The modern reinvention of top bar hives was viewed as an alternative to the more expensive and "high tech" design with frames. The concept was that it would be a more appropriate technology in situations where initial hive costs needed to be kept low and labor was cheap. In such situation low income farmers could afford to collect honey as a source of income with low capital investment and high labor input per colony. The current interest by hobbyists in the "First World" in using them as alternatives to Langstroth equipment by hobbyists is very odd. Even more odd is the concept that somehow a frameless horizontal hive is closer to the natural configuration of colonies and affords them some kind of advantage over pests and diseases. *********************************************** The BEE-L mailing list is powered by L-Soft's renowned LISTSERV(R) list management software. For more information, go to: http://www.lsoft.com/LISTSERV-powered.html