Why do people use large beehives like national?

[Finman]

IThe theory is to force /encourage a very rapid expansion of the brood area,

I am an expert in "rapid brood expansion".
You cannot force "very rapid expansion" of brood area. I have studied the phenmenom so long.

But would be easy to put an empty brood box into the hive and the brood expanses rapidly. Every one can see, that it does not go that way.

Many beekeepers think , that they can encourage bees to do that and that, but they do not understand that bees try all the time to do their best. When weather becomes bad, bees' instinct says, slow down slow down. They resource saving mode go on very quickly.

I have used 20 years electrict heat cabels to encourage brood expansion. It can give 3 times more brood with patty feeding, but if weathers are bad one week, bees drop laying 50%.

Only way to expance a small colony is to give from big hive 1-2 frames of emerging bees.

There is no very rapid brood growt, because brood takes 3 weeks to grow . And much brood takes 4 weeks.

Heating helps to add the radius of brood ball, and you can understand that everything, which make brood heating difficult, it damages brood rearing. Heat is minimum factor in early summer in brood rearing, and you cannot help bees with enlarging the hive by force.

 

[Boston Bees]

I am an expert in "rapid brood expansion".
You cannot force "very rapid expansion" of brood area.

But it could be easy to put an empty brood box into the hive and the brood expanses rapidly. Every one can see, that it does not go that way.

Many beekeepers think , that they can encourage bees to do that and that, but they do not understand that bees try all the time to do their best. When weather becomes bad, bees' instinct says, slow down slow down. They resources mode go on very quickly.

I have used 20 years electrict heat cabels to encourage brood expansion. It can give 3 times more brood with patty feeding, but if weathers are bad one week, bees drop laying 50%.

Heating hellps add the radius of brood ball, and you can understand that everything which make brood heating difficult, it damages brood rearing. Hive heat is minimum factor in early summer in brood rearing, and you cannot help bees with enlarging the hive by force.

I agree with everything you say here.

I'm just clarifying what the Rose Hive Method is, because I think a lot of people think it is just leaving the queen excluder out.

 

[Finman]

I agree with everything you say here.

I'm just clarifying what the Rose Hive Method is, because I think a lot of people think it is just leaving the queen excluder out.

I understand. It is difficult to write a book about such thing.
There are warre hives, long hives and what ever.

My memory book says that good queens, big hives and good pastures make the yield. If you do not need honey, it is same what you do with your hives.

 

[F.F.Stung]

What's the advice on using supers for brood and honey due to the lightness? One can add extra supers as the brood grows and use a QE to control where the queen lays. A bit like the Rose hives - one size box and one size frame. I'm attracted by the idea but aware there must be issues or everyone would be doing it.

Could do, but I converted to rose hives by cutting down brood boxes and adding to supers and treated the frames similarly. The system is so easy. Get Tim Rowe's book!! "The Rose Hive Method"