Mixing Hive types??

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keithgrimes

Field Bee
Joined
May 29, 2010
Messages
614
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Location
Northumberland
Hive Type
National
Number of Hives
3
Advice would be very welcome here. I am new to beekeeping (in fact so new I am still waiting for my first nuc). I have had a 'significant' birthday recently and was bought a WBC hive as a gift. Very nice but my intention was to use Nationals as they are simpler to handle. My question is , do I need to stick to WBC as I expand my apiary (probably two next season and probably never more than four or five). I have to retain the WBC (domestic politics) but I am thinking there may be complications with things like artificial swarming if I have a mix.
 
The WBC will take National Frames. I beleive they are approximately the same size. I also have a friend who uses WBC lifts (The Outer Casing) over his national hives in the winter as added insulation.

SteveJ
 
The Frames of the WBC are the same as in the National Hive so you can have both WBC and National Hive with no problems.
 
As is said above the frames are interchangeable so it's no real barrier to artificial swarming etc.

The best thing to do with the wbc is use it as a garden ornament (you could also use it as a bait hive)
 
I have a single WBC in my hive collection and enjoy working it.

The lifts needed repainting last year and now look as good as new,not so the brood box and supers though.

I changed over to a national on the WBC floor and still use the lifts and roof.

They are always the first hive to get going in spring.

The national frames fit no problem in the WBC box's,the only difference is the WBC take's less frames than a national.

I even know of a commercial guy with hundreds of hives who still runs a single WBC,its what most non beekeepers think a beehive looks like.
 

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