I am so glad you spoke up again, Dennis. :)

>>They built a broodnest with the same orientation and cell size distribution as did the original small cell bees when put into a tbh.

I am also happy to hear that both large and small bees built with the same cell size gradation!  Having looked at feral combs from different colonies, I have always felt uncomfortable with 'one size fits all' regardless of what size was given.

On the other hand, I understand where commercial beekeepers are coming from.  They need as much consistency and R&R (repeatability and reproduceability) as they can get.  Hobbyists have somewhat different needs.

Everything I've seen and read tells me the vertical hive produces more honey than a horizontal one.  It's always nice to be able to harvest the surplus from the bees.

My aspiration is to have the bees build a natural nest in standard frames in a vertical hive...  The natural nest with its cell size variation allows the bees superior pest and disease control (from what I've seen).  And I want frames so I can inspect with ease. :)

Waldemar

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