I compared two wild honey farming methods side by side for 3 months

Tried the traditional Langstroth hive setup against a top bar hive in my backyard in Portland. The Langstroth gave me way more honey but the bees seemed stressed and swarmed twice. The top bar hive was slower but the bees were calmer and I didn't lose a single colony. Anyone else notice a difference in bee behavior between hive styles or am I just unlucky with my first setup?

3 comments

3 Comments

sullivan.spencer25d ago

the bees seemed stressed and swarmed twice" - that's exactly what happened with my first Langstroth too... I switched to a Warre hive and it's been night and day, they just seem way more chill and I haven't lost a box since.

sean_torres7125d ago

Have you tried giving them a bit more ventilation in the Warre, or just letting them do their thing? In my experience, the top bars make a huge difference since they build natural comb and don't get as rattled by inspections. Your mileage may vary, but I swear by not messing with them unless I absolutely have to.

shane_fisher3715d ago

Used to swear by Langstroth but this thread has me rethinking. Might have to give the Warre a shot.