Warm / cold way - thoughts please

[Wingy]

Ok running mainly Langstroth, these hives are cold way and I have them in rows & work from the rear of the hive. Some people say this is difficult and hard on the back when inspecting. I’ve never done anything different.
I now have a few Nationals and again use them cold way. I have inspected a couple of these from the side and not sure if it is easier due to inspecting this way or because they are smaller frames?

Thoughts / experience please

do you find it easier to inspect one way or the other?
Is there any advantage / disadvantage for the bees?
As I make my own floors I’m thinking of making some Langstroth warm way. Has anyone done this? Pros / cons please

 

[GuyNir]

Beekeeper’s choice. I’m doing warm way, inspecting from the back. This was discussed lots of times before.

 

[Curly green finger's]

I'm like you wingy all cold way and inspect from behind so I can't comment on warm way inspections, I know one thing though the height of the hive makes a difference on your back I'm using mainly pallets and I need to re think things.... Ow I have!! another pallet on top of the other one

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Ok running mainly Langstroth, these hives are cold way and I have them in rows & work from the rear of the hive. Some people say this is difficult and hard on the back when inspecting. I’ve never done anything different.

I now have a few Nationals and again use them cold way. I have inspected a couple of these from the side and not sure if it is easier due to inspecting this way or because they are smaller frames?

Most hives I work are cold way, I inspect them from the side which makes things easier, nothing to do with the size of the frame, I don't think any way is harder on the back, It's all about getting in a comfortable position to start.

do you find it easier to inspect one way or the other?

As long as you work from the side (so the frames are parallel to your shoulders) I prefer cold way

Is there any advantage / disadvantage for the bees?

It makes absolutely no difference to the bees whatsoever, this 'warm way is warmer, cold way is colder' is just a pure myth chanted away without any proper thought (especially now that most use OMF)
In fact I've heard of one poor deluded soul who switches their hives to 'warm' way for the winter and back to 'cold' way in the summer to keep them cool

As I make my own floors I’m thinking of making some Langstroth warm way. Has anyone done this? Pros / cons please

In my opinion, if you use 'warm' way you lose a complete frame at the front and maybe the back so I wouldn't - unless you want to experiment with an underfloor entrance

 

[drex]

Tried it both ways. Settled on cold way, so I can inspect from the side, and when my back is bad I swap sides halfway through to save leaning and reaching over.

 

[Boston Bees]

Definitely arrange them so that you don't have to twist while leaning. It knackers your back.

So in other words, if you inspect from the back, have them warm way. If you inspect from the side, cold way.

I arrange all mine cold way, but that's just what I'm used to. So I make sure I can inspect all of them from the side.

 

[Finman]

.
The whole idea is humbug or imagination.

Arrange the ventilation in proper way, that the hive is warm at night too.

I look the need of ventilation from the number of ventilating bees.

 

[oxnatbees]

It makes no difference if you have an open mesh floor.

I use solid floors and if I use warm way, the bees twist the comb to get cold way 8)

If I use cold way they don't twist the comb, implying it is ventilation they crave, not warmth.

 

[Erichalfbee]

I use solid floors and if I use warm way, the bees twist the comb to get cold way 8)

Now that’s interesting
I’m trying solid floors this year. Solid floor underfloor entrance

 

[pargyle]

My preference is to inspect from behind as I have more space in my apiary behind rather than at the side so it's always warm way for me - it's hard on the back lifting with frames at right angles to your body so the rule has to be warm way from behind, cold way from the side - although some people appear to be prepared to risk their back and do warm way from the side ! With 14 x 12 frames they are obviously a bit heavier and so it's a bit of a no brainer.

My LDH is obviously the exception but it's at just the right height for me to lift the frames out and so less of a problem and to be honest I tend not to lift too many frames out - I just slide them along in the LDH.

 

[Antipodes]

I had to google, "warm way cold way bee hives" to follow what you guys are talking about

 

[madasafish]

I have both solid and OMF floors and Langs cold way and Nationals any way.(I don't really care which)

Makes the sum total of zero discernible difference.
I inspect from the sides on Langs which are jumbos and any way for Nationals as the frames are half the size of Langs .

(Daily yoga back exercises make all the difference . Previous back pains and sciatica all gone about three years ago)

 

[Erichalfbee]

I had to google, "warm way cold way bee hives" to follow what you guys are talking about

Yes Langs are only one way. You must have wondered

 

[BigAshW]

My hives sit on pallets of four so I'm inspecting from the side. So I set mine up cold way. If I was looking from the back i'd set up warm way.

 

[BigAshW]

Now that’s interesting
I’m trying solid floors this year. Solid floor underfloor entrance

That's what all mine are becoming. Mostly because I make them out of free pallet wood and I'm too tight to buy mesh.

 

[Nannysbees]

We inspect from the back so the warm way, for convenience really

 

[Finman]

Langstroth is the most popular hive type and it its fames are cold way.

No one has told what that cold way means. How many kilos more honey the cold way brings.

 

[madasafish]

That's what all mine are becoming. Mostly because I make them out of free pallet wood and I'm too tight to buy mesh.

Thornes sales have cheap mesh offcuts ( £5 previously) . I am still using what I bought 5 years ago

 

[Wingy]

Thanks all, from the replies it seems the bees don’t care (if on OMF as mine are). So it’s all down to ease for the bee keepers.
interesting how it’s done on a long hive, no option other than to lift frames while back is twisted

 

[Newbeeneil]

interesting how it’s done on a long hive, no option other than to lift frames while back is twisted

That was the reason I went for standard national frames rather than 14x12's when I built mine. I figured the extra weight and twisting wouldn't be good on my back long term.