a Glenn Hile snip followed by > my comments...
Couldn't agree more and I would add one other item that makes life much simpler, use one size of boxes.  I started out doing the traditional deep for brood and medium for supers and have been gradually working to get everything into all mediums.  Makes inventory control easier, using drawn honey frames in brood nest for rotation, not to mention much easier on my back as I move into the senior citizen years.  So far I see no difference in the bees performance.

>Basically it would seem the basic idea of this thread is using the Demaree system on a horizontal beehive.  I have never personally used the Demaree system but have read about the process which I decided might work well at some northern location but was constrained in it's functionality here in the southern US where the flows are punctuated and not constant. Demaree also has the often unspecified advantage in tending to keep young queens in the hive and as a means to produce 'comb honey'.  Lot of folks have promoted all mediums as the way to go for decades (first heard of the idea from one of my very commercial employers back in about 1984) but as far as I know only one or two large operations have given this a try with any success< the frictional drag here on this decision is what do you then do with all those deep boxes and comb.

>I am not certain why a horizontal hive would be more work but certainly my own habits in handling frames does not encourage me to use top bar hives.  To each his own (I guess??) but no matter what style of the box I am for anyone that keeps bees in a box and promotes good beekeeping.

Gene in Central Texas  

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