Long hives

[Woody Roberts]

Ive almost completed another long hive this weekend. I built one last year and really liked it but wanted to see it overwinter before I built another. Since it seems fine at the current time I decided to build another with a few changes. My first is 48" long and I think holds 32 frames max. I built the new one with a 48" lid so it'll hold a few frames less. My follower board is Masonite cut slightly tight so I can bend it a little and get a good fit at any place.
Drilled a 1" hole in the bottom of the follower so I can feed behind it.
Pros so far
I can check the brood nest without uncovering the honey area or vice versa
It a really handy place to store a few extra frames. Drawn goes in with the bees and empty go behind the follower.
Everything is at the same height. No bending over or reaching up.
Cost- I used rough lumber I had so basicly the cost of the frames and the flashing for the cover and beetle trap. The # 6 screen for the bottom is pretty expensive at around $30 per hive.
This is still cheaper than a 3 deep complete hive.

Cons
It's not very portable although two guys could certainly move it, especially if you set the honey out first.
While they can be supered a standard Lang would be better for that. Not an issue for me, if they start getting full ill extract a few frames and give them back the wet frames. I probably won't take these to an outyard.

Questions, thoughts, concerns, expierences , all input appreciated. Woody

[G3farms]

How do you extract?

Crush and strain or in an extractor?

[Perry]

What you describe sounds like a TBH, only using Lang dimensions and frames?
It would certainly make extracting easier, but like TBH's, I wonder about bees moving laterally instead of vertically during winter.

[Woody Roberts]

These hives take standard deep frames. I started out crush and strain but last year I built a homemade extractor. While its not real good it does work but I'll upgrade in the future if I ever get to where I'm selling anything.
Last year I really got to see the value of drawn comb. I'm not sure there's any value to a person with two hives for his own consumption. A couple hives in a normal year should make all the honey they can eat while building comb at the same time.

But if your planning on selling honey they will definitely put more on with drawn comb. Enough to pay for an extractor ? I think you would need several hives.

[Woody Roberts]

Perry
I had, have the same concerns. But I regularly overwinter in a single deep and as yet have never lost one to winter kill. I DO have to check weight in Feb to make sure they have enough.
My thoughts were if they could overwinter in a 10 frame why couldn't they do it in a 20 frame.
Our winters here are typically not cold for long periods of time. It's common to see temps near zero and a couple weeks later in the 50s.

I've also found it doesn't take much to get them thru winter, it's spring buildup that starves them out.
It probably doesn't hurt that my bees are Russian mutts bred from nearby bee trees and have never been treated with anything.
I only breed from the survivors.

[G3farms]

I got ya now! Was thinking top bar hive also.

Nothing wrong with homemade anything.

[Woody Roberts]

I suffer very bad from the do it yourself syndrome. It might be terminal!

[G3farms]

You and me both, I do like getting me hands dirty!

[Marbees]

There were some keepers around here who experimented with a long hive.
Advantages of these long hives, I was told, is that you can divide them in half (15 frame each) use two queens for brood production, then build a honey tower in the middle for an extra big harvest. Never tried it myself, but sounds doable.

[Woody Roberts]

I've heard of that but not sure how to go about it. I know some people have a nuc or two in the end. I could certainly see overwintering 5 nucs in one with double screens between them.

[Barbarian]

For info

The link below discusses a couple of types of UK long hives.

 http://www.dave-cushman.net/bee/longhive.html

I have not used this type of hive. I have seen a Dartington in use. A friend of mine has an Omlet Beehaus and several standard hives.

 http://www.omlet.co.uk/shop/beekeeping

I wonder if this topic should be switched to the alternative hives section ?

[tecumseh]

long hives have been around for a while.  on occasion we have someone show up at the bee club who builds these < the last person we had show up had built one for his dad who had a fairly severe physical limitation and since everything is laid out horizontally there is not nearly as much heft as is required in a standard hive.... most of the one I have seen built do allow you to add regular honey super vertically although the shape of the thing when you do that looks all wrong.    If you know what a follower board is?? these are likely an essential part of constructing a proper long hive and the same grooves you might use for the follower board you could also use excluder material to separate multiple queens in the same box. 

in places where deed restrictions only allow you to maintain one hive you could essentially beat the rules by have multiple hives in one box.

[Edward]

If you google "  trågkupa   " and look at the Picture you can see the hive that used to bee common in Sweden at the turn of the century and to 1950s.

Wouldn't mind two at home in the garden, maybee one day when time and Money are in excess.

A rollsroyce long hive http://kupan.se/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/kupa1.png

mvh Edward