Hive volumes?

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Poly Hive

Queen Bee
Joined
Dec 4, 2008
Messages
14,097
Reaction score
401
Location
Scottish Borders
Hive Type
National
Number of Hives
12 and 18 Nucs
I set out casually this evening to search for the volume of a mod National and to my growing surprise I cannot find a site that lists the volumes of the various hive types.

Can anyone provide a link please?

PH
 
I used a pen and paper and a calculator as the only figures I could find were outside dimensions, frame sizes and total no. of cells per brood box.
 
Page 17 of Thornes calalogue has all the dimensions, number of cells etc
 
p 17 does indeed but not the ID's nor the volumes.

I am after specifically the volume of the brood boxes. Nothing else.

PH
 
370 x 422 x 221mm (34.5 litres roughly). Just measured it. These are actual I/D's
Have a new T's second in the garage.

of course to this you must add the volume of the space created by the floor, standard floor depth is 22mm (from memory)
For a bait hive a solid floor is better.
 
Last edited:
To get an accurate volume, you need to remember to use the *inside* dimensions, which are hard to find.

Also, most hive sizes are in inches. If you want volumes in litres, there are 61 cubic inches to the litre.

Here goes (with approximate dimensions, good to the nearest half-inch)

National: 16.5" x 14.5" x 9" = 2153 cubic inches = 35 litres

WBC: 15.5" x 14.5" x 9" = 2023 cubic inches = 33 litres

Langstroth: 18" x 15" x 9.5" = 2565 cubic inches = 42 litres

So, looks as if most common sizes of brood box are close to the 40 litre ideal; 14x12's, Commercials and Langstroth Jumbos are probably a bit on the big side.
 
Is the 40 litre ideal anything to do with the fact that Langs are 42Ltrs, and therefore the size used by US researchers?

If America had the National as its standard brood box do you think the ideal size may be closer to 35 Ltrs?

How much does that 5 litres matter? I suspect not a lot.
 
A lang internally is 462 x 367 x 240 = 40.7
Pedants are about tonight:)
 
Having tried extrapolating (I think that is the right word) from the measurements on the Dave Cushman site I get.

Internal dimensions of 424mm x 374mm x 225mm

This works out (by my primitive maths at 35.6796L which converts to 7.84841 UK gallons

I am sure somebody will correct my maths.
 
5 litres - depends whether it's a prime or cast swarm.

Can't see it matters to a few litres.
Lots of other variables involved.
 
So we've all managed to establish that Rab was right in that other thread. How annoying!
 
Having tried extrapolating (I think that is the right word) from the measurements on the Dave Cushman site I get.

Internal dimensions of 424mm x 374mm x 225mm

This works out (by my primitive maths at 35.6796L which converts to 7.84841 UK gallons

I am sure somebody will correct my maths.
:iagree::iagree:
 
Oh dear, I know it's the middle of the night, and I'm easily confused, but I read the thread title as Hive Volumes as in how loud?
:music-smiley-026:
 
.
I do not know what Polyhive is aiming with this title, but space is very important thing in colony nusing.

Accurate measures are not needed. A skillfull beek nurse bees as well in 2 langstroth boxes as in 3 mediums.
Difficulties arise when colony is small.

Own story is horizontal hives where honey and brood are in same frames.

Important thing is how beekeepers, men and women, are able to lift boxes which are full of honey.

The most important thing is , so I think, that beginners put too small swarms to too big space.
Colony has difficulties to winter and difficulties continue next Spring.

Small warm boxes would be best to 1 kg swarms which occupye 5 frames.

To grow own queens in small nucs and loose 4 weeks laying time in summer may be fun but not wise.


.
 
Very simple, I am asking if anyone knows a site where there is a list of hive volumes. Lots of sites with numbers and types of combs, and external dimensions: even numbers of cells, but I have been unable to find one which lists, or even alone says the volume of a National brood box and or the others.

I find this odd to say the least.

PH
 
Very simple, I am asking if anyone knows a site where there is a list of hive volumes. Lots of sites with numbers and types of combs, and external dimensions: even numbers of cells, but I have been unable to find one which lists, or even alone says the volume of a National brood box and or the others.

I find this odd to say the least.

PH

Well there you go then ph a bit of research a few hours on a website and then you can launch one onto the world of beekeeping.
 

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