Comparison of sunbed and multi-hive

Choosing the right hive is one of the most important things to consider when organizing an apiary from scratch. No wonder that newcomers to beekeeping are wondering which hive is better – a lounger or a multi-hive. Indeed, the design of the houses directly depends on how productive the beekeeping economy will be.

The content of the article

  • 1 What to start from
  • 2 What the design affects
  • 3 Features of risers and sunbeds
    • 3.1 Advantages and disadvantages
    • 3.2 Controversial moment
  • 4 General conclusion

What to start from

In a professional environment, hives with horizontal nest development, regardless of the number of frames, are abbreviated as loungers. And multi-body structures, where the family grows in height, are called risers.

As a clarification of the type of construction, the name of the hive model is used, for example, dadan, Ukrainian, Vladimir, horned, Lazutin’s lounger, and so on. And also indicate the number of honeycomb frames, for example, a Ukrainian lounger for 20 frames, and their sizes.

Acquiring any hive is an expensive pleasure these days. Many beginners with the appropriate carpentry skills strive to assemble bee houses on their own. In this case, you have to spend only on lumber. And you need to take into account the complexity of the design – the more parts it contains, the longer the assembly. Obviously, in this parameter, a multi-body house loses – it requires a lot of labor.

What the design affects

sunbed

Design features directly affect the volume of honey collection. Bees store fresh honey and pollen in the house. But at the same time, large volumes are not always justified. For example, in a cool climate with a short summer, bee colonies do not always have time to develop and fill all the useful space.

The main conclusion follows from this: hives are always selected in accordance with the climatic characteristics of a particular region… The melliferous plants are influenced by air temperature, humidity, soil quality, and the duration of the warm season per year. Therefore, the strength of the honey collection directly depends on the weather.

Beginners will benefit from talking to experienced local beekeepers or visiting their regional organization. Based on other people’s experience, it is easier to understand the issue of choosing the right bee house.

The second important point is the technology of the content. Bee colonies must be cared for intensively for an average of six months a year. Labor productivity will depend on the selected bee houses.

Multi-hull structures are harder and take longer to disassemble when examining the nests. For example, when working with Dadanov hives, equipped with one or two store extensions, beekeepers complain about difficulties in their work.

It is even harder to cope with classic risers with 4-5 full-fledged buildings. It is necessary to take into account the state of one’s own health in order to understand whether the constant “juggling” of the bodies during the entire active period for the bees will be possible. But even young beekeepers are strongly advised by experienced comrades in the trade to take care of their health. After all, herniated discs are one of the most common diseases of the musculoskeletal system among beekeepers.

Features of risers and sunbeds

sunbed with shop

Any design, be it a lounger or a riser, has its own tangible flaws and features of the content that have to be reckoned with.

Below are the most obvious ones:

Added to 12 sotoramoks… Extensions complicate inspections. In most cases, it is impossible to build up a strong colony, and if this happens, swarming is inevitable (the volume of the house is small for a strong nest).

16-frame construction on Dadan’s honeycomb frame… As a rule, such a house is equipped with only one store. It is more convenient to inspect it, and the hive itself is more spacious – you can easily grow bees and get a medium-strength nest. However, in this case, swarming is a fairly common process.

Double-hull construction for 12 honeycomb frames… Suitable for wandering. If you use a shortened Dadan’s honeycomb frame, it will be easier to work with the second body – the beekeeper is able to cope with frequent examinations on his own. With careful care, the swarm instinct is avoided.

Narrow-high frames are used in two types of houses: double-hull for 40-50 honeycomb frames or single-hull with one extension… In essence, these are the same multi-hive hives with a simplified package. Such houses have increased volumes, which allows building strong nests and at the same time avoiding the swarm instinct. If wintering is used on a warm skid (the honeycombs are placed parallel to the entrance), bee colonies wake up stronger and healthier in spring than in Dadan’s houses.

Sun beds equipped with twenty or more framesideal for warmer regions. A store extension can be installed on such a structure. The hives are bulky, not intended for wandering. They are used exclusively in stationary apiaries. In these houses, even with an average yield of honey, you can get a decent harvest of honey. With careful care, beekeepers successfully avoid swarming in strong colonies.

Advantages and disadvantages

assembled sunbed

We will separately highlight the structural advantages and disadvantages.

The advantages of sun beds are:

  • ease of inspection – honeycomb frames are easy to install and remove;
  • the ability to keep two bee colonies under one roof – just form nests, take care of them;
  • in the spring, such houses are definitely warmer.

Cons:

  • the design does not allow installing anti-mite nets – beekeepers rarely use them, which contributes to the spread of Varroa;
  • the large weight of the house complicates the transfer to the winter house;
  • the structure is usually not used for wandering because of its size and weight.

Advantages of multi-hull and double-hull design:

  • maximum proximity to the natural conditions of keeping bee colonies (insects live almost like in a hollow of a tree);
  • the opportunity to get a good honey harvest;
  • Convenience during transportation – when wandering, the houses are compactly placed on the platform.

Cons:

  • the complexity of examinations – physical strength is required from the beekeeper;
  • the beekeeper must be tall, since strong nests occupy up to six buildings (the height of the house is all the buildings plus a stand).

Controversial moment

Note that many beekeepers consider keeping bees in multi-hull structures as a sign of some kind of “advancement”, that is, experience. Such beekeeping is categorically classified as a progressive technology, while at the same time the sun loungers are categorized as hives for beginners. In practice, things are quite different – everything is not as straightforward as it seems.

outdoor lounger

For centuries, selection has been carried out in sun loungers. Modern bees are quite tolerant of horizontal expansion of nests. In the sun loungers it is noticeably warmer in the spring cold – the family is gaining strength faster. And in lean years for nectar, it is much easier for the owner here to cope with the rearrangement of the honeycomb frames. In a multi-hull design, it will be more difficult to do this – the already mentioned above “juggling” with heavy elements of the hive will have to be done.

Interesting conclusions can be drawn by analyzing the features of wintering. The health of the bee colony does not directly depend on the size of the honeycomb frame. Bees hibernate better where there is sufficient food supply and good ventilation.… It is for this reason that multi-hull designs are reduced to one hull for the winter.

Of course, the owners who maintain an apiary, consisting exclusively of multi-hull houses, will not agree with such conclusions. Experience and habit in such cases is everything. But if we really focus on the naturalness of the content, we will be honest to the end. Insects feel like in a hollow not only in a riser – in a lounger on a narrow frame, conditions will also be close to nature.

General conclusion

Summing up, it can be noted that it is not entirely correct to compare a multi-hive and a lounger. Each house has obvious advantages and disadvantages. Everything will depend on the experience gained by the beekeeper in practice.

It is easier for a beginner to cope with sun loungers. In them, the bee colony is always in sight. There is no need to turn over heavy cases and get confused in store extensions – the volume of the house is quite enough to get a decent honey harvest.

But when it comes to nomadism, preference in any case is given to multi-hull structures. They are compact in size, allow you to cope with large volumes of honey with repeated pumping (no need to disturb the nest every time). But at the same time, the content technology will be quite complex.

We emphasize once again that the main factors influencing the choice are:

  • climatic conditions;
  • honey base in a specific region;
  • apiary type – nomadic or stationary;
  • the capabilities of the beekeeper – often or rarely he visits his wards at the point;
  • maintenance technology and care features, which directly depend on the experience and capabilities of the beekeeper – on how much time he can devote to caring, as often happens in the apiary, what health he has.

A beginner can try several types of construction at once to make the final choice. For example, start three or four hives and test the convenience of working with them in practice during one season. In large apiaries, it is recommended to operate bee houses of only one type, allowing you to easily change the structural elements in places. This saves time and unnecessary labor costs for the beekeeper.

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Anna Evans

Author ✓ Farmer

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