Randy:
 
>I have been thinking for several years about how to make beekeeping less
>equipment intense, so that people in developing countries might benefit
from
>keeping bees.
 
You are talking about Top Bar Hives, which are created from free junk and
used in 'developing countries' and have been for years, if I am not
mistaken.
 
Everything you ever wanted to know about Top bar Hives is at:
 
http://www.gsu.edu/~biojdsx/main.htm
 
Marvelously created and illustrated by Jim Satterfield in the
State of Georgia, USA
 
Al Needham
 
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                            Scituate, MA.,USA
                            Visit " The BeeHive "
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               http://www.xensei.com/users/alwine