lazy,
I'm with you, think we have quite a bit of confusion going on...
10 frame hives vs the 8 frame hive configuration? in langstroth terms, no there are 8 frame hives made vs the 10 frames. when i think of langstroth hives, i think in terms of a 10 framer, not the eight frame hives now made today. i think these are referred to as the english hives?
riverbee,
Not to split hairs, but while I can appreciate that you may not think of an 8 frame hive as a langstroth...Your doing so is the first I've seen or heard of it. Admittedly, I've only been involved in bees a little over a year. But in that limited time I've attended 30+ local club meetings in two different cities, two State Association Conferences, a National ABF conference, and spent countless hours online in bee forums and watching videos. And you are the first person I've heard claim that an 8 frame hive is not a Langstroth. In addition, for whatever it's worth, both Wikipedia and BeeSource's definition and description of a Lang includes 8 frames.
I'm not sure, but I think the term "english hive" or "english garden hive" is usually associated with basically any Lang with the cute little "A-Frame" top cover. I think it's more of a marketing term than an actual type of hive....but I may be mistaken.
and as to what you said moots.....less frames=less combs=less cells=less laying space=less bees=less honey....
not true moots, math doesn't always define bees and let's say i get 950 pounds or more of honey out of 5 or 6 hives with my method, well i will stick to it. as far as shaving frames and squeezing more in....in my HO, shaving frames and squeezing more in doesn't give you what you think you are achieving. if you think those shaved frames moots give you more honey, you are mistaken.
btw if you want to make comb honey with foundationless frames, in a 10 frame langstroth box, or shaving and squeezing an extra frame in, i can tell you this, it's gonna look pretty sad. if you don't make foundationless comb honey and are shaving frames off to squeeze more in, then i wish you well at uncapping these.....
To clairfy: I run all 8 frame medium equipment...8 frames in the brood box...8 frames in the honey supers.
The common variations to this approach that I'm familiar with and can appreciate the argument for, albeit maybe not agree with the conclusions are...First, run one fewer frame in the HONEY SUPER allowing for thicker, easier to uncap frames. And Second, shave down your frames to squeeze one extra frame in the BROOD BOX to allow for more laying space for the queen in the same box.
Neither I, nor anyone reputable that I know of has ever implied shaving down and squeezing extra frames in the HONEY SUPERS! I'm really confused where you got the idea that I was suggesting shaving down and squeezing extra frames into a honey super???
EDIT: i just want to add to this, consider a langstroth 10 frame deep and placing 9 fully drawn frames in, rather than 10....maybe better ventilation and better wintering? not rolling so many bees or fighting to get the frames out? medium supers.....if you have less than 10 frames, say 8 or 9, uncapping these will be easier...
Not sure if you are talking about running 9 frames in a 10 frame deep as a BROOD BOX or HONEY SUPER. If you're talking about doing it in a Honey Super, while I don't necessarily agree with all the claimed advantages and benefits, there are many that do, and it's a fairly common and accepted practice.
If you are talking about doing it in your Brood boxes, I would think, if you're not alone there, you're in a VERY VERY SMALL minority. I'd be curious to hear what you think the advantages are...
and also if you think you get more honey with 10 frames, this is not true.
Again, this is something that can and has been debated ad nauseam. However, to the best of my knowledge, any and all claims of which method actually produces "more Honey" is purely subjective and based on "opinion". I haven't seen anything resembling a controlled or scientific study offering data on this subject.
So, concerning the more honey with 10 frames approach...while you say, "this is not true", I think the truth is, no one REALLY knows. Therefore, what you and others think on both sides of this debate are simply opinions.