the 12 frame configuration? Our average localy is in the 35lb range.
Care to share your method of moving?We put together a simple way of moving the hives around
I said: "two of them had about a 300lb. crop", not "got a 300lb average". If I could get a 300lb average I would quit my day job and open a honey packing plant.
Sure, bar clamps or pipe clamps holding two pieces of strapping 5 or 6' feet long which you clamp to the side of the whole hive or what ever part of the hive you are moving. You'll want to use strapping pieces strong enough to lift what ever that might be - 30 pounds or 100 pounds. For lighter weight, I think last week w/ the hives so light after a long winter all that was needed was 3/4" X 2 1/2" strapping - as I said 5 or 6' long. It is a two person job but you have complete control of the hive, you can keep it level and move without jarring.Care to share your method of moving?
I think the important thing here is the depth of the box. Apparently bees don't like the space or division between boxes so they prefer the deeps for brood. The "Rose Hive" super is about the size of a medium just wider yes? So a Dadant deep is preferable. At any rate, I leaning toward using deeps this year and piling shallows on top for any spare honey they produce. I'm just grateful they survived the winter. Thanks for the input. cIn his book 'Dadant System of Beekeeping" C.P. Dadant states they came to the conclusion that a brood chamber with 10 Dadant frames was best for providing enough space for the brood chamber. This hive prodvides 540 sq. in. of more comb than a 10 frame deep brood chamber.
Tom