>>I'm going to build a couple of hives this winter. But I don't want to build the traditional ones. I'd build a hive that has a brood chamber that has no frames and where bees could build their combs without foundation.

No frames means you'll be able to perform very limited inspections.  Swarm cells, possibly disease will evade you.  I'd try some kind of a foundationless frame set-up that would let you perform inspections and still put the nest back together the way it was.

>>*does the round or oval cross-section of the brood-chamber have  any
advantages?

I've read round cavities allow bees to control the nest thermodynamics with most ease.  May be an advantage for a small colony in the winter; otherwise, may not be a critical factor.

>>*I'd cut off half of the combs in the brood chamber every year - would that be wise?

For what purpose - to collect surplus honey?

Waldemar
Long Island, NY

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