Hives, Sizes and Management

[buffon]

Their basic '2 frame' is actually a 4 frame like the saf natura, but it doesn't have any legs and looks like a kitchen bin!

Correcting myself as I'd hate for somebody to buy based on bad info.... It seems Vevor have a couple of 2 frame extractors. Although the 'kitchen bin' design is described in the text as having a 38cm diameter, the picture says 34cm which is surely too narrow to accommodate 4 frames like the saf natura? They do have a 38cm extractor that is described as 2/4 frame and I'd assumed it was like the saf natura/lega, but I'm not even sure about that now. Beekeepingsuppliesuk in Minehead have a 2 frame extractor that looks very similar to the 38cm Vevor but that cage only has a width of 26cm according to the picture on their website. It seems strange that they have a cage that can't take 4 frames when other manufactures can for the same diameter extractor. Maybe you could fit 4 super frames in a square pattern like the Thorne's extractor? But if it does why don't they advertise it?

Anyway, if you want to extract large comb like Layens then you really are limited in the UK. If you go on holiday to Spain you would easily be able to pick one up.

 

[fian]

Correcting myself as I'd hate for somebody to buy based on bad info.... It seems Vevor have a couple of 2 frame extractors. Although the 'kitchen bin' design is described in the text as having a 38cm diameter, the picture says 34cm which is surely too narrow to accommodate 4 frames like the saf natura? They do have a 38cm extractor that is described as 2/4 frame and I'd assumed it was like the saf natura/lega, but I'm not even sure about that now. Beekeepingsuppliesuk in Minehead have a 2 frame extractor that looks very similar to the 38cm Vevor but that cage only has a width of 26cm according to the picture on their website. It seems strange that they have a cage that can't take 4 frames when other manufactures can for the same diameter extractor. Maybe you could fit 4 super frames in a square pattern like the Thorne's extractor? But if it does why don't they advertise it?

Anyway, if you want to extract large comb like Layens then you really are limited in the UK. If you go on holiday to Spain you would easily be able to pick one up.

In Spain, the so-called universal extractors have a basket size of 330*420 mm, a layens frame measures 310*370 mm. To use them with a bs frame you must rotate them 90°, which is what is done with the langstroth and with the dadant whether they are nest or super.

 

[Beesnaturally]

I suspect that there will always be the problem of personal standards on excellence, as shown when we have had ‘bees will live in any box, so why fuss about particular shapes?

Horses for courses (I could be stretching the topic here): last year I made a few 2 frame mating hives, and one sat squished all summer (it could have swarmed at some point). I last visited the apiary about 6 weeks ago. It was amazingly heavy and there was no shortage of bees.

 

[Adam Fletcher]

Okay, but if a beginner has a certain configuration in mind, they can always ask for advice or information from the member who has said configuration.
If later with the practice you want other handlings you can always find someone to talk to.

While a good thought, I went to an open apairy meet local to where I was at the time and while there asked about horizontal hives - the response was "we have one over there but some of our members won't have anything to do with that rubbish".

Not the most welcoming response to wanting to find out more.

 

[fian]

Si bien fue una buena idea, fui a una reunión local de apareamiento abierto donde estaba en ese momento y mientras preguntaba sobre las colmenas horizontales, la respuesta fue "tenemos una allí, pero algunos de nuestros miembros no tendrán nada que ver con esa basura".

No es la respuesta más acogedora a querer saber más.