Horizontal Hives

Does anybody have plans for horizonal Hives that use the Langstroth type frames.   I currently have all Langstroth  but have been thinking about building my own.  I like the idea of not having to pick up heavy boxes to check my hive.   I seen plans for top bar hives but they look like they use a different type of frame and was not sure if they would fit in my extractor.

You could try this horizontal hive.

You are right that most horizonal hives don't use conventional frames. They typically use topbars, and the honey comb is cut from the bars when it is harvested. Then the honeycomb is crushed and strained to separate it.


A lot of the attraction of the horizontal hives is that they need such minimal kit compared to the langstroth hive + extractor setups.

Mike posted to the right site but it would be better to link to the main page of plans.hive plans  There are several options that will allow the use of standard langstroth frames.  This is Leo's site and he has a lot of information out Watch the videos as his insulated horizontal hives seem to make a lot of sense.

C. Letellier wrote:Mike posted to the right site but it would be better to link to the main page of plans.hive plans  There are several options that will allow the use of standard langstroth frames.  This is Leo's site and he has a lot of information out Watch the videos as his insulated horizontal hives seem to make a lot of sense.

I have been studying the up on both the Horizontal/ Long Lang and Layens hives... their styles... and methods.

I am getting very close to building my firs hive. I am going to build his Long Lang one that uses 30 Deep lang frames. Mainly so I can share with others, be much more compatible with my neighbors, use my bee clubs honey spinner if I wish, find frames on every corner instead of always having to make my own, etc.

That being said... really like the Layens hive a bit more to be honest. Less frames to deal with AND the frames are big enough to where the brood is fully actualized on each frame (full circle)... PLUS honey and pollen stores on the tops and sides of the frames. All of the end frames at the back of the hive are filled with just honey and barely even guarded once they are full. Just leave the frames with brood/honey for the winter and you will not need to feed in most cases. Just have to make sure that they don't get "honey bound" at the end of the season.

I’m with you. I print off the plans for a lans horizontal hive.  Just gotta get in the shop to build

Jim Cowger wrote:I’m with you. I print off the plans for a lans horizontal hive.  Just gotta get in the shop to build

I just acquired the router yesterday. I have needed one for years to be honest but have been getting by with a Dremel. Time to start stepping up my wood working skills. Lol

Good luck! Should be a lot of fun.

My brother gave me plans the other day for turning a single sheet of plywood into 3 swarm traps using deep Langstroth frames. Want the link??? I can get it for you after work today

Marty I would love those plans   I want to try several different swarm traps to see what sticks for me

Marty Mitchell wrote:

C. Letellier wrote:Mike posted to the right site but it would be better to link to the main page of plans.hive plans  There are several options that will allow the use of standard langstroth frames.  This is Leo's site and he has a lot of information out Watch the videos as his insulated horizontal hives seem to make a lot of sense.

I have been studying the up on both the Horizontal/ Long Lang and Layens hives... their styles... and methods.

I am getting very close to building my firs hive. I am going to build his Long Lang one that uses 30 Deep lang frames. Mainly so I can share with others, be much more compatible with my neighbors, use my bee clubs honey spinner if I wish, find frames on every corner instead of always having to make my own, etc.

That being said... really like the Layens hive a bit more to be honest. Less frames to deal with AND the frames are big enough to where the brood is fully actualized on each frame (full circle)... PLUS honey and pollen stores on the tops and sides of the frames. All of the end frames at the back of the hive are filled with just honey and barely even guarded once they are full. Just leave the frames with brood/honey for the winter and you will not need to feed in most cases. Just have to make sure that they don't get "honey bound" at the end of the season.

I'm doing this research now also.  Trying to think through the options to be compatible with other systems vs. what's best for the bees

Would be nice to have the same frame size as everyone else who uses Langstroth frames, for the purpose of buying and selling bees periodically

It looks like a Long Langstroth is 19" wide by 9-1/8" deep, and a Layens frame is 12-15/16" wide by 15-15/16" deep, so it is quite a bit different

I've also seen people tacking in smaller frames into their larger Layens frame, to avoid modifying it.

Jim Cowger wrote:Marty I would love those plans   I want to try several different swarm traps to see what sticks for me

Here you go! Best of luck...


https://cmcba.net/downloads/SWARMTRAPDETAILSYT2018.pdf

Marty Mitchell wrote:

Jim Cowger wrote:Marty I would love those plans   I want to try several different swarm traps to see what sticks for me

Here you go! Best of luck...


https://cmcba.net/downloads/SWARMTRAPDETAILSYT2018.pdf

Thank you sir

Davis Tyler wrote:

I'm doing this research now also.  Trying to think through the options to be compatible with other systems vs. what's best for the bees

Would be nice to have the same frame size as everyone else who uses Langstroth frames, for the purpose of buying and selling bees periodically

It looks like a Long Langstroth is 19" wide by 9-1/8" deep, and a Layens frame is 12-15/16" wide by 15-15/16" deep, so it is quite a bit different

I've also seen people tacking in smaller frames into their larger Layens frame, to avoid modifying it.

Oh man I am so torn now. I really like that I can buy a HD version of the Layens 6 frame swarm trap... and leave the bees in there for months before having to move them if I had to.

Never having to worry about feeding them in a Layen is the main bonus for me. I won't spend all Winter wondering if they have enough. Just check in the Fall... if they are good then they are good.

Having that extra insulation on both hives will enable the bees to spend less energy keeping themselves warm.

With the Langstroth swarm trap you can leave them in for a bit so long as the design enables it. Some (or most) will have the deep frames up top in the trap... then a large empty cavity below the frames to enable the bee swarm to ball up in there.

Which of course is not required on the Layens since the frames are so wide and deep.

I kind of just want to buy the Heavy-Duty Layens swarm trap in the following link. Set it up... then take my sweet time building two main hives and a bee yard.

Which would enable me to focus on seeding the pastures, new fencing, installing water, planting my massive garden this year, etc... that is happening soon. In fact I will be moving 10 yards of compost and 4 yards of sand this weekend. lol

Here is the link to the $149 Layens "Heavy Duty Swarm Trap". It will have the same space as a whole Langstroth deep box almost. Of course the same website has multiple plans for DIY as well...

https://horizontalhive.com/buy-hive-bees/swarm-trap-top-bar-sale.shtml

EDIT: Here is a YT vid of a 7 frame Layens swarm trap that had bees in it for several months. They just filled the trap fully with comb, brood, and honey.

Just leave the frames with brood/honey for the winter and you will not need to feed in most cases.

In Tennessee with Langstroth hives a full medium super of honey is enough to get through most winters. I stored a few frames of frozen honey (from each hive) in case they needed a little more at the end of a long winter or if there was a late cold snap that killed off early flowers. It was rarely needed so it was basically a delayed harvest or an early harvest depending on you how want to look at it.

Mike Barkley wrote:

Just leave the frames with brood/honey for the winter and you will not need to feed in most cases.

In Tennessee with Langstroth hives a full medium super of honey is enough to get through most winters. I stored a few frames of frozen honey (from each hive) in case they needed a little more at the end of a long winter or if there was a late cold snap that killed off early flowers. It was rarely needed so it was basically a delayed harvest or an early harvest depending on you how want to look at it.

Nice. Would just have to leave about that much honey in a long hive then.

It looks like that is essentially the same amount of honey left at the top of Layens frames.

Yes, I think it would be fairly close.