Modern Beekeeping Langstroth - Top or Bottom

Just assembled my MB Langstroth and was surprised to find that it seems to be bottom beespace. I thought that Lanstroths were top beespace.

The distance between the top of the runner is 1/2", the frame is 3/8" thick which leaves a top beespace of 1/8" which is too small.

Beespace should be between 1/4 to 3/8 "

As I being thick !!

ROACHMAN said:

Just assembled my MB Langstroth and was surprised to find that it seems to be bottom beespace. I thought that Lanstroths were top beespace.

The distance between the top of the runner is 1/2", the frame is 3/8" thick which leaves a top beespace of 1/8" which is too small.

Beespace should be between 1/4 to 3/8 "

As I being thick !!

Click to expand...

no, you're not. i did ask this question of the previous owner of MB and received the reply that the bee space is split between boxes, so not really one or the other! this was one of the main reasons that i didn't bother trying one out; just didn't like the sound of such an arrangement although other people are obviously getting on well with them.

.
Then you must have bee space in inner cover too.

Their is space in the roof.

IMHO Langstroth hives are the perfect hive for the high yield queen bees of nowadays, you'll find bee space is sufficent once the full compliment of bees are using it. Just my opinion.

Mo

AFAIK Langstroths are top bee space so does this mean MB poly stuff simply ain't compatible with any other equipment?
Sounds like a good enough reason to steer clear of them to me.

Swarm AFAIK Langstroths are top bee space so does this mean MB poly stuff simply ain't compatible with any other equipment?
Sounds like a good enough reason to steer clear of them to me.

Click to expand...

Sorry swarm you have lost me.

Mo

Swarm said:

AFAIK Langstroths are top bee space so does this mean MB poly stuff simply ain't compatible with any other equipment?

Click to expand...

Hi,

That's basically the impression which I got with regards to their Langstroths -the BS kit appears to be different.

The bottom of the roof is not recessed so so beespace there anyway the inner cover goes on top of the BB and thats a plastic sheet so no beespace there either

No you are not being thick. It is the case. This has come up before on here (so many threads, can't remember which).

This is one of the reasons why I have stuck to nucs only from MB.

Swarm said:

AFAIK Langstroths are top bee space so does this mean MB poly stuff simply ain't compatible with any other equipment?
Sounds like a good enough reason to steer clear of them to me.

Click to expand...

Mb poly langstroths boxes have a lip on the top that fits into a groove on the bottom of the box above incompatible with other kit any way

The design has issues for sure.

PH

Poly Hive said:

The design has issues for sure.

Click to expand...

Perhaps done on purpose would you think,to try and lock people into this manufacturer when needing more parts.

it did say somewhere on the MB site (and posted on previous thread) that the hives were half and half.

only really becomes a problem when using an inner plastic cover and frame feeder.

Put some assembled frames in and definatly bottom bee space.

Havnt got a problem with that but seems strange when everyone knows Langstroth is top beespace. Why change things. It would have been so easy to design top beespace by altereng the height of the rails

Get the impression hive was designed by someone with little exp of keeping bees and importance of beespace

TBH Hivemaker I have no idea what their thinking was but as said why change the long standing tried and tested Langstroth design? Sorry to say but I thought and think it plain daft.

There are good Langstrogh poly units that work very well and mix and match well with timber supers. Used them for many years now.

PH

MB say to use shallow Dadant frames in super and Deep Lang in BB

Seems a real mish mash, why didnt they design the supers to use Lang shallows ?

Beespace in between BB and floor is 1.25" (brace comb problem ??)

Beespace between QE and super is 0.25"

half and half

Found it:

"Our Langstroth hive has a number of unique features, including the hard plastic edges which double as frame runners and provide protection against the hive tool. The hive bodies also interlock with a raised portion on the top of each hive body engaging with a corresponding “socket” on the underside of the upper hive body. This design is coupled with another unique feature – these hives are neither top or bottom bees space, they are a bit of both. This feature is linked to the hive body design and shows up when the bodies are replaced after an inspection. With a conventional hive it is usually recommended to replace the hive body at a large angle to the one below and then rotate it round into correct alignment. With our hives the upper body or super should be replaced at a slight angle only. Smoke is then applied around the joint to chase away any bees and then the body is rotated round the last few degrees when it will drop down into place, with the beekeeping taking some of the weight to minimize any jarring, which will excite the bees. This means the final movement between the bodies is vertical not horizontal and why the idea of top or bottom bee space does not apply. The bee space is between the frames, with the upper frame dropping downwards onto the lower one."

Sounds like bu** sh** to me

"MB say to use shallow Dadant frames in super and Deep Lang in BB
Seems a real mish mash, why didnt they design the supers to use Lang shallows?"

Because it is better to use the larger supers as they can double up as brood frames in an all medium LS setup. Plus you have choice of LS or Dadant/jumbo broods so perhaps one could say why bother with LS brood if you have both dadant supers and broods.

Beespace in between BB and floor is 1.25" (brace comb problem ??)

NO - germans have been using high floors (6cm) for years with no problems (if necessary with a grate) - google "Hochboden".

Beespace between QE and super is 0.25""

see my post above