Polystyrene National Hives/nucs

[Black Comb]

I have both nats & langs.

L/s are top bee space, nats are usually bottom.

Lug length on langs is shorter and not as easy to pick up but you do get used to it.

As others say, consider also 14 x 12.

 

[thorn]

I'm not sure what you mean by top and bottom bee space.

 

[Nopants]

Skyhook,

They don't actually claim that; you missed out that one tiny phrase of 'up to'.

While I have found my well-insulated Dartingtons appear to get a head start on bees in lessser-insulated Nationals, I would not say 3 weeks necessarily.

That would be well into two brood cycles ahead. I would say one brood cycle might be more realistic, but that is not quite so 'fantastic'/appealing/eye-catching/persuasive as advertising what is likely the 'absolute maximum' (and hoping people will be swayed by the advertising hype without reading it accurately) rather than being given a more honest appraisal of the likely advantage.

Regards, RAB

Could the Species of bee also have a bearing on how quick they build up? Carnolians are quicker at fast spring build up and need more space

 

[oliver90owner]

Could the Species of bee also have a bearing on how quick they build up?

In my case? Not really. More than one year. More than one hive compared. Local-ish mongrels? Queens are likely related. Queens of similar age. Only real difference is the hive - the one variable. Dartingtons are fully insulated around the broodnest. Nationals were not.

When comparing it needs to be a fair test. Comparing different strains for the above comparison is fundamentally flawed.

Regards, RAB

 

[Mike a]

I'm not sure what you mean by top and bottom bee space.

Some hives are designed with top space and others with bottom space.
Its the gap or lack of gap between the top surface of the frames and the top edge of the chamber they are in.

See -

The more modern hive types favour bottom bee space ie National hives but in Hampshire there are more bee keepers who use Langstroth hives which is top bee space as these hives tend to have much larger colonies in them when they are at peek colony size so having top space ideally fewer bees will be crushed when working the hive and adding chambers.

Many will argue one is better than the other... but that is a whole new thread.