Is the Langstroth outdated and impractical for Australian conditions?

I enjoyed the read Doug, thanks for your detailed explanation, nice to read how other do their bee keeping.
Cheers

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Hiya Pranav, the old saying that if you ask 10 beekeepers 1 question you will get 10 different answers, sometimes 11. :grin: is quite true.
Advice is free generally and whether the advice is taken is up to the individual. Not all advice is good and what works in one area doesn’t necessarily work in another area but the basics remain the same.
If you or others feel uncomfortable to ask questions on this forum then that is not right after all that’s why we are here in the for isnt it? Basic or advanced questions alike.
I’ve found that some ask questions when they already have their own answers and that’s fine as its not just the asker that benefits from the replies.
Having the experience we have on this forum is invaluable but we’re all fallible and sometimes we dont articulate our replies as eloquently as we should but that’s just life man.
Please don’t feel uncomfortable asking questions here the majority, if not all, are here to help.
Is the langstroth design outdated? I don’t think so, just the super. :wink:

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Hi @pranav-mohammed, please don’t feel uncomfortable asking questions. You’re not going to ask “Is the Langstroth Hive Outdated etc etc.” as someone who has already made up his own mind as well as a self-confessed upstart (stirrer). If you read the entire thread, you’ll see how the author became fair game to get rounded up on.

I see @skeggley doing a little bit of stirring himself, fishing for a bite :slight_smile:
cheers

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Hi RustyMac, FlowHive do not recommend using bought foundation comb in the brood. They let the bees draw their own brood comb. When inspecting the brood on a hot day I’ve found that you have to be careful not to let the comb drop or droop from the frame! As the bees draw the comb to suit their is no issue of cross contamination in the wax. It’s a neat system.

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What the heck?
Not sure what you’re on about, not fishing at all just trying to mediate mate before any more good members leave due to thoughtless unhelpful comments.
No worries I’ve said my piece and know when to walk away. Thanks for your past help.

I don’t think that two people are rounding-up on Rusty at all, it is sad that it seems that @JeffH and I are the main ones involved in this discussion. But that is what the forum is all about, discussion. The alternative is to ask questions and for no body to reply. If you take the time to read the whole thread you will find that both Jeff and I have given our opinions honestly and constructively.
Cheers

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Hi Skeggley, I might have misinterpreted your last line. When you said just the super is outdated, thinking you meant the honey super was outdated & that the flow super was more uptodate. You probably meant something different altogether.
cheers

TBH (to be honest), I think a single brood/single honey super combination with a migratory lid & hive mat with a solid floor built to withstand local conditions is as perfect a hive you can get.

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“Interesting read. Until you’re last comment. You may be the reason why new beekeepers avoid the beekeeping fraternity. Youtube can be a more friendly mentor.”

what? Hold your horses…

I’m not sure what offended you- but I’m pretty sure you jumped to offense when none was given… I’ve learned so many very interesting things right here- in this forum from Doug who is a marvelous and thoughtful beekeeper. he is also very generous with his knowledge and in sharing his ideas- which clearly work in his challenging environment. I have also been learning a LOT from a beekeeping book that is over 100 years old…

And I learn from the bees which have been around for maybe 65 million years. I learn from youtube too- sometimes what NOT to do…

Longstroth hives are great- in fact they are genius. Long hives are great. Skep hives are great and so are log hives. I use foundation- and I use foundationless. I spin comb and I cut comb. I like my flow hives too- though I know others don’t- and that’s cool- that’s their prerogative. I like them because I have used them and they work for me and they work for my bees in my locale. Tried and true…

I’ve seen bees build in flower pots, compost bins, armchairs, walls, chimneys, snow mobiles and cardboard boxes and these can all make GREAT hives. Or not so great. The bees don’t always choose the smartest place- they make do with what is on hand and so do beekeepers.

I have built my own horizontal langstroth- and I have built tall Nuc Tower hives. It’s all good. One day I really want to try out some deep Layens hives too. It takes years and many seasons to really compare hive designs- so many variables must be considered, strength of colony, seasonal variability, location, etc.

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Well it is . Just the economics of scale have to be conquered and that may take a while.
Extracting honey with the Flow is easy and any lay person can do it, no extra equipment needed other than a bit of tubing and a bucket. You don’t even have to suit up…shorts and T shirt is fine. It is not time consuming and other farm/house work can continue at the same time. I find the longest job is recording, labelling and putting the honey in the pantry.

Nothing will change with the brood box/s. Langs will still be doing this job for at least an other 150 years

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actually I personally don’t really think that’s the case for commercial beekeeping. I 100% agree for backyards though. I harvested two frames the other day and it was soooooo easy I had to laugh. I have a box of standard frames to spin today- and that will be more of an undertaking. But for the commercial folks- they have it down to a fine art and there is a LOT to be said for the expert use of decapping machines, humongous automated spinners, mass storage and re-use of stickies, etc. I don’t see flows replacing that any time at all.

the problem I think with flow supers in a commercial operation is the time and field equipment needed for each hive- 1000 buckets with tubes? Incremental frame harvesting? In colder weather and/or very thick honey it can take a few hours to get the honey out- minimal effort but a lot of time- time commercial folks don’t have. Standard boxes mean a box can be pulled off and replaced quickly and efficiently. For my own remote apiaries I never use flow frames as I cannot really see how I could do it effectively.

EDIT: however- I do see a potential for a type of commercial beekeeping with Flow frames- somewhat like Doug does in Canada. Either stationary like Doug- or possibly migratory with - using modified trucks, buses / wagons of some sort like they do in Slovenia:

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Hi Busso, with respect, you’re not factoring in hive beetles. Hive beetles really need to be taken into consideration because there are a lot of areas where beetles are a problem. Therefore in those areas where frames should be physically inspected before harvest would take a bit of shine off the attractiveness of the flow super.

An interesting observation is to take a look at @Rodderick’s profile. You’ll see that he has 1 flow hive & 30 Langstroths. Obviously Rodderick, for some reason favors Lang supers.

I’m similar Jeff- I have 4 flows and 15 standard. The flows are all in my yard or my mums where I have the luxury of a backyard beekeep.

Also I now specialize in foundationless cut comb- can’t do that with a flow (hybrid excepting)

This is 100% foundationless deeps- I make them by checkerboarding with wired foundation-

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How do you get a uniform cut from your deep frames Jack?

I’m just starting my cut comb journey and have trouble cutting it with a bread knife. I’m going to put a slot for a second QE in my next long Lang so that I can make cut comb from that end without worrying about the queen sneaking across and laying in them first.

I use a thin bladed and very sharp knife. It’s just a small one I got from an Asian grocer for $3- I sharpen it each time I use it. I cut all the way through and then drag the knife across the chopping board at a 45 degree angle left to right with my right hand with the blade sticking out the opposite end to how a knife is generally held- as you would if you were stabbing downwards… First I cut all around the wood edges and lift the frame away. Then I do my cubing cutting right across the frame- 3 lengthways and 7 vertical cuts Making 21 cubes.The cut isn’t perfect you get a little tearing and raggedy at the edges but it’s all good- they are the sundered cells anyhows. . The trick is to quickly box the little fellows before too much honey oozes out the sides. I use a spatula and have it down to a fine art. periodically you spatula up the excess honey on the board. You want a large board so the honey doesn’t run off the sides. You can get a very surprising volume of cubes out of one deep frame- ideals are very good for making it- deeps more finicky but worth the effort.

It’s all best done early in spring when the main flow is on. The best comb is the virgin white comb that is drawn very fast. The ones above are not quite as pristine but still very very good. The older the comb is the thicker the wax seems to be- I am not sure but it seems that over time the bees add more depth to the cappings. Also with the foot traffic over the comb over time it starts to yellow :wink:

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check these out:

i wonder if in this case the excluder would actually make a good guide for foundationless comb?

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Cheers Jack that makes more sense for processing the comb.

I use a purpose made square cutter, but dental floss also works extremely well as it doesn’t crush the comb as you saw through gently. :blush:

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Thanks Dawn I’d seen those squares and was intrigued as to how they worked. The dental floss is an interesting option, maybe not one I’ll use, but interesting.