If you had to start again..

[Ely]

..what set up would you go for? Or would you go exactly the same? What is your beekeeping set up? I am undecided myself, I'd possibly find a cheap source of Langstroth all mediums

 

[Erichalfbee]

I have a mix of poly and wood 14x12
Would go poly Lang

 

[Paulypaul]

I'm only really 6 months in, but would have chosen Poly Langstroth, using only 14x12 boxes.
As it is, I'm already wedded to National.

 

[Garry R]

A bit like me. I had loads of national frames (my starter hives) and stuck with them. However I bought Langstroth polys (40+ years ago) and adapted them to take the national frames running across the box and shortening the national frames. I reduced the depth too to national size. Starting again Langstroth polys and 14 x12 adaptation. Make floors and the rest to suit yourself to keep costs down. Most important is to keep everything compatible.

 

[hemo]

If I new what I know now , I would have still stayed with BS national but would have used Double brood as to colony expanding rather then go down the road of trying commercial and the awful 14 x12 or B&H.

My fingers never got hold of short lugs and I found 14 x12 cumbersome and heavy, B&H is simply down to frame incompatibility.

 

[madasafish]

I started Lang jumbos.
Never any need to change. Minimal heavy lifting except when floor cleaning.

 

[JamezF]

I've often thought about this and have come to the conclusion that there probably isn't an "ideal" solution.

I can see that there could be advantages to having the same size boxes everywhere. but there are probably also consequences that might be considered disadvantages (being forced to go double-brood?). On the other hand, are different size boxes for brood and supers really that big a deal? If you only have one apiary with all your kit available, perhaps not. If you have out apiaries and need to carry two different sizes of box (and frames) "just in case" then maybe more so.

James

 

[Ely]

If I new what I know now , I would have still stayed with BS national but would have used Double brood as to colony expanding rather then go down the road of trying commercial and the awful 14 x12 or B&H.

My fingers never got hold of short lugs and I found 14 x12 cumbersome and heavy, B&H is simply down to frame incompatibility.

I have a fee commercials. I'm interested to know what you didn't like about them

 

[Swarm]

The short lugs.

 

[The Poot]

I had no mentor and was bought a National hive by my daughter to get me going.
I converted to 14 x12 with ekes, found the frames unwieldy and converted back to standard National.
Have since moved from wood to poly and am content with National poly double brood.

If starting again I would be tempted by poly Lang…..

 

[rolande]

I think, after being a staunch user of the modified dadant for a long time, I'd move over to Smith's.

Don't get me wrong, I still think that the MD is a good hive in these parts and there are a lot of aspects that I like very much however, the smaller Smith footprint, the increased flexibility of double brood/splits above a screen board, the small timber widths when making boxes all appeal. I did toy with the idea of a switch to langstroth but talked myself out of that in favour of a hypothetical switch to Smith's but of course, when you're far down one track it's not easy to change to another.

Short lugs, for me, are brilliant, really dislike the long lugs

 

[Hedgerow Honey]

After twenty years being commercial & twenty odd beforehand as a hobby, I wouldn’t start again and invest in gold.

 

[Swarm]

I'd be inclined to go the Smith route as well, simpler design, same frame size.

 

[Paulypaul]

Shall we start a new thread? What is the ideal vertical hive format?
Is it a top-space Smith hive, in poly, with interlocking rebates and an underfloor entrance?

 

[B_north]

I run a modified Ukrainian and would never do anything else. Had a Langstroth for awhile and found it a PITA compared to my hives. I guess it is what you get used to and I am used to managing mine.

 

[WoodenBeam]

Single Commercial brood with Hoffman frames. All other components National, Manley frames in supers. Only downside to this unable to sell National Nuc’s to beginners direct from your stock/equipment.

 

[Hedgerow Honey]

Single Commercial brood with Hoffman frames. All other components National, Manley frames in supers. Only downside to this unable to sell National Nuc’s to beginners direct from your stock/equipment.

A lot of ours are now, almost your opposite. 14x12 top bee space single box with Hoffman frames & commercial supers with Manley frames.
These travel well, which is a must as we move a lot.
Most permanent sites are now std national which are then demereed. As I'm now starting to feel my age the youngsters can manage the big boxes next year and I'll take care of the smaller ones and nucs.

 

[enrico]

I would carry on with my mish mash of boxes and frames. I have them because they were bought at bargain prices or given to me. If I had stuck to one format my hobby would have been even more expensive

 

[rolande]

A lot of ours are now, almost your opposite. 14x12 top bee space single box with Hoffman frames & commercial supers with Manley frames.

A superb super, I was running nationals I'd go for the 16x6 every time.

 

[Curly green finger's]

I started with national and 14x12s and wbc , I only have wbc and national now frames are interchangeable between them both and I love using single brood ,double brood and demaree I wouldn’t change anything I’m also more than happy with my bee choice as well .