ugcheleuce
Field Bee
- Joined
- Apr 15, 2013
- Messages
- 669
- Reaction score
- 1
- Location
- Apeldoorn, Netherlands
- Hive Type
- National
- Number of Hives
- 7-10
Hello everyone
The British National hive is square, i.e. just as wide as it is long, i.e. 460 mm x 460 mm. The corresponding Dutch hive (that uses the same frames) is not square. I am about to build my own hive, and the final question is whether to make it square or not. So my question is: how useful is it REALLY for you to have a square box instead of a rectangular box?
I know that theoretically the advantage is that you can keep the hive in warm way and in cold way, but do people who use the British hives actually change from warm way to cold way and back again during the year? Or, do British beekeepers sometimes stack alternating boxes with frames perpendicular to each other?
If everyone in your region had used rectangular boxes (i.e. 1-2 frames less), and you had to buy all new stock, would you still go for the square box, or does it not matter that much that the box is square?
Thanks
Samuel
The British National hive is square, i.e. just as wide as it is long, i.e. 460 mm x 460 mm. The corresponding Dutch hive (that uses the same frames) is not square. I am about to build my own hive, and the final question is whether to make it square or not. So my question is: how useful is it REALLY for you to have a square box instead of a rectangular box?
I know that theoretically the advantage is that you can keep the hive in warm way and in cold way, but do people who use the British hives actually change from warm way to cold way and back again during the year? Or, do British beekeepers sometimes stack alternating boxes with frames perpendicular to each other?
If everyone in your region had used rectangular boxes (i.e. 1-2 frames less), and you had to buy all new stock, would you still go for the square box, or does it not matter that much that the box is square?
Thanks
Samuel